New year, new cartridge

If The Cartridge Man is Len Gregory, then you can cross him off the list, as unfortunately, he died last year.

The list of cart repairers is getting smaller as the years pass by. Cripes!

What you’re saying makes sense Ollie. I guess I’d got myself in to the way of thinking that it would be nice to have two cartridges to offer different flavours, share the hours, and so I’m not slumming it when one of them needs to go off for a retip. I may have got a bit carried away with the cantilever upgrade and that’s surely not necessary. Is just the FGS the retip at £650 around the going rate? Will also message Goldring to see if they’ll do it.

Edit - will check out Goldring and ESCo for boron/FGS upgrade prices for the CBr.

Are the £2k cartridges categorically that much better than the best at £1,400? if so then I guess selling/exchanging the CBr does make more sense.

Whilst the idea of sharing the load between carts is nice (been there) the truth is that you will ultimately like one more and thus want to use it more.

Then you'll possibly have a rebuilt cart with an unknown cantilever, which will be an issue because DH isn't a world famous cart guy and therefore the DHC will mean Sweet FA to anyone.

The other issue is that due to the fact that it's a total one off and hasn't been on a known upgrade path, no one will touch it if you want to sell it on. Likely leading to a significant loss.

For me, unless I'd heard a CB, rebuilt by NWA using exactly the same parts, and KNEW it was the cart I wanted, I'd avoid that path.

Is a £1800 cart better than a £1500 cart. Not necessarily, but like all things hifi.....understanding what you are spending your money will yield the best result.

Ortofon have been around for like 100 years......they know what they are doing, and, in turn of you having one of their carts, you know that they make decent bits of kit. If you look at what makes their *exclusive* range better than their other ranges.

Understanding this and comparison between ranges showed me how vital those extra parts were.

So, for NWA we have 1 person who says he is no good, one who is saying don't use but never heard or seen what he has done and one who is happy.

Funny old world ain't it!!

A lot of people are happy with his work and recommend him (as do I) so I see no reason why it would affect resale value?
I have used ESCo and was not impressed and would not use them again to be honest but doesn't affect them or there business as a lot of people are happy with their work etc.

I have no vested interest in NWA but as a happy customer just laying it down.

Yeah, that may be a sensible path. They let me have the Bronze on a trial basis, so stands to reason they’d do the same with the Black (or another cartridge).

They’re a good retailer and also have most of the options I’m looking at, so it makes sense to talk to them.

I accept that there needs to be a balance and top marks for championing their work.

Like I say, my only "concern" was how it may affect resale value going forward.

I only bought the re-tipped Vienna because Killian did it. Had it not been by him (or maybe Vdh at a push) I wouldn't have bought it.

I am with Kevin, re-tipped carts rarely sound as good as the original.

I did hear his DH-1 cart. It was very good indeed.

The stylus comes on the cantilever for those, I believe.

I know of another very unhappy customer, but like anything, no one is 100% all of the time.

There is always going to be two sets of opinions!

Sorry Kevin, didn't see the link.  Goes to show not everyone has good taste like myself and Jandl.  

My main reason for asking is that I have never heard the Karat. I had heard the XX2 in a system I know well, which is why I bought one.

I think the only certain thing you can say with re-tips is that unless they are done by the original company you will get back a cart that is not the same and is likely to sound different to the original, however slightly. Whether you are happy with this sound or not depends on your expectations I guess. I see a lot of re-tipped carts for sale, whether they are re-tipped because they are easier to sell on or the owner doesn't like the "new" sound compared to the original who knows.

A re-tip done properly/correctly can be a delight, Kilian is proof of that in my own experience and having used his services a number of times. The fact he no longer servicing the UK is a big big shame / loss.

My Cadenza Black in standard Shibata form was excellent - detailed and smooth. Was it a better cart after being re-tipped with the FGS ? absolutely no question, took things to a whole other level in terms of detail retrieval, insight, tonal/textural info and recorded music info, just better from top to bottom.

I never ever thought I'd go the re-tip route but Kilian and this route was recommended to me, by someone who had gone there and was very very happy/impressed with the result indeed and especially at the money, it was a no brainer.

Some carts have a very specific character/flavour and this is where I think some people have ended up a little disappointed, where the re-tip has provided a new presentation, different to that flavour or character the user liked. They've felt the dna was lost.

I can see this being the case, especially with some of the warm, romantic, characteristic high end Japanese pieces like the Koetsu's and Miajima's, where a re-tip will very likely result in a change that ends up with what makes those carts what they are being lost