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Cartridge rebuilds, whats your opinion?

I've recently won an Origin Live Resolution with Illustrious tonearm on e-bay. Needless to say I am thrilled with it. The seller had a Koetsu Red(Rosewood) fitted which clearly outclassed my Ortofon Kontrapunkt B, good as it is. So it should, it is twice as expensive. I'm tempted by the Koetsu, but the cost is difficult to justify on such a vulnerable item with a limited life span. I could consider it if a rebuild is a viable option. I know Koetsu will do it, but at a considerable cost. Here in the UK, a number of small outfits such as the cartridgeman offer competitive rebuild and retipping and I am sure a similar service is available in the US. Obviously the result will depend on whose doing it, but in general do you guys have any experience of non manufacturer rebuilds? If so, how close to the origonal can the rebuild get? It would be too much to ask to expect a 100%, but near would do. If it was a realistic prospect, I could justify it to myself(probably not the wife, but you can'nt have everything). Thanks, and greetings from across the pond
david12

Showing 4 responses by rauliruegas

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rauliruegas
12,775 posts
 
Dear David: I have experience with the Koetsu rebuild: directly with Koetsu and through another retipping source and I can tell you that the " others " are really people that take care and they really know what they are doing. Any one that wants to do business rebuilding phono cartridges has to be an expert: it is a very hard task and you have to be very skillfully for do that job.
You mentioned cartridgeman, but there you have one of the best rebuilder: Stylus Expert, this boys build the 70% of all the stylus that are using in the phono cartridge industry ( highly recomended ). Other than these you have: Benz Micro and Van Denhul, great ones too. Don't worry about, your Koetsu it will be continue Koetsu.
TWL does not have " live experience " on this subject: he is inexpert, I think he is only " speaking " ( bla, bla, .. ), with out knowledge about it.
Regards and always enjoy the music.
Raul.
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rauliruegas
12,775 posts
 
Dear TWL: Why are you so angry?. If you really had " live experience " on the Koetsu subject, why don't share that " live experience " with David?
Don't speak, put your facts. That's what David needs.
If you don't have " live experience " on the Koetsu subject, then you are inexpert on that subject ( right? ): don't be angry,stay calm and be happy. This thread is not a contest.
Regards and always enjoy the music.
Raul.
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rauliruegas
12,775 posts
 
Dear Cello: " How do you know that TWL does not have live experience with different types of re-tipping ? ".

If he really had the Koetsu re-tipping experience then why he don't give that information to David?.
Look, it is very easy: he don't have that experience. Period.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
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rauliruegas
12,775 posts
 
Larry: " Even what you are not eating do harm to you. "

If you don't want to read my opinions please don't read it. Is up to you.

BTW, TWL: " do not sound the same, and are not the same.". Stylus expert do the same work that Koetsu: it sound the same.
" Live experience " is what any one have in is own home audio system and TWL don't have it, at least you don't tell that ( maybe you never own a Koetsu cartridge with the rebuilding problem). Now, if you ( not other ones ) already had a Koetsu experience with Stylus Expert and they send back a different Koetsu cartridge, then an apoligize to you.

Dear friends, normally when I " speak " in this forum is because I have the " live experience ". Only when is extremly necessary I take the other people experiences.

I'm not trying to offend to any one, ever. My way is straight direct and my language problems don't help to have a better comunication.
Regards and always enjoy the music.
Raul.
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