Soundsmith re-tips received today


I had 3 cartridges done and installed an Audioquest 7000 onto my Graham 2.2 , which is mounted on a Symphonic Line Turntable.

Right out of the box this thing sounds spectacular, I had expected some rough hours before break-in. Any others get their re-tips sounding great right away?
128x128justlisten
Some time ago I had a cartridge with the cheapest Soundsmith update - $150,-- - and I was really impressed about it. An excellent example for doing a great job in this overpriced business.
I have had a half dozen or so cartridges retipped by Peter and all of them are superb! I choose the $250 level service on all of them. Highly recommended.
Dear Justlisten: That's almost normal with re-tipped cartridges.

A new cartridge that has no single playing hour must to settle down especialy in the cartridge suspension before could shines. In a re-tipped one that cartridge suspension is already broke-in and fine tunned for the re-tipper.

The VdH service in its Colibri cartridges is a good example about. They give us a cartridge fine tunning after three months of playing ( the service is free and we only pay the shipping both ways. ) and what they do most than all is to fine tunning the cartridge suspension.

In one of my Colibri's I bented the cantilever not one but in four different times and each time the cartridge was re-tipped sounded great at the very first track played in the LP.

Now, a re-tipped cartridge that was re-tipped for a " universal " retipper source other than the cartridge manufacturer loosed its original performance level. The re-tipped cartridge is a different one, that could like us more than the original is only a result that we are hearing a different cartridge. This is like when we hear a new cartridge that like us more than our current one in the audio system but many times that " I like it more than the other cartridge I own or owned " is only a different " flavor " and not a real best flavor.

Anyway, all these is my take about.

regards and enjoy the music,
R.