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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?

 

 

128x128mijostyn
pindac's avatar
pindac
2,471 posts
 

@mijostyn More of your one liners, what a farceur you are 🤣you're such fun to learn about.

Maybe the Tweezers that you are happy to declare how quick you are to draw, were sourced through a well known Internet Portal that sells all sorts of Items.

I used it to purchase a Pedicure Set for my darling wife, I have remained controlled and not been tempted to have a probe around in any of the Cart's I own, with any of the interesting looking implements, even the Cart's I know have a blatantly obvious damage.   

Each to their own, especially with what they own. 

Ag insider logo xs@2x
rauliruegas
12,842 posts
 

Dear @mijostyn  : I would like that you link the picture of your MSL stylus tip you showed to me.

The subject is that due that you are " anal " that the cartridges must comes with the stylus tip perfect centered or you return to the seller that cartridge I would like to share with all these Agoners that Steve or Expert stylus are not the only good re-tippers.

 

Yes, exist many and between those " many " is Joseph Long :

860-338-0153    Cartridge_Retipping@outlook.com    and things are that I shared with you photos that he sended to me of 3 of the 10 cartridges I gave him to been fix it. In these 3 cartridges I ask preserve the cantilever/cartridge original integrity and only change the stylus tip with a line contact stylus shape and he did it choosing one of the Ogura different dimensions tips according the one that mated with the cartridge cantilever.

It's interesting for any audiophile to see the very high precision need it to achieve what you look for about. Some models from different cartridge manufactures comes with out that kind of need it precision but we owners not even take in count because normally we don't care so much with new cartridges and only we take a look when we have a " trouble " with the cartrridge.

 

From de time you started to point out about I took care with my cartridges and with the ones when my audio friends bring with to listen in my system.

Joseph always is busy due that he works in " solitaire " and he really is very good and with a full experiences with almost any vintage today cartridges and is one of the few re-tippers that recoil the MC if need it Normally he works mainly using Ogura and Gyger parts with several combinations on stylus shapes and cantilever build materials.

I hope @needlestein  ( his moniker ) can read this post and can post the link I showed you.

 

Btw, this is what you told me about your top of the line MSL and one of my cartridges:

 

" The stylus on the MSL looks exactly like the one on that blue cartridge. Here is a picture I just took. I have a really nice set up for taking these pictures as you can see.  "

 

Sure you have " nice set up " that is similar to the quality in thde Joseph Long pictures.

Anyway, he can be a very good alternative over other retippers because additional to his high skills his overall prices are lower than any of the other two I mentioned here and lower $$$ always is a bonus/plus for all of us.

 

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,

R.

mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn OP
8,226 posts
 

@rauliruegas 

https://i.imgur.com/LFFl4hO.jpg  Hopefully this works. This is an AP view of a MSL Signature Platinum Stylus. You can tell it is a MSL cartridge because of the way the stylus is mounted, in a slot. 

rsf507
2,232 posts
 

Wow looks like one of the more highly polished diamonds I've ever seen. 

lewm
12,543 posts
 

Imagine you have opened a tiny box of styli, where you want to install one in a cantilever.  And you sneeze.

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