Benz LP Ebony, and S-Class Ebony

Instead of retipping my LP, Benz and my dealer offered to upgrade it to an S-Class. They basically sent me a brand new cartridge. It has somewhat more mass than the LP but still mates seamlessly with the TriPlanar.

It's still breaking in but so far seems more linear, not leaner but imparting body and texture more uniformly across the frequency spectrum, resulting in more dynamics.

It's a little more detailed but even more musical.

A retipped LP might easily do the same but I'm not sending this one back.

I love my Benz LP and but if I had to retip I would surely do the S-Class upgrade.... My dealer has the S-Class on the stores Basis setup and it sounds great but I can't compare it to my LP because of how different the rigs are.

Yes - The mass comes from additional bracing - I think they use a brass skeletin to strengthen the Ebony wood. Have you noticed a change needed in VTA, or damping? Does it look the same as the older LP= or can you see any differences. Khrys.. perhaps you could post some further thoughts after it breaks in. Thanks

For reasons that escape me, the Ebony line of cartridges does not get the respect it deserves, and they get overlooked by audiophiles in serach of a world-class cartidge.

I mention this for the benefit of those who might be in a similar situation to Stringreen and are pondering a switch. If you do, you may be changing the presentation but not necessarily making an improvement.

Perhaps the LP has been around too long to catch the eye of audiophiles? Perhaps the slightly (and I emphasize slightly) slow, bloated sound of the lesser wood-bodied cartridges in the line causes people to overlook this fine cartridge?

With the LP, they got it right ... really right - not throwing out the wonderful things that all Benzes do in the nuance and delicacy department in the process.

I've not heard the "S" class version, but would feel confident in taking the advice of those who have done the upgrade. Their sensibilities are finely tuned to the virtues of the original LP, and I would trust them that Benz didn't screw up a good thing.

Cheers,
Thom @ Galibier

Stringreen, the S looks just like the LP to my eye. I made a minor VTA adjustment quickly by ear but will wait until after breakin for final calibration. I do not use damping with these cartridges. I had to pull one of the counterweights way back to balance the S so I will also reconfigure the TriPlanar with heavier ones to keep them closer to the bearing after breakin.

Thom, I naturally could not agree with you more. The LP has been seriously underestimated as a world class contender: good sounds good, bad sounds bad, yet it's all utterly engaging, involving, captivating.

Not sure how they do that, but the S already seems to do it a bit more.

It's the musical instrument of pickups IMNSHO.