Great question, great answer! It's these types of interactions that keep me coming back to forums!
What happens when the stylus tip wears out on a $12,000 cartridge?
There is no shortage of stereo phono cartridges with 5-figure price tags. What do you do when the stylus tip wears out? Do any/some/all manufacturers of these cartridges provide or offer a re-tipping service? Or do you just lay out another 12 or 15 grand for a new cartridge? Sorry for my ignorance - the Denon DL-103R/Lithium Audio Musikraft shell I currently use is the most expensive cartridge set-up I’ve ever owned. I’ve had a couple re-tipped by Soundsmith in the past for $200 - 300. What do you guys at the other end of the price spectrum do?
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@tunes409 so what are the cartridge lines? |
There is a New Purchase Price $10000 dollar Cart’ not too long owned, with very little usage hours recently put up for sale in the US. The Cart’ is a documented case within this forum, for having developed a fault that was in place way way before a Tip Wear Concern could have arose. The above reinforces one absolute! Cart’s are Fragile !!! The environment the Cart’ is typically used in is very hostile to the intricacy of the Cart’s design, additionally, the user interface adds to the risks associated to the Cart’s fragility. Combine the two impactions on the Cart’ as stated above, and it is pretty much a given that by the time the Styli is worn and needing a assessment for replacement, the Cart’ is already far removed from the New Purchase Supplied Condition and is one that is with a long term usage that has not been with a condition that is closely resembling a optimised functioning Cart’. My suggestion to those that care to have a optimised functioning Cart’ in use that is now outside of a Warranty Period. Is to create a relationship with a Third Party Service, and have the service periodically Thoroughly Clean the Cart’ and maybe inform there is a need to carry out Tensioning to the Tie wire, to return to a optimised the damping function. A treatment such as this, carried out a few times prior to the Cart’ being completely overhauled after a period of long term usage and Styli deterioration, is not too much of an inconvenience or added cost to keep the replays as accurate as originally intended, and additional $400-$600 might get one beyond the 2000 hour styli life is their Vinyl in use is thoroughly clean. At the time of Complete Overhaul, the owner can decide to return to the Manufacturer or continue with the Third Party Service to continue with their very valuable maintenance. Note: In many cases, a Cart’ returned to a Manufacturer will be treated with parts that have equivalent properties to the ones used in the original returned model, hence meaning the Cart’ will not be supplied as a return, meeting the exactness of the original purchase !! There is a very strong possibility the replacement parts selected by a Third Party Service will have equivalent properties to the ones being selected to be used by the original manufacturer, or even be an improvement in their extrinsic properties as the overall assembly? The choice is quite straight forward, one can Pay a High Price for a returned Cart’ from a Manufacturer, that is the Manufacturers 'latest version' for this Cart’. The likelihood is that the Cart’ will not be an identical model of the Cart’ sent in. Alternatively, one can pay much fairer monies for a Cart’ sent in to a Third Party Service. With the Knowing the Cart’ will be overhauled by a very skilled technician, with the likelihood being non-original Parts are to be used. With the end product being as valuable in use as any Cart’ version on offer from the alternative option.
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- 72 posts total