Opinions sought: % contribution to sound by component — specifically cartridges

That is especially difficult when you have come to love a particular cartridge. What I would like to be able to tell you is that there are often other cartridges that can be just as entrancing, even if different, but that is something you must discover for yourself. Retirement brings some benefits, but affording expensive cartridge upkeep isn't one of them.

@ebalog - In my case, the cart is responsible for WAAAAAY more than '5%' of the sound. Just be replacing a Clearaudio Charisma II MM with a Hana Umami Red MC gave me what I'd consider a 40% improvement in playback quality. Never had something so small had such an effect on my system. 

@ebalog I am not trying to undo your desire to return to Lyra, I was pointing out if funds are difficult to release, there is alternate options, with a typical cost known.

Such a cost might have been more aligned to where you want to go.

Never sounded the same as the Originals, is a very awkward statement for myself to accept as accurate.

The ear receives sound and remembers much, but does it really know enough to be sure the Rain Drops hitting the Tin Roof six months ago were louder or quieter than the Rain Drops hitting the Tin Roof at the time of the current rain fall?

Memorising Sound produced from a particular device is thwart with inaccuracies as the verbal description.

Additionally, read the words of anybody producing Cartridges about each Cartridge produced having a same sonic and that will tickle them for quite some time. A surety is the Parts assembled being the same, very unlikely anything else from function will be identical, unique is fairer as the description.

The Cantilever can be maintained and the Stylus is the only part to be changed, this is known off from a selection of Third Party Services, I do not know a OEM to do this, unless a Cart' Upgrade or different model is selected as the exchange.

I have shared on the Gon, about a experience where Same Brands Models and Same Brands other Models have been Compared to each other. The Cart's had be OEM Standard, Retipped or Fully Overhauled Rebuilds/Redesigns.

The Group at the comparisons made it known they were feeling confident the Stylus has very little influence on the End Sound Produced. It was felt that the overall structure of the Cart' and the method used for the Cart's assembly was the main contributor to the differences in sonics being noticeable.  As an attendee and also done similar on other occasions since, I stand buy the groups assessment as being with an accuracy.   

Do also note their are Cart' owners who received their Cart's back and been once more in Service within 5 Days of taking the Cart' out of Service. Reports from these individuals can be found where they are elated with the New Cart's performance and can't remember the Cart' being as good. 

Who does one use as the more accurate report the 5 Day turnaround or the 180 Day turnaround to once more hear the sent away Cart' back in use ???

I will accept the 5 Day as my point of reference, but that is me, others may want to have a different approach.           

As others have indicated, this is highly system dependent.  For my system, if I only count my vinyl source my turntable/arm/cartridge counts 25%, my step-up/preamp 15%, my monoblock amps 15%, my speakers 25%, and my cables/power cords/power conditioner 20%.  I guess that the cartridge counts for 10% or maybe slightly less.  Many people with good systems don't realize how important it is to use good cables.  Changing cables often makes a bigger difference than changing a component.

@pindac I respect your further thoughts. Your post is provocative and makes me reflect on many things.

I intended my original post as a more broad question as to the effect of stepping down in levels in a cartridge in an otherwise balanced system.

I included my specific details about the Lyra cartridge, and I realize conversation has veered off so that we're mostly discussing re-tipping, rebuilding and the like. That's a great topic and is one other than what I intended. 

I appreciate everyone's ideas about how I may be able to get music flowing again in my system. I'm taking it all in!

For the moment, I'm maintaining a bit of hope that Lyra may be able to restore the cartridge. If that proves not to be the case, I'll have to come up with an alternate plan.