High End cartridges and the built quality

I had to exchange an Ortofon Windfield because the cartridge was wired wrong internally (left to right, v/v) and if that was the case, what else could I expect. Back it went and am now happy with my new one.

For reasons that probably would not stand up in court, I have the impression that Ortofon, at least in their higher end offerings, maintains better quality control than most, despite Stringreen's justifiable lament.

I had a pair of new Dynavector 17D3s fail due to quality issues. One was a cracked cantilever and the other was a failed internal wire at the contact pin. That failure wasn't isolated until the cartridge was one month out of the warranty period. Delicate electronics can fail, and DV understands that. They were very, very good about both issues. They offered full replacement or credit toward another model. Went with an XX2 Mk II and am thrilled with it. Major kudos to Mike Pranka at TOFFCO (the US distributor).

Lyra should be just as supportive as long as you purchased through an authorized retailer. Most high-end makers stand behind their products, so you should ask.

Good luck & happy listening!

99- The picture quality is quite amazing, the quality control not so much. These are very delicate items, but the failure of QC to detect these problems is very disappointing.

Yes, at these prices there is no excuse, except audiophile tolerance.

I have seen many microscopic pictures of Peter Ledermann's work at Soundsmith and they look a great deal more precise than the ones you show.