A Story about a Defective Signature Platinum
Last week I was listening to music at a healthy volume while sitting at my computer. I have an auto lifter (Little Fwend) and after the arm lifted I noticed a static noise with occasional popping coming out of the left channel about 40 dB down. At first I thought it was a bad tube but it disappeared when I turned the volume down. It is in front of the Preamp. None of the other sources had the noise. Swapping tonearm cables did not seem to change the sound but then I noticed that the sound was also in the right channel just farther down. Disconnecting the tonearm stopped the noise. I change over to an MC Diamond, no noise. Same with the Atlas, no noise. Swapped back to the MSL, noise is back.
The cartridge is exactly one year old but it rotates with two other cartridges and might have 75 hours on it. I called the dealer who told me to contact MoFi distribution, the US agent for MSL. Turns out the cartridge only has a 90 day warranty and I was told I would have to send it in for a rebuild for $6000! Can't they just fix the problem for maybe $500, No. Can't I just send it in for evaluation? The stylus and cantilever are brand new. No, a rebuild is the only option and you have to do that through the dealer, click! Most very expensive cartridges have a 2 year warranty on them not to mention that most companies would cover such a defect even off warranty as in the absence of physical damage it is obviously a manufacturing defect, a bad solder joint or maybe just two wires rubbing together. This is very disappointing and as far as customer service goes Home Depot is better than MoFi, Sears is better than MoFi! MoFI is right up there with Anthem Blue Cross! The service rep could have offered to look into it. Maybe communicate with MSL and get their opinion. I am sure if MSL knew about it they would gladly fix it and actually be embarrassed. The Japanese are like that. There is no way I can find to get directly in touch with MSL.
$6000 is not an option. I am not going to throw good money after bad. I am also not going to off a defective cartridge on someone else. I am going to take the cartridge apart and reflow the solder joints and make sure the wires are separated. If that doesn't fix it, it goes in the trash.
Mistakes and defects happen, it is what you do about them that counts. MoFi failed dismally in this regard. MSL makes a fine cartridge but I would only get another one if they changed agents and increased their warranty. Obviously, I will avoid buying any other MoFi products myself and warn others about their customer service. I have no further use for the dealer who did nothing to help. I have had superb service from Musical Surroundings, Soundsmith, B+H Photo and the Cable Company. All handled issues with ease. Has anyone else had trouble with MoFi? What companies have provided you with excellent service when the sh-t hit the fan?
@daveyf +1 @mijostyn I've heard the MSL Platinum Sig and I would never say it's easy going. Each time I've heard it I was wowed, it was dynamic and so detailed and lively like a real concert. I personally can't afford one but if I had the resources it would be at the top of my list. Although based on this thread I would have yo think twice about one. Waiting to hear what Steve has to say was the issue regarding it. |
As stated on a few posts in the past, the Mutech Hayabusa, has been reported by an individual who has a extremely High End System, has demo's Cart's with combined values from my math, getting close to $100K+. I have read up on much of their reports and the Hayabusa has been a Cart' that has impressed them, but as important, is the Cart' suggested to be considered along side the MSL Plat' and Gold on a shortlist. The Hayabusa can be found cheaper than any of the MSL models referred to in Japan, shipping and Import duties will add to the monies required to purchase. It looks like the Plat' importer has added a substantial mark up to their purchase price and cut their commitment to inherit a responsibility for the products function substantially as well. In the UK we call this Business Model 'Cut and Run', which pretty much means having the monies of a Customer or Client and leaving them High and Dry whilst holding the Baby. Due Diligence is always encouraged when looking into a Service Provider. I am looking at Cart's I can acquire for approx' £4.5K to the door max'. I hope to get the 1000 hours guideline usage, and have a mid life inspection/cleaning undertaken @ approx' £200, max' cost £4700 @ 1000hrs is £4.70 per hour. If a retip/refurb is required at 1000 hours at approx' £450 and a mid life clean is £200. The Cart' cost for 2000 Hours of usage is at a max' £5350, or £2.60 per usage hour. The cost starts to be a Bargain at this stage, in comparison to some other cart's that can't offer the same at the hourly usage rate. Have a second refurb, and I am sure the hourly usage will be close to £2. I genuinely expect more usage hours than 1000 as a result of usage on well cared for Vinyl. Also I don't see a refurb from a third party service changing the sonic of the Cart' in any way, apart from refreshing it. A good mid life clean does that as well, the crud build up under the hood substantially inhibits the Cart's function. Let the Crud build up on a Cart' that has been slowly getting to a 1000 hours usage, and I will suggest the Cart' is almost trudging through the mud in Wellies. |
All very true. Unfortunately, it is a very significant fault based on common human behavioral traits. I use to give people the benefit of the doubt but you can't do that anymore. Friends and family are more important than ever. The MSL is not as detailed or dynamic as the Lyra Atlas SL or the MC Diamond. That is not to say it is not detailed or dynamic. I listen to all three cartridges regularly on electrostatic speakers ,so I feel very comfortable in that assessment. Another point is that these differences are subtle and in many instances would not be noticed especially with limited exposure. If anyone listens to a cartridge for one song and gives you a full detailed assessment of it's performance they are FOS.. You might want to take a look at the Ortofon Windfeld Ti. It is a fabulous cartridge made by a reputable, well funded manufacturer. It is a neutral, smooth sounding cartridge with superior tracking abilities and arguably the best diamond profile made. |
I have come to a place with Ortofon where I have been familiarised with their designs from a certain era, in my price point. I do feel I fully understand the technologies sonic that is produced, in both the valued coil wire types. Additionally I have also had produced my own Hybrid Ortofon Cart' based on Silver Coil Wire. The spec for the rebuild of this Cart's is listed below. _______________________________________________________________ Manual cleaning of generator, nw Ogura cantilever + Ogura Vital SA+ tip, nw Vienna spec WRD, optimal generator alignment. _______________________________________________________________ The Vienna Spec WRD, is claimed to produce a very similar Bass Note to the Per Windfeld Damper. I have been present at A/B demo's of the above two Cart's and have had my Cart' demo'd in the Company of both the above Cart's as an A/B comparison. My evaluation is that all are much of a muchness and very difficult to separate when it comes to details, dynamics and the manifestation of a envelope. Bass Depth is very similar even though the Aucurum Copper Wire, adds a set of boots to the bottom register and the Silver Coils and Beryllium is more fleet footed but not quite wearing stilettos. The Silver Coils with Sapphire Cantilever and FGS, IS is a very close relative of the Windfeld. It was my rebuilt Cart' that ended my search for the chance to purchase a Vienna. Not bad as in Germany where the Market was originally set up for the Vienna, it had been described as Ortofon's best Cart' ever by a selection of those who bought into the limited edition. I am ready to now listen to their latest generation items and the Verismo is top of the list to experience. I do see the Titanium used on the Windfeld Ti as an interest, but I can't see it being too much different from what I am already familiar with. I sense it will be something like my rebuilt Cart' as it is described to me by a person who owned one as coming across as lean, in comparison to the original Windfeld. If I was invited to be demo'd a Ti, I would not decline, I am not pursuing the experience. As said the Umami Blue also has been described in a way that suggests it falls into this section if a sonic as well. This Cart' could prove to be a real Bargain. I also have the Post Covid Indulgence, to have a owned Cadenza Black to undergo a rebuild to my Spec' as well, when world peace returns this should be able to happen. If all goes well, this will have the coils directly attached to PC TripleC/EX wire. EX is the same wire that are substantially expensive when found as a Tag Wire, I have my own ideas to bypass this type of cost. |
Well, I am running an MC Diamond now and it is very similar to the Verismo and as long as you have a phono stage with a very good signal to noise ratio you can not do much better. It is a bit out of the price range you mentioned but that is sort of like the debt limit we have here in the States. I think you can forget about world peace for a while. History says this is going to get rough. |
