Re-tipped phono cartridges

That is easy to say when you have a $45 Shure. $16,000 Goldfinger? Not so easy. 

Yes @nandric i see this feature in the manual for your Klyne, but the recommendations given for the original cartridges. I believe when someone change the original cantilever (especially boron pipe) to something else (including boron rod) the moving mass will be different, also the stylus tip is not the same, so everything will be different comparing to the original. As the result: the response is different according to this article. Technics research was made back in the 70's. 

Maybe we can compensate somehow by tuning equipment, or maybe our ears can't detect the difference, but this is not what i'm trying to say here.

 In theory changing cantilever and tip we're getting a different cartridge with different moving mass and difference response at high register. I'm sure this is only one aspect of a much more complicated thing that i don't understand as i am not a cartridge designer.

What i often read here is the "retipped is better than the original", but then i realize slowly that people never compared a pefrect original to retipped/refurbished sampe in A/B test. They are sending a cartridge for retip to get in back in 5 month often. Probably their cartridge degraded in sound earlier, i have no idea how they can compare retipped sample to original if they don't have two samples of the same cartridge on hands. Referring to a faulty memories is not the same, this is not A\B test, such comparison is irrelevant in most cases, except maybe a well trained audiophiles/professionals.   

I am comparing cartridges on 4 tonearms in one system and i know how faulty our memories really is, even after 10 minutes.

I've had Andy Kim retip my Clearaudio Virtuoso.  Not because the stylus was worn, but because I broke the cantilever.  I hate Clearaudio's design, the cantilevers stick out way in front of the cart.  I couldn't detect any difference in sound and was very happy with the results. 

I have also had my Van Den Hul MC Two retipped.  In that case, it was retipped and the suspension replaced by AJ Van Den Hul himself.  Pretty close to getting a new cartridge from the master at about 25% of the cost of getting a new one.

@chakster 

What camera, please? I too would like to monitor my stylus in as much detail as your 'MicroRidge' image.

Thanks!

hey @terry9  the camera is iPhone with additional analog Macro Lens added right on the iPhone body, there are many available and all of them are very cheap, probably under $20, i got mine for free from a friend and it's no name lens (mounted with magnet or bracket). 

The key factor is natural light.