The Needle Clinic Andy Kim


To all analogue lovers, I thought of sharing my experiences of a fantastic service and product from the Needle Clinic of Andy Kim ( https://phonocartridgeretipping.com/). After a few excellent and super-efficient Microridge retippings of my Bez Micro Glider by Andy, the suspension was too worn, and I decided to retire the cartridge.   Andy suggested to me the heavily modified Denon 103 (Boron cantilever, Microridge stylus, changed body geometry).   I could not believe the sound: the soundstage, timber, rhythm - a quality that I frankly never experienced before with the Glider and with more expensive cartridges I had.   Andy's modified Denon already took a cult cartridge and brought it to a level that matches, if not surpasses, top cartridges out there.   I have used it with my Nottingham Analogue Hyperspace with Space arm and Klyne Audio Arts phono preamplifier with Premier Contrad Johnson amplification and Harbeth M32 XD speakers.  You really ought to hear this cartridge, and I think I have found the cartridge I will keep and when replacement is due, I will get the same one.   We had some correspondence before, and Andy was supremely communicative and patient with all the questions I had, and also with setting up properly.  That communication inspired much confidence in Andy's advice and craftsmanship.   Previously, in my retipping, Andy would clean excessive gunk over the coil generators if needed and would complete and send it to the UK ever so quickly.    I feel that the prices of his services and indeed the modified Denon are one of the very best keep secret in analogue reproduction.  It does not get much better than that.  Enjoy the music, Oren 

orenb

I used Andy many years ago, I had received a passel of modestly expensive cartridges that needed to be retipped. Andy did that quite economically for me, and I was able to bank roll the proceeds of selling refurbished Audioquests, Grado, Blue Point Specials, and purchase a couple of high performance cartridges. 

At one point I came to the conclusion that finding a retipper that would mount a diamond on the factory cantilever is the way i wanted to proceed with my cartridge retips. So I looked at the various retippers who do this. Andy is not one of them. Whenever you remove a cantilever you have to use a stent of some sort to graft on the new cantilever. I certainly don't want the factory one chopped off to do this. 

My choices these days are Expert Stylus or AllClear. I have used VAS and there are times he will do this, and other times not. Joseph Long is reported to be an excellent choice also. 

AllClear has a similar take on the Denon 103. Chris thinks they are nicely made generators and wants to upgrade to a boron cantilever and micro-ridge diamond. Of course this does involve removing the aluminum cantilever. But in this case i believe he fits the boron cantilever inside the remaining aluminum cantilever that is attached to the armature. I would certainly give a hot rodded version a shot. 

I’m trying to decide between Andy Kim, Soundsmith or the JR Wally Tools guy to work on my cartridge?

I also run the modified Denon and used him a couple times for fixing cartridges. The Denon sounds great and when he provides recommendations he knows what he is talking about.