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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
sdrsdrsdr
196 posts
 
@larry5729.    
This is what people said in the 80’s. I wanted digital to replace vinyl too, but it didn’t. If it did for you, that’s great. But for many of us the expense and effort is worth it for the better performance. The same goes for people into master tape. It’s even more expensive and even more effort and more inconvenient. But even better performance. 
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
I cannot understand the attraction for vinyl in the first place when you can stream noiselessly for a whole lot money and you never have to get off your seat to change a record. Turn tables are really cool looking but they also collect a lot of dust. I think one of these days we will see turn tables in museums and the young people will wonder why people ever bought them.

Young people actually buying turntables right now, normally very cheap turntables, but they want it, believe it or not. Those young cats born in the digital era having fun with vinyl and turntables, because it’s a physical object and the best media format ever made. It’s cool and nothing can replace it. Digital is just a free bonus and a part of our digital life nowadays, but vinyl is something special and this is why a lot of cool records getting more and more expensive over the years, while digital versions available for free. What young cats never buying is CDs.

Digital podcasts and radiostation stream ... this is all cool to discover music to buy on vinyl. 


Perhaps people who like vinyl like noise with their music in order to replicate music hear during the 1920’s to 1950’s?

Noise is everywhere outside your window if you’re living in the big city, from your neighbours etc ... Maybe it’s noise free in the bunker or in the private house somewhere in the woods ? But living in the big city is not noise free, unfortunately. The noise from vinyl is hard to detect in the normal listening session.

I’m not sure that music from the 1920 is interesting for young generation, but music from the 60s, 70s, 80s was a source for sampling for next generation of music producers and actually modern music based on samples, this is why for young generation the original source of samples is something interesting, people may never heard the original before, only via their favorite producers who samples very short piece of music from the past to build everything around these beautiful pieces, because modern producers often can’t even play real instruments - this is also a part of the digital era, the era of sampling.

Vintage vinyl and music from the 70’s era is amazing source for new discoveries when musicians and recording engineers were trained to make it live (not edits, often in one take in the studio).
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
@tooblue

I too am in the Soundsmith rebuild/retip camp. Currently waiting on his Grace F9 Ruby Optimum Line Contact replacement stylus for my Grace

I’ve seen his own (completely different) styli for Grace, did you try ?

I’m a big fan of grace original sound and i have almost every model and almost every styli made by Grace for F9, F14, LEVEL II.

It would be nice if you could compare SS to some of the best Grace (RS14 styli are compatible with F9, but F14 LC-OFC generator is also huge upgrade over standard F9 generator).

My favorite original stylus for F14 (compatible with F9) is the one with beryllium cantilever.

When you're ready for original Grace let me know, maybe i could help with sealed NOS styli, i have many. 




chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
One question for everyone:

If a refurbished cartridge is almost always better than the original cartridge (as many people claimed here) then why all those experienced  cartridge designers are so stupid that they can't make what re-tippers can? 

There must be some secret, right ? Only re-tippers know how to upgrade the a cartridge to the next level, but for some reason most of the re-tippers never produced their own cartridge. Indeed, why ? Because so many people standing in the line to send them all those cartridges from internationally renowned designers pretending for upgrade. 

Ruby are indeed very attractive (visually), i like ruby and sapphire cantilevers on my cartridges. Beryllium was an ideal material, but it does not look so attractive and no one can offer beryllium cantilever anymore, none of those retippers.

Regarding SoundSmith i think everyone should try his own cartridges if you like so much his cantilevers on some other cartridges. 

Probably his own design is even better as it must be a pinnacle of his knowledge and research. Right ? 

Garrott brothers retipped all those Koetsu, Decca cartridges in the past and their reputation was second to none. Their own MM cartridges are still available, even their own vintage MC (very rare). 

Any other re-tipper who actually design cartridges ? Yes, Van Den Hul, but he's retired ? 

Anyone else ? Please remind me 



tomic601's avatar
tomic601
12,969 posts
 
@nandric and I were separated at birth as identical twins, sadly I got the fat gene... but the acute hearing

i have so far had Peter and team do three rebuilds, all turned out as cost effective 
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