A pragmatic view of cartridge expenses / many questions


Trying to see what your thoughts are on cartridge expenses? Do you buy cartridges and replace or retip after it’s worn? Cartridges are like tires for cars in some ways. You have to replace the tires after they wear out.

If you own an ultra expensive cartridge, let’s say, over 7k, is that your main spinner? Do you do a factory retip at costs exceeding thousands? Do some of you who own high cost cartridges use them only for special occasions, similar to drinking Dom Perigon for some special event, and use a normal not so exotic cartridge for regular day to day use and perhaps non-audiophile records.
I am sure each of us have our own price threshold and thoughts of high end cartridges. I only said 7k, because that seems to me a fair price point to describe a very expensive cartridge.

My thoughts are that having a few normally priced cartridges around is a good thing, due to the wear and tear, and replacing or retippimg would also be less costly. I do lust after some high end cartridges and if I do obtain one, my philosophy would be as described above. Enjoy for special occasions, and use a less costly for normal day to day listens. Geez, it feels like we are trying to separate our car cruises from a sports car feel to a luxury limo ride feel, in some ways. 
What’s your opinion on expendability of cartridges?
audioquest4life

Showing 2 responses by nandric

The ''loose reference''. I was nearly lynched when I asked the
question: ''are you sure that retips by Ledermann are done
by Ledermann''? I think that I am even more entitled to ask
the uquestion : ''are you sure that Van den Hul is Van den Hul"?
To my knowledge he produces just one single cart per week.
Just to keep his skills in order. He spend more time in Ukraine
selling to their aircraft indutry his wires. Then one can see
unusual many Van den Hul carts one second hand market. 
As is, I hope , known people do not separte easilly from their
best carts. Nobody knows how many employee both ''masters'' 
have, What do you think those are for? 
Raul, I understand passion and love but not ''blind love''. 
If the assertion (premise) is not true than deduced statements
from the assertion can't be true also. In +40 years in this hobby
and more than 60 cartridges I never wear out any of them.
Is there such thing as ''imagined wear''?