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JVC QL-Y5F with Denon DL-103 pickup??

A

Allan. A

New Member
Hello everyone :)

I have just bought one of these JVC QL-Y5F turntables and everything works as it should ( very smooth and quite automatic on this model) It was delivered with the original JVC pickup with a new needle but I replaced it with my Denon DL-103 MC pickup witch is my personal favourite pickup but there's a small problem... I need to turn the counter weight almost all the way out over end before I could out balance the tonearm... On my Denon DP-51F the counter weight should not adjusted that long out to balance the tonearm..

Is it the headshell who's the problem here?? It weight about 23-24 gram with the Denon DL-103 mounted?
 
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Allan. A said:
Hello everyone :)

I have just bought one of these JVC QL-Y5F turntables and everything works as it should ( very smooth and quite automatic on this model) It was delivered with the original JVC pickup with a new needle but I replaced it with my Denon DL-103 MC pickup witch is my personal favourite pickup but there's a small problem... I need to turn the counter weight almost all the way out over end before I could out balance the tonearm... On my Denon DP-51F the counter weight should not adjusted that long out to balance the tonearm..

Is it the headshell who's the problem here?? It weight about 23-24 gram with the Denon DL-103 mounted?
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No the denon is quite heavy. I have a JVC Y66F and I have to use my auxiliary weight as I have the same problem you describe. If you don't have the aux weight then see if you can get a lighter head shell.
 
A good tonearm match for the DL-103 (a low compliance cart) should have a large effective mass, like many tonearms of the 60´s when the cartridge was conceived. I use a AT-1009 Mk 2 tonearm that provides a good match. The JVC belongs to a later generation of TTs, with a medium mass tonearm, most likely. Perhaps you should consider other carts that would be more convenient matchs to the tonearm of your TT. It is not just a matter of balancing the cart on a given tonearm but also about the resonance frequency of the cart/arm combo (e.g., https://www.ortofon.com/support/support-hifi/resonance-frequency ).
 
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Stanton681

That was my thought too..

Maybe I had to find another cart who match the arm better.. My preamp is a Yamaha CX-1 with a decent MC step up built in.. But it only have 2 ohm settings witch is 220 ohm and 1 kohm so I don't have many options there..

What low output MC should I chose who both match the tonearm and the preamp? Any Denon?
 
I would consider a Denon DL-304 or a Benz Micro Ace (LO), but they may be outside your budget, at least if new. But there may be second hand options.
 
guiller said:
I would consider a Denon DL-304 or a Benz Micro Ace (LO), but they may be outside your budget, at least if new. But there may be second hand options.
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I tried to take of the headshell this morning because I will try the original JVC pickup and then I saw this plate mounted in the headshell. I tried to take this plate of and now it worked a lot better..

But but... I think the turntable needs service.. Sometimes it don't return the arm at the same after lift up! Both when do manually stop at the button and after end play... I'm a little tired of it right now
 

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If you really like the sound of the 103 you could add mass to the arm as well as the counterweight if it's not an issue for you. Or just add some lead tape to the counterweight until you're able to move it in closer. You could take lead tape and out it under the wand so as not to be seen that much. I've done it on other tables with good results . Not perfect, but better than what was there.
 
Other than being one of the least costly MC cartridges the DL-103 is one of the oldest early to mid 1960s and in the following years much improvement was made to MC cartridges. Like Guiller said it performs best on a very heavy tonearm and your arm is medium mass. I'd be keeping an eye out for a low hourt preowned cartridge that is a good compliance match for your present tonearm instead of trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.
 
I've solve the problem with taking out the small plate. The issue now is the problem with the arm...

Sometimes it don't return at the same, after lift up. Sometimes it goes back to the rest at the same. The problem is also when you push the stop button and the arm lift up.. I don't have the experience with these electronic servo arms but I think there's something wrong with the electronic
 
Allan. A said:
I've solve the problem with taking out the small plate. The issue now is the problem with the arm...

Sometimes it don't return at the same, after lift up. Sometimes it goes back to the rest at the same. The problem is also when you push the stop button and the arm lift up.. I don't have the experience with these electronic servo arms but I think there's something wrong with the electronic
Click to expand...

Difficult to decipher the problem, please make and post a short video to illustrate the problem. :idea:
 
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