Dear @needlestein : Enligthed overall information for all of us but for the person you posted because he " forgoted " to tell you he in reality is a seller and that's what he does.
Years ago when I started to buy MM/MI cartridges I bougth " hundreds " of them to test it and discover which ones were the better performers.
All the samples came used or NOS ones and in several models I had to buy 3-4 samples of the same models because even that the sellers said were ok it was not in that way but I had faulty samples ( several. ) not only with the used ones but with NOS/sealed cartridges too.
I bougth too NOS stylus replacements and here some were ok but other did not works at the waited quality levels.
So NOS on vintage cartridges is warranty of almost nothing.
But the interesting issue is that having 2-3 in good working condition samples I started to send some of them ( the better performers ) to re-tippers ( even that the cartridges did not need it because were working fine. ) to find out if with the today better stylus shapes and better diamonds that were better skilled/manufactured than 50+ years ago and using boron cantilever instead than aluminum or beryllium or golden cantilevers and see if could be an improvement and even in the really top MM/MI vintage cartridges as the Technics EPC100C MK4 ( stand alone version. ) in all the re-tipped samples these ones performed and performs way better and I mean by a wide margin that the original cartridges, no exception all the retipped outperformed the originals.
It's an absolute false myth that the original are better that a re.-tipped one, totally false and I can prove it. Obviously that that seller always goes against re-tipping because his busine$$$ can disappears.
Many of the re-tipping wok with my cartridges were made in Germany and through vdH but I use too SS and other re-tippers as Andy to name one of them.
Where I'm against re.tipping is with the top of the line today LOMC cartridges that my advise is doing that job through the manufacturer no matters what.
J.Carr posted years ago that cartridge manufacturers always are thinking how to improve their top designs and at some times they made small changes in those cartridges with out " shout " out there because the changes are so small that does not needs a MK2 version or the like, so he posted that when we send the cartridge to the manufacturer the cartridge we receive in return not only is an original one but comes with those " small " changes that improved his quality performance and that that cartridge sounds in the way the designer planned that he test it through his self voicing work.
So, any vintage MM/MI/LOMC cartridge sample will performs with higher quality levels that before and better than ever no matters what and I'm not selling nothing but trying to help other audiophiles/music lovers that as me want it the best sounds/MUSIC reproduction quality levels.
Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.
Years ago when I started to buy MM/MI cartridges I bougth " hundreds " of them to test it and discover which ones were the better performers.
All the samples came used or NOS ones and in several models I had to buy 3-4 samples of the same models because even that the sellers said were ok it was not in that way but I had faulty samples ( several. ) not only with the used ones but with NOS/sealed cartridges too.
I bougth too NOS stylus replacements and here some were ok but other did not works at the waited quality levels.
So NOS on vintage cartridges is warranty of almost nothing.
But the interesting issue is that having 2-3 in good working condition samples I started to send some of them ( the better performers ) to re-tippers ( even that the cartridges did not need it because were working fine. ) to find out if with the today better stylus shapes and better diamonds that were better skilled/manufactured than 50+ years ago and using boron cantilever instead than aluminum or beryllium or golden cantilevers and see if could be an improvement and even in the really top MM/MI vintage cartridges as the Technics EPC100C MK4 ( stand alone version. ) in all the re-tipped samples these ones performed and performs way better and I mean by a wide margin that the original cartridges, no exception all the retipped outperformed the originals.
It's an absolute false myth that the original are better that a re.-tipped one, totally false and I can prove it. Obviously that that seller always goes against re-tipping because his busine$$$ can disappears.
Many of the re-tipping wok with my cartridges were made in Germany and through vdH but I use too SS and other re-tippers as Andy to name one of them.
Where I'm against re.tipping is with the top of the line today LOMC cartridges that my advise is doing that job through the manufacturer no matters what.
J.Carr posted years ago that cartridge manufacturers always are thinking how to improve their top designs and at some times they made small changes in those cartridges with out " shout " out there because the changes are so small that does not needs a MK2 version or the like, so he posted that when we send the cartridge to the manufacturer the cartridge we receive in return not only is an original one but comes with those " small " changes that improved his quality performance and that that cartridge sounds in the way the designer planned that he test it through his self voicing work.
So, any vintage MM/MI/LOMC cartridge sample will performs with higher quality levels that before and better than ever no matters what and I'm not selling nothing but trying to help other audiophiles/music lovers that as me want it the best sounds/MUSIC reproduction quality levels.
Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.