Dynavector Karat 17D3: retip for $500 or get something new?

My MMC1 was NOS before I started using it. Now has ~50 hours at most, in a DV505 or Triplanar tonearm (have had it mounted in both). You’re correct; I can’t evaluate the stylus but I can see everything else under my lab microscope. It’s not riding “low”. I think I found and fixed the problem which was due to the TP damper paddle riding too close to the bottom of its trough. Also I increased VTF to 1.15g, with some trepidation.

Needlestein, if my MMC1 looks perfect under my microscope and if it doesn’t collapse at its standard 1.0g VTF, may I assume it’s ok? I recently noticed some distortion and I’m trying to track down the source.

Needlestein, It's good for us vinylistas to know you are out there.  Thank you for posting.  Some MI cartridges do not have user replaceable "styli", but they do have user replaceable modules that may include all or part of the transducing mechanism, like B&O MMC types or Acutex 300 series cartridges.  (I don't know about Grado.)  If I am not correct on that, please do let me know.  I don't know of any Stanton or Pickering models that do not have user replaceable styli.  The problem is that OEM replacements are very scarce, for the really good vintage models.

…..in your opinion.
Thanks for the detailed and informative response, Dusty. It seems your guy can get closer to the original spec than I would have thought.

Dear heyitsmedusty, It would be interesting if your re-tipper was able to replace like with like.  That is, did he install a 17mm diamond cantilever with diamond tip?  Was the tip the same shape as per the OEM stylus?  If those two requirements were met, then you have some news for the rest of us.  Can you tell us what he installed on your 17D?
If he just did a generic re-tip, and if you like it a lot, that is fine but not a revelation.  I don't think anyone claimed that a re-tip on a 17D cannot be done.  What we are saying is that aftermarket re-tippers don't have access to the OEM 17mm diamond cantilever/stylus assembly and so cannot replace like with like.  So if the new cantilever and stylus are not identical to original, then the cartridge is fundamentally changed.  It could even be better than original, for all I know, but it is definitely different from original.

thiefoflight, It's not a matter of the quality of work done by whatever aftermarket re-tipper one might choose for the 17D3.  I am sure your guy is fine, and so too are many others in that business.  The point is that no aftermarket re-tipper can supply the very special 17mm diamond cantilever and stylus that was mounted on a 17D3 OEM.  So far as I know, no one can source this assembly except DV.  This is a rather unique situation, compared to conventional cartridges.  Now, if you just want a new tip without regard to the fact that you would also be getting a cantilever that was not designed for the cartridge, you of course could choose to do that (maybe).  But you wouldn't expect such a Frankenstein to perform similarly to an original 17D3.

The question in my mind is whether indeed anyone other than Dynavector can re-tip a 17D3 with its unique 17mm diamond cantilever and stylus.  Because I doubt that anyone but DV can do that, it really is a choice of whether you want to have a "new" cartridge that is a chimera of the 17D3 body with a very different cantilever and stylus or a whiff of the original SQ that you apparently grew to love.  I advise you to send it back to DV.
(Chak, Those B&K frequency response graphs that used to be routinely included in the box with any fine cartridge almost always showed a "ruler flat response".  I've got the one that came with my own 17D3.)