Andy Kim - Needle Clinic

These are great reports, keep them coming.

These services need recognition, especially as there is a very cost-effective route into owning a high quality and design Cartridge, if the right donor model can be discovered for fair monies parted with.

Another best guy doing same-- Steven From  VAS audio NJ . 

I've yet to see any mention of using Andy's own NC-1? He had a batch made and was offering them couple years ago?

I passed when he offered one when I got the news a cart wasn't repairable.

Limited Production: The Needle Clinic NC-1 is limited to 20 pieces. Specifications: Type: Low impedance moving coil (MC) cartridge Frequency response: 10 Hz to 50 kHz Output Voltage: 0.23mV Channel Separation: 30dB or more (1kHz) Channel Balance: 1dB or less (1kHz) Cantilever: Beryllium Stylus Tip: Van Den Hul Load Impedance: 20-100 Ohms Impedance: 6 Ohms Tracking weight: 1.8 to 2.2 grams Weight: 5 grams Cartridge Price: $1300 

Couldn't figure out how to paste the pic downloaded from the email. Generic looking, plasticky body but for the price and possible performance might have been a sleeper?

Greetings from Mexico City.

I just got my cartridges back from Andy, a very nice and helpful guy, with the fastest turnaround time: 1 day, can't beat that.

I sent him two cartridges: a Shelter 901 (previously Soundsmithed to a ruby cantilever) and an Ortofon OM40 Gold. I didn't know MMs could be retipped, go figure!!!

I'm impressed with the results, they sound so good now, way above their league. Andy states that a proper retipping (a proper stylus-cantilever setup) is very very important, even more critical than the cartridge itself. I believe him now.

Both were upgraded to boron/microridge and I clearly noticed the following from the very start: less congestion in loud passages, truer timbre, no distortion at the beginning and end of the record sides, little to no stress in loud vocals, far more detail, less friction noise, a better sense of each element's surroundings.

The Shelter is now more like a brand new 4-5 KUSD cartridge (think Koetsus, Lyras, Clearaudios). Piano and strings' long notes are more stable, with clear decays. The microridge adds a syrup coat between the stylus and the record that makes voices transparent, sweeter, more present and nothing spitty. I have a couple of very demanding japanese pressings that have caused trouble in the past, but not now, the boron handles them in spades. There is also more life in the sound. Some defects I associated with vinyl as a media, are now gone. Records I've been spinning endlessly for 40 years come alive like never before.

The Ortofon is close to the Shelter, which is saying a lot, considering it's way below the Shelter's price. The Shelter is a bit more refined, nothing more.

I am glad I found Andy, thanks for the good work, keep it up.

Another very informative report on the impact a Third Party Cartridge Service can have on a first impression of a returned Cart', either Serviced or Modified.

As stated in previous posts, A Time Served Technician who has a acquired a substantial understanding of a Cart's Assembly and has the inherent skills to optimise the Tolerances for the interfaces that might not be as exact at the time of Manufacture can produce a Cart' that will standout as a returned item.

Add to the assembly exchange parts that are improved as a result of their inherent mechanical properties and the Cart' in general finds a different level of performance.

There is little to be seen that suggests using this type of Service is not beneficial and not good value for money.

I will assume the 901 was approx' $1700 when purchased. If there was a 1000 Hours of usage prior to the recent overhaul, the Cart' has been a $1.70 per hour model.

I assume the Overhaul is $500ish, at present there is assumed to be $2200 invested into the Cart'.

If another 1000 Hours of usage are successfully delivered the Cart' has been a $1.10 per hour model.

Do this revisit to Andy Kim once more and the potential if the 1000 hours of usage is achieved, is a Cart' that will have offered up 3000 Hours of Service at $00.90 per hour. 

Great VFM comes to mind.