[Nick 214]

I'd contact Jerry Raskin of Needledoctor fame. He's a good guy and has a bank of know-how on who does re-tips.

NK

 

[jsaliga]

Quote:

Originally Posted by memepool /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'd also recommend the Soundsmith. There are only a hand full of people in the world who do this kind of stuff and you make compromises based on what they offer. I didn't have the option of going to the manufacturer with a vintage Supex so had it rebuilt by the Soundsmith which transformed it into a different beast altogther but one of amazing quality. Perhaps I could have gone to Koetsu for something closer to the original, if they even offer this service. Or I could have gone to Van Den Hull and would have got a different take on it again. The point is that what you get from the Soundsmith is a superlative rebuild based on his own ideas and experience of building B&O carts at a very reasonable cost for the work involved. But it's a unique sounding cart, it will never sound exactly the same as the original. If you want the exact same Benz spec you had before the accident then you need to go to Benz, simple as that. If there is going to be a delay then buy a Denon DL 103 for a bit of fun while the Benz is away

I appreciate the solid advice and might have taken that path. But I decided instead to get a new Benz using the trade-in program and I also went for a Grado Statement Sonata so I could have a nice backup just in case. Overall it was a little more than I wanted to invest, but it will be well worth it in the long run. And while I love the Benz sound, this will give me a chance to try a different cartridge.

The lesson learned is to have more than one cart.

--Jerome

 

[mulveling]

Hmm, this thread may be good motivation to get my second table decked out with another Kontrapunkt, to avoid potential downtime (god forbid anything happens to my new $$$$ cart

).

Sorry to hear about your cart - my Benz Glider L2 provided 2 full years of highly consistent service, and was still running fine when I finally upgraded. The great thing about Benz is that they offer the best trade-in/exchange policy. In your shoes, I'd definitely go for the $800 exchange over a re-tip. I won't be getting off cheap with Ortofon, if/when that fateful day comes

I'd better continue enjoying it as much as possible in the meantime

If you still get the itch to try another new sound (even after the Grado), I can highly recommend the Ortofon Kontrapunkt series! Big BIG step up over the Glider (though I'm sure the new Wood S L is too), and a slightly different sound signature to boot (clean, neutral, pure). Even the "a" is really good, at the same price as the new Glider.

 

[Stephen Murphy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsaliga /img/forum/go_quote.gif Earlier today, however, the stylus on my Benz M2 wood body phono cartridge literally fell off.

The question is, how old is that cart? I had a Glider for five years and the stylus is worn out, but at least it's still glued on. How long have you had it? I would seriously be asking my dealer for a replacement without charge if its not that old.

 

[jsaliga]

I bought the cartridge used on Audiogon and the warranty period has ended anyway. The cartridge sounded fantastic right up until it failed. It was a very nice improvement over the Glider that it replaced.

--Jerome