Time for new used cartridge

Some manufacturers have that point of view, when someone else "repairs", "rebuilds" their cartridge, it shall no longer be considered their original name.
I can understand it, I listened to some "rebuilds" from non-authorized personell and I can speak her only for me, I will NEVER buy such a cartridge for a normal price. I would send it back to Dynavector. Normally it will be replaced with a new one for a fixed price.

Fixed price. And that is what it comes down to. The repair Soundsmith was probably 1/4 the cost of sending it to Dynavector. Sure, it is a bit different than a stock xv-1s. However, I would speculate that it is 95% of stock and I think it has a better stylus profile now.

If you decide to fix the xv1-s and you want a hold over/backup cartridge in the meanwhile, Lyra's new Delos cartridge ($1500 list) may do the trick. Attached are a thread on this on Agon with comments from Jonathan Carr of Lyra on it as well as a link to Music Direct's description page. It may merit looking into:

Agon thread: http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1258844370
MD Page: http://www.musicdirect.com/product/86577

Syntax raises an important consideration. If you own a particular cartridge, enjoy what it does, know why it does what you like and believe a rebuilder could not match that, then a non-factory rebuild would be a risky choice at best.

For example, I would never let anyone but ZYX rebuild my UNIverse. No one else has access to the ZYX stylus. No one else winds coils the way they do. No one else knows exactly what elastomers they use. All of these features are critical to specific performance capabilities which I value.

OTOH, Sgs freely admits he hasn't heard other cartridges. He has little basis of comparison and no way of judging how replacing any particular component in his XV-1S would alter the sound in ways that matter to him. For him, a non-factory rebuild at 1/4 the cost would at worst give him a chance to hear "another" cartridge.

Of course he could choose the safer factory rebuild/replacement and remain equally happy, though equally ignorant. :-)

It's an interesting choice, and unfortunately he has insufficient knowledge or experience to know which choice would be better for him. None of us can hear what he hears and know for him. All he can do is consider all the possibilities and choose what makes sense to him...

I would do it that way (and I think, it is not the worst):
Sending it back to Importer, paying the price what they want to have for a replacement.
Now I will have a new XV-1s, I can keep it or sell it at Audiogon for a good price, the new owner will be very happy and I can use the money for my new cartridge (whatever it will be).
Everyone is a winner.