I am not making any claims against SS’s value proposition; obviously their very modest prices combined with stellar user reviews makes it a hard-to-pass choice. Especially when revamping top-class generators resold without tip for a song.
I am saying that I personally will not spend near Koetsu-level money on a cartridge terminated in a sloppy blob of glue. And I stand by my assertions of the various Koetsu variants’ sounds, because I’m not relying on memory for the comparisons I’ve done. Though I partially agree with Raul that cartridges are very indeed complex beasts, and unit-to-unit variation is the elephant in the room. However, my experience with a # of Koetsus gives me the impression that they are more consistent than most manufacturers. The VTA/SRA, channel balance (this is always ABSOLUTELY perfect, which is a big deal to me), azimuth, and alignment vs. cartridge body are literally almost dead-on, every time. If you DO plop down big money for a new Koetsu or a Koetsu rebuild, you can be sure you will get a good one.
I am saying that I personally will not spend near Koetsu-level money on a cartridge terminated in a sloppy blob of glue. And I stand by my assertions of the various Koetsu variants’ sounds, because I’m not relying on memory for the comparisons I’ve done. Though I partially agree with Raul that cartridges are very indeed complex beasts, and unit-to-unit variation is the elephant in the room. However, my experience with a # of Koetsus gives me the impression that they are more consistent than most manufacturers. The VTA/SRA, channel balance (this is always ABSOLUTELY perfect, which is a big deal to me), azimuth, and alignment vs. cartridge body are literally almost dead-on, every time. If you DO plop down big money for a new Koetsu or a Koetsu rebuild, you can be sure you will get a good one.