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A Soundsmith Re-tip Believer


To paraphrase Michael Elliott, the eventual guru of Counterpoint, "price point defines the limits of the quality of the parts used in a piece of Hi-Fi. If a comparable profit margin could be attained using superior components I would have used them".

 

Hence the debate of re-tipping a cartridge, or buying a new one through a manufactures exchange program. Based on Counterpoint's paradigm, better products use better parts, that's why they're better products. This was the pivotal reason I had Peter Ledermann rebuild my Dynavector HOMC 20X2 cartridge, instead of going the exchange route.

 

A 20X2 is not as esoteric of a cartridge as the coterie use, but it's not bad. The reason I chose the 20X2 over the far more expensive LO Dynavector TE Kaitora is because of my Pre-amp (Gain 46db). The 20X2's factory cantilever is an aluminium tube and the stylus was a Micro-Ridge affair.

 

Using Counterpoint's philosophy I had Mr Ledermann replace the aluminium tube cantilever with a ruby and the factory stylus with an Optimized Contour Nude Contact Line Diamond. This combination creates an ultra low mass system according to Mr. Ledermann.

 

These bonuses are augmented by the fact that a gem stone is more inert than an aluminium tube. Plus an Optimized Contour Nude Contact Line Diamond has better tracking characteristics and superior sonic retrieval to a Micro-Ridge, and it has a lower mass. If these mods don't elevate the source to a better over all cartridge than why are they found on cartridges a few heads further up the totem pole.

 

The sound? Dead quiet. Beautifully transparent, gorgeous sound stage, and the imaging! Rich highs that are not intrusive, mid-range to die for, well controlled bass which I wish had more authority (could be the Pre-amp tubes), and a couple surprises. Very rewarding to good recordings, but unlike the Grado, not brutal to not so good recordings, and no Grado hum.

 

I'm in the re-tip camp. If any of you are pondering over the idea of exchanging your cartridge or having Soundsmith rebuild your current cartridge, my experience has been totally positive going the Peter Ledermann way. I'm just saying.
thehorn
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
The sound? Dead quiet.

This is because of one of Ledermann's design principles, reducing jitter by reducing mass and resonances in the stylus/cantilever/generator system. This is something he's discussed at length in videos and audio show seminars. Also Paul Beckett designer of the Onkk Cue turntable has the same view, that the majority of noise we hear playing records is jitter, their term for resonant energy in the cantilever/motor system to cause the stylus banging back and forth in the groove. Its pretty cool you can hear it in action now with your re-tip.


chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
Glad you like it, with relatively cheap cartridges upgrade is always possible, but you forgot to mention the total price you paid. Was it $850 cartridge from the start? And as i can see SS price for your new cantilever is $400?

What you did is not a re-tip, you’ve got new cantilever, it’s refurbishing job, Peter replaced conventional Aluminum cantilever with more exotic Ruby cantilever.

Re-tip is replacement of the tiny diamond tip on existing cantilever.

Dynavector Micro Reach (or Micro Ridge) diamond is great, not sure why anyone think that Optimized Contour Nude Contact is any better ?

Of course it was better idea to replace the whole cantilever, because the only benefit of the aluminum cantilever and micro ridge combo is the fact that nude diamond goes through the cantilever (pressure fit). Replacing just the needle tip on sch cantilever will ruin the whole principle and will require more complicated job and a lot of glue to fix the diamond.

In this situation you’re getting better Ruby cantilever with equal diamond.

But Dynavector cartridges like DV23RS MR in NOS condition with unique short Ruby Prism cantilever and Micro Ridge stylus available for about $500. And it is not the only alternative to your DV.

For those who prefer refurbished over original it might be ok, i do not belong to this group of people.

Re-tip or Refurbishing is problematic with much more complicated cartridges that already comes with exotic cantilevers and diamonds from the start, sometimes refurbishing is downgrade for such exotic cartridges, because the choice of cantilevers is limited for re-tipper, cartridge manufacturer have exclusive access for their own cantilevers. This is where standard option from SoundSmith and others is not the best solution. Also i’m not sure how compliance issue can be solved.

But anyway, for some average cartridges anyone can ask retipper for better cantilevers or diamonds, the only question is the cost in comparison to the cost of a brand new better (original) cartridge.

A high Output MC cartridges must be compared first to MM or MI if the owner have some limitation on his phono preamp, because even if the SoundSmith system claimed to be a low mass the High Output MC required more coil winding and as a result you have higher moving mass which is not benefit (for Moving Coil system).

nandric's avatar
nandric
4,086 posts
 
According to philosophy of  science ''truth and falsity'' have
nothing to do with believe. An statement is true or false independent
from our belief. We can't make an true statement false by believing.
Even cart producers would need an extra  worker for retips.
They also get the same cantilever/stylus combo's ready-made
by supplier. Why should one retiper in an factory be better than
the usual kind? BTW there are ''usual kinds'' with +40 years experience . There is no such ''animal'' by cart producers. 

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