Thanks for the responses, guys.
@nandric : Actually, I had this A90 retipped by Soundsmith a year ago and he did fine job, attaching a new Replicant 100 stylus to the old cantilever at a cost of $450, IIRC. Before that, some four years ago, I had Ortofon do their full rebuild on it (yes, I listen to a lot of records). Sonically, I cannot say with any conviction which was the better outcome. So, yes, another stylus-only retip is a good option if I want to stay with the A90 sound.
@billstevenson : I ’d guess that the difference between the updated Windfeld Ti and the A95 is smaller, given that the Ti’s specs are very close the A95. According to Fremer’s review of the Windfeld Ti, which I found after I opened this thread, the magnet system in the Ti is not as strong and sophisticated as the A95 but still a serious improvement over the A90 and original Windfeld. He describes the sound of the old Windfeld much the way you do; and he hears the new one as more dynamic and less laid back, though still more appropriate for jazz and vocals than aggressive rock.
The big question for me is whether I might simply prefer the Per Windfeld Ti over the A90, which I’ve appreciated enough to renew twice while never completely loving. It seems everyone who has spent time with both the A90 and A95 prefers the latter. But there’s not much info out there on how the Windfeld Ti sounds beyond Fremer’s review.
@nandric : Actually, I had this A90 retipped by Soundsmith a year ago and he did fine job, attaching a new Replicant 100 stylus to the old cantilever at a cost of $450, IIRC. Before that, some four years ago, I had Ortofon do their full rebuild on it (yes, I listen to a lot of records). Sonically, I cannot say with any conviction which was the better outcome. So, yes, another stylus-only retip is a good option if I want to stay with the A90 sound.
@billstevenson : I ’d guess that the difference between the updated Windfeld Ti and the A95 is smaller, given that the Ti’s specs are very close the A95. According to Fremer’s review of the Windfeld Ti, which I found after I opened this thread, the magnet system in the Ti is not as strong and sophisticated as the A95 but still a serious improvement over the A90 and original Windfeld. He describes the sound of the old Windfeld much the way you do; and he hears the new one as more dynamic and less laid back, though still more appropriate for jazz and vocals than aggressive rock.
The big question for me is whether I might simply prefer the Per Windfeld Ti over the A90, which I’ve appreciated enough to renew twice while never completely loving. It seems everyone who has spent time with both the A90 and A95 prefers the latter. But there’s not much info out there on how the Windfeld Ti sounds beyond Fremer’s review.