Who needs a Diamond Cantilever...? 💍

Thank you, Raul.

Dear @mijostyn : The SG overall concept is just great and I think superior to the other kind of cartridge designs but exist a little problem and that's that the LPs comes with the RIAA eq. and SG does not follows that standard and exist frequency deviations from there.

As you know in audio everything has its own trade-offs and the SG is not an exception.

R.

@rauliruegas, yes, that is what is responsible for the brightness I think. That does not bother me so much as I can correct any frequency response problem. I would just store a target curve specifically for the cartridge. The Win was a very poor tracker for reasons I do not understand. Ledermann however insists that wear is so low (tracking so good) that you can play lacquer masters repeatedly without wear. 
For those reading this that do not know how a strain gauge cartridge works; a strain gauge is a small device that changes resistance with stress. If you send a regulated DC voltage through the strain gauge vibrations from the record will alter the resistance which then alters the voltage. The DC is then removed leaving a modulated AC signal representing the music. It is a more direct way of of creating the signal than waving a coil in front of a magnet or a magnet in front of a coil. There were two that I know of historically, The Win Labs and Panasonic had several models I believe. None of them did well here in the States.
Now Peter Ledermann has introduce another model which has reviewed well other than that brightness. I would like to see a comparison to the DS audio optical cartridge. 

@halcro I've just joined your nightmarish scenario. A cartridge with irreplacable cantilever, irreplacable stylus and irreplacable sound! I completely share your sentiments and I'm glad I followed your lead!

@jcarr & @dover,
I promised to be a good audiogon citizen and report on the Takai Lab Final MC, equipped with the Sony one piece diamond cantilever/stylus. So here goes:
It has been playing records these past two days in a way that is leaving an indelible impression on my ears and soul, while knowing  that each record played moves it closer to its inevitable 'end of cycle'. So I'm going to use it sparingly on non casual listening sessions with the best sounding records I have in house.
This will be really hard to do, as EVERY record sounds special with this device. Its sonic character can be described as warm and wide open at the same time, that most difficult of ying/yang balancing acts. Also special is the way it handles dynamic crescendo's, which blow up like a balloon in all directions and always with the feeling that it can get bigger yet. Which sure enough it does when the music calls for it. 
But the most extraordinary characteristic is the way it folows the musical argument and handles the inner voices, meaning all sorts of musical lines normally buried in the mix that are clear as day and easy to follow. One of my favorite pieces of music is Luciano Berio's Folk Songs, performed by Cathy Berberian and the Juilliard Ensemble conducted by the composer (on RCA UK pressing). The instruments jump up on you like 'African rabbits' (to quote Arthur Salvatore's phrase to describe scary real dynamic jumps of even the friendliest of instruments). It's these kinds of little epiphanies that glue you to the listening seat. Not using this cartridge constantly in an attempt to extend its lifespan will require restraint which will probably be good for character, but also a mild form of torture. But Halcro gave all the warning signals......

It's impossible to say if all of this can be attributed to the one piece diamond cantilever/stylus, but I know for a fact that none of my other cartridges can make this same kind of impression. Edge of the seat stuff indeed!

PS: my sincere  apologies for this interruption. Now the other folks can continue to go on off topic again about MM, MI, SG and all manner of subjects that have nothing whatsoever to do with diamond cantilevers.😱

Baaahhhh.... I read many hypotheses and theories that lead nowhere; but is it so important that it is a matter of life and death to know how important it is or not to have a diamond cantilever rather than anything else?
I have a cartridge with a diamond cantilever but I will not tear my hair or engage in grueling discussions if I had the cantilever in other less noble material.
More music and less mental masturbation would be of absolute importance.