Miyajima MADAKE experience

Indeed the 'replacement' service seems very expensive and has rather changed the equation for Miyajima as a practical long-term purchase. It's my hope that this is a glitch based on incomplete understanding of the market, rather than a long-term strategy.

I had a Miyajima Premium retipped by Ana Mighty Sound in France (well, actually a complete new cantilever with 1.0 spherical diamond). The work was first class, if expensive.

At one point Ana were also working on stereo Miyajima cartridges but have given that up as they claim the way Miyajimas are constructed, it's too hard to get reliable results to the standard they wish to provide to customers. I haven't heard of anyone else prepared to re-tip them and I would personally be skeptical that this can be done - if  Francois and his colleagues can't do it then I'd personally doubt whether anyone can.

It's my understanding that the limitation relates to how things are bonded together in the manufacturing process, so it may well be that replacement with new 'works' - keeping only the cartridge body - as provided by the factory, is the only reliable way forward.

It would certainly explain Miyajima's replacement-only policy, but not necessarily the price charged - for example Audio Note UK do much the same with their Io cartridges (keep the metal body and magnets, but replace the inner 'works') - but given the relatively expensive purchase price the service/replacement cost is quite modest, encouraging owners to see an Io as effectively a lifetime purchase rather than a consumable. I do hope Miyajima reflect on the current situation and do the right thing.

I currently have four Miyajima cartridges - a Madake, a Zero 0.7, a Premium 1.0, and an Kotetu 78. I am currently pondering the purchase of a Takumi for less-critical listening (so that the Madake doesn't wear out too fast). But I might just stick with my SPU Royal N for that.

I already have an Ikeda 9C III for high days and holidays - used sparingly, again for reasons of wear avoidance (Ikeda Sound Labs no longer service these older, Ikeda-san built models). I would hate to have to put the Madake in the same 'occasional use only' category because of fear of the cost of the inevitable rebuild.

@montesquieu I also have SPU Royal with Replicant 100 stylus, how do you like this cartridge compared to Madake? Ikeda 9c is in my wantlist too.  

Well, I'm a huge fan of the SPU Royal N (this is my third and I swore I wouldn't sell it again). All the Miyajima stereo cartridges have a debt to the SPU series, so there is something of a common character, but much as I love the SPU, the Madake has an 'ahhh that's good' kind of rightness about it when I put it in - it's not any more detailed or punchy than the SPU, but it's just so musical.

The Ikeda is a different thing entirely. If you know the Decca London cartridges you'll know about seat of the pants presentation, it's compelling listening (if a bit exhausting). The Ikeda takes this vividness and kicks up up a gear. Great for showing off equipment and hearing the ultimate detail that's on a record. But the Miyajima beats it for musicality and enjoyment. That's not to say that it's missing anything, but that the whole is more organic and believable. The 9C is a superb cartridge though in its own terms.

This on a pair of Ikeda tonearms btw (my TD124 MkII currently has an older model Ikeda IT-407 12in arm at the back, and a post 2011 Ikeda IT-345 CR1 9in arm at the side on the main armboard.

Hi, I have a "retipped" 60 hours Shilabe, a Kansui with 600 hours and two Madakes, one of which cannot be officially "retipped" (it was purchased outside the US) with is c. 500 hours and a new one with 20 hours which can be "retipped".
The Shilabe is actually my third, the first I bought from Miyajima-san in Japan in the pre-importer days, then a retip (swap) from the importer, and then the latest retip which was a real retip performed in the US.
The swap retipping is 40% of the retail price or about $2360 for the Madake according to Robin Wyatt who imports them.
The cartridges all can be retipped for c. $650 by Andy Kim at the Needle Clinic, who redid the Shilabe with a comparable aluminum cantilever and diamond. The cartridge measured the same after his work as it did before, and seemed to sound the same- taking into consideration the play time. Andy is extremely knowledgeable and helpful- and a fast worker.

The Madake retip from him wouldn’t have the, well, madake, and probably would really be a Kansui, so the Madake will always cost a fair bit to replace.

By the way, has anyone measured the frequency response of these cartridges? I’m having issues with my second Madake being too bright, and the response is anything but flat in the top end (>+7dB at 18kHz!). I’ve measured all of them using my system, and none of them are, well, exemplars of an ideal response, but the second Madake is a bit much.

After the accident (with rare Technics cartridges) described by one of our member few years ago, i would never deal with Needle Clinic and wouldn't advice it to anybody else. 

There are many retippers with good reputation such as Expert Stylus and NorthWest Analogue is UK, SoundSmith in USA ... etc