Re-tipped phono cartridges


I noticed a lot of ads for re-tipped phono cartridges are suggesting this is an improvement over the original. I respectfully disagree. Regardless of the new stylus the integrity of the original design has been compromised. Think of it as a fine Italian automobile with a blown engine. It can be fixed but is it ever truly the same?
dreadhead

Showing 3 responses by nandric

We have seen different assumptions about durability of styli.
From, say, 500 till 2000 hours. Whatever the case at some point
in time the stylus will wear out. There are then two alternatives.
Exchange for the new cart by the manufacturer which offer this
possibility or ''retip'' in two variations; either stylus only or stylus
and cantilever combo retip. The later is more expensive but the
first more difficult to do. So, obviously, the retipper will prefer
the combo. By MC kinds this consist in gluing new cantilever/
stylus combo in the so called ''joint pipe''. This is usually aluminum 
pipe on which the coils and tension wire are fastened and in which 
the cantilever is glued. By MM kinds the new cantilever is glued 
 on the restant of the old cantilever. 
Dear chakster, I don't know when my Klyne 7PX 3.5 is produced
(80is?) but there are ''filters'' included for different hf frequency 
resonances. From 20 Khz till 35 Khz. There are also recommendation for about 30 wel known MC carts. The ''system'' is called ''high frequency contour''. So the phenomenon you mentioned was well known back then already.  

Dear chakster, ''free will'' and ''free choice'' are inscrutable notions.
The first is invented by Kant the second is suggested by liberal
capitalism. I think that you assume both in your advices (grin).
Even the manufacturer have no ''free choice'' for cart parts but
are dependant from their supplier. There is no sense in ''longing
for , say, Berillium cantilever'' if those are not produced. You are
what German call ''idealist'' which is curious attitude in ''not
ideal reality''. But it is true that we can afford idealistic attitude
in our forum and be pragmatic in reality. To me this means that
if you own some very good cart but, alas, with wear out stylus,
the pragmatic solution is to retip stylus only. If cantilever is also
damaged then, obviously, the combo of both can be got for about
$400.  With present cart prices not an difficult decision.