Dear No_regrets: +++++ " I wonder how this all would change if the cantiliever was changed from boron to ruby, and the stylus from eliptical to line contact? " +++++
well I can't say for sure IMHO no one can say it. What IMHO is for sure is that you will have a " different " cartridge with those mods.
+++++ " In summary, rather than what is better or worse, these stylus profiles were designed with different philosophies and priorities, and different styli may be preferred depending on what the cartridge designer wants to achieve for a specific model. " +++++
this was posted by J.Carr ( Lyra cartridge designer. ) in other thread and his point is very important: cartridge design is executed with the cartridge " parts " that can achieve the cartridge designer targets.
So if we change the stock/original cartridge build " parts " ( cantilever and stylus shape. ) then we are changing its quality performance. Btw, Dgarretson point out that with a line contact stylus shape we need additional care on the set up, if not what we gain is more distortions that normally we can hear it like a more high frequency false shine and brigtness.
Who can asure you that a different cantilever/stylus in that Benz Micro M0.9 cartridge motor works at its best. Undertow can say it? certainly not, only Benz Micro can.
What you posted as the cartridge quality performance tell me that that cartridge is really good overall. If you want to change that then IMHO maybe is better to buy a new and diffrent cartridge but seems to me that you are really satisfied with what you have on that cartridge.
A line contact stylus shape could give/change ( mainly ) the cartridge high frequency range, could this affect the cartridge tonal balance?, sure it can.
Now and along my audio experiences with 200+ different cartridges not always the line contact stylus shape cartridges shows better quality performance many times the cartridges with elipthical stylus are far better performers even in the same model cartridges where exist both stylus shape for the same cartridge.
In a cartridge design and in a cartridge quality performance IMHO the cantilever/stylus shape are important characteristics for the cartridge performance but there are other very important build/parts that contribute to the cartridge signature.
IMHO there are very low know how on the subject by the audio people and that's why you can read opinions/post like this: """ when my cartridge comeback from SS or VdH ( with a non VdH cartridge. ) performs better than ever, better than original """"
the majority of the time that re-tipped cartridge was not better but only different.
I posted that when I really like the cartridge quality performance always send it to fix it to the original designer/manufacturer if still exist.
This give us several advantages not only that the cartridge signature ( that's what I like/enjoy ) prevail but that that original cartridge manufacturer ( in your case Benz Micro. ) fix the cartridge where he do it with all the up-dates that that cartridge had over time and that only the original cartridge manufacturer knows. Many times the cartridge manufacturer makes changes/parts in the original cartridge design and even they don't tell to anybody but when we send our cartridge you can be sure that will return with the up-dates. This for me has an additional cartridge value and only the original cartridge manufacturer can do it.
A non original re-tipper has lower price to fix a cartridge but can't give us what is really important for us: to preserve what we like it and the cartridge up-dates.
Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.
