Last week I was listening to music at a healthy volume while sitting at my computer. I have an auto lifter (Little Fwend) and after the arm lifted I noticed a static noise with occasional popping coming out of the left channel about 40 dB down. At first I thought it was a bad tube but it disappeared when I turned the volume down. It is in front of the Preamp. None of the other sources had the noise. Swapping tonearm cables did not seem to change the sound but then I noticed that the sound was also in the right channel just farther down. Disconnecting the tonearm stopped the noise. I change over to an MC Diamond, no noise. Same with the Atlas, no noise. Swapped back to the MSL, noise is back.
The cartridge is exactly one year old but it rotates with two other cartridges and might have 75 hours on it. I called the dealer who told me to contact MoFi distribution, the US agent for MSL. Turns out the cartridge only has a 90 day warranty and I was told I would have to send it in for a rebuild for $6000! Can't they just fix the problem for maybe $500, No. Can't I just send it in for evaluation? The stylus and cantilever are brand new. No, a rebuild is the only option and you have to do that through the dealer, click! Most very expensive cartridges have a 2 year warranty on them not to mention that most companies would cover such a defect even off warranty as in the absence of physical damage it is obviously a manufacturing defect, a bad solder joint or maybe just two wires rubbing together. This is very disappointing and as far as customer service goes Home Depot is better than MoFi, Sears is better than MoFi! MoFI is right up there with Anthem Blue Cross! The service rep could have offered to look into it. Maybe communicate with MSL and get their opinion. I am sure if MSL knew about it they would gladly fix it and actually be embarrassed. The Japanese are like that. There is no way I can find to get directly in touch with MSL.
$6000 is not an option. I am not going to throw good money after bad. I am also not going to off a defective cartridge on someone else. I am going to take the cartridge apart and reflow the solder joints and make sure the wires are separated. If that doesn't fix it, it goes in the trash.
Mistakes and defects happen, it is what you do about them that counts. MoFi failed dismally in this regard. MSL makes a fine cartridge but I would only get another one if they changed agents and increased their warranty. Obviously, I will avoid buying any other MoFi products myself and warn others about their customer service. I have no further use for the dealer who did nothing to help. I have had superb service from Musical Surroundings, Soundsmith, B+H Photo and the Cable Company. All handled issues with ease. Has anyone else had trouble with MoFi? What companies have provided you with excellent service when the sh-t hit the fan?
I believe this policy is being set by Music Direct. My only recourse ... Is to let everyone I can know and avoid Music Direct and any of their subsidiaries like the plague.
The person who let you down here is your dealer, but you feel warm and fuzzy about him so you’ve let him off the hook. I wouldn’t. You’re his customer, and he should be your advocate with his supplier. Unlike you, the dealer has some clout with the supplier, because he’s the customer. Together, you two could likely navigate this towards a resolution of some sort, even if in the end your dealer could only offer you a generous accommodation on another cartridge at a special price. It's really odd that your dealer is doing nothing for you with this.
I sent the cartridge to Steven and we will see what he can do.
He’s the best. I think you’ll be thrilled with the result.
I never had to test Grado’s support but I have never heard a bad comment.
I sent a Grado RS-1 headphone in for service once with a dead channel. They had one lady who said she did all of the headphone repairs and she was one nasty b*tch. Really, unbelievably rude. I’d never buy another Grado product.
Steve at VAS is very impressive. I had a Kuzma Car50 with a dead right channel that he was able to repair rapidly. This did not involve changing the coils but I'm sure some expert micro soldering was involved. Very happy with VAS.
I’ve been to each of the City’s five boroughs and have found nice people in every one. Of course, there are also the nasty New Yawk types, such as I encountered at Grado.
@mijostyn Jim Davis and Mo Fi/MD have been in hot water recently. Their undisclosed digital step debacle ( with the lauded 'all analog' LP's) landed them there. The ethics displayed with the company and Davis is clearly lacking. They are now in the process of 'settling' a Class Action against them--not a good look IMHO.
Unfortunately, you were a victim of their greed and avarice. I hope the re-build by Steven will be to your liking.
@cleeds+1. I agree that it is odd that mijostyn continues to feel good about his dealer, given what you stated. That dealer would be the last guy I would use again, for exactly the reasons you pointed out.
Not warm and fuzzy at all. I do not plan on using him again. Music Direct sets the warranty in this country. They are a large outfit with soldiers who just follow orders. Getting to anyone who might change the game plan is next to impossible. I am quite comfortable taking the hit and letting everyone know. It is nowhere near the worst insult I have ever sustained.
I’ll happily avoid MusicDirect and MoFi for all future purchases, on your behalf. The digital master one-steps debacle didn’t disturb me that much, but this does.
I really was no paying any attention to the One Step thing as I do not buy them. The Hi Res digital downloads are superior most of the time and MUCH cheaper. Thanx for your support! Funny, I do not think it was the warranty that bothered me most, but the curt manner I was dealt with.
I just re-read your OP. The “dealer” is Music Direct, and the distributor is MoFi. Correct? Those are two big operations in audio world. Did you try taking your problem further up their chains of command? I would guess that one of those two entities set the length of the warranty period, not MSL. You’re right; in Japan you’d have a replacement cartridge , no questions asked. That’s based on an actual experience with Koetsu and on many other interactions over there with the smal companies that make these exotic devices. MD and MoFi are probably bigger than MSL in terms of gross income. Anyway, let us know the outcome.
The Cart’ has approx’ 75 Hours usage and has developed a fault.
It does seem to suggest something catastrophic has occurred, a mutual friend once had a faulty Cart’ inspected by a Third Party Technician. The outcome of the inspection was quite unusual in description to many, but to those who inspect and thoroughly clean Carts, not too uncommon a condition was witnessed.
Metal Particle was found as contamination on the Cart’s inners.
In this case the Metal Particle had lodged in the Coil Wire and at some point of it stay, had shorted the coil.
It will be of interest to hear what is the description offered by VAS for this Cart’.
VAS NY Inc, has repaired a few Proteus Models with a lost channel, I aided a Proteus owner in getting their one repaired by VAS, and the Cart’s owner was extremely happy with the end product.
MoFi is the distributor, Music Direct is the parent company. Yup, I went as far as I could go. Sorry the warranty is only three months. We would be happy to rebuild it for $6000.
- that cartridge is crazy expensive.
- given its cost, MoFi’s policy is inexcusable. Maybe we should, as others suggest, start to boycott MusicDirect.
- I also would send it to Steve at VAS. He did a great job on my Koetsu Rosewood Signature: it sounds better than it has in years. He also did my Koetsu Onyx: I have yet to be able to break it in and to listen under ideal conditions as my room is still under construction. I intend to write a short review of his work for me once I am able to get those listening hours in.
The experience explained does not put me of the idea to receive a Demo’.
I am in no rush to buy into a New LOMC.
I really hope this is a isolated case, and not a fault that will at some stage of early usage occur on the bulk of these models from the production run.
I wonder if the fault does become a common reported defect if it is limited to the Platinum Model onlly.
For myself having the Mutach Hayabusa as an alternative demo' to be sought out, now seemingly makes sense. I have followed the user reports on the Hayabusa for quite some time,and unexplained failures are not to be seen as a issue of Concern.
Bummer, I agree that either MoFi should be lobbying on your behalf for an exchange, a repair, an evaluation- something- or- the dealer should be too. Unless your'e an experienced microscopic cartridge rebuilder and totally confident you can correctly take a part a $6000 cartridge, not break anything, diagnose tiny solder joints, de-solder, clean and resolder I can't imagine why you'd attempt this yourself. One mistake and the manufacturer then says to you "sorry, you damaged this when you took it apart, we're not covering any cost of the repair".
The Cart' is stated to be exactly one year old, is there a Cart' on offer from any producer that offers a Warranty that extends beyond one year.
I don't quite see how a Customer can be selected for a special treatment, especially when the warranty period is up, the Cart' manufacturer knows that when their Cart' is removed from its packaging, the environment in general where if resides in use, is hostile toward the Cart'. A year can be quite a period for a discovery to be made about the impact of the environment on the fragility of the Cart'. .
The usage hours of the Cart' are seemingly being presented as the case to determine the fault being reported is addressed by the manufacturer as a gift.
As stated previously, It will be of interest to discover the findings of VAS, maybe, just maybe, the damage incurred is a result of the Cart' being put into service in a particular environment and nothing to do with materials or a assembly selected failing.
In the UK the defendant is Innocent and to be proved Guilty.
VAS might just find the Guilty is quite Innocent, in the mean-time it looks like Que Sera Sera.
I am sorry for your loss/bad experience. It is the reason that I do not want to buy an expensive high end cartridge (last was a $3000 Benz Ruby 3 I bought new for $1800 or $2000 in 2006). Now I use a Dynavector 20X2 L (had the D2 and XX1 in the 1990s). I tremendously enjoy the sound of my "lesser" cartridge. Most of my friends do not use expensive cartridges. We listen to many types of music on 50s LPs to 80s LPs. Dealers keep telling me that I'm missing the boat and not getting the best sound out of my best LPs. However, the cure for that would be another turntable or arm with one high end cartridge and another for my Dynavector. It is just too easy to mishandle (bend/break) a cantilever.
I’ve had almost 30 MCs over 15 years at this point, and only 1 incident that wasn’t perpetrated by myself. With discipline, common sense, and a little knowledge about how these things work, it’s not really hard to keep from damaging them - unless you have physical issues like shaky hands etc.
That said, I get the abundance of caution, and 11K (or thereabouts) is a lot of chips to place in one basket. What’s really galling here is that damage from user error ALWAYS leaves obvious physical evidence. In this case, it sounds like one of those rare unfortunate scenarios that ties back to a true manufacturing defect. Not necessarily the cartridge maker, but perhaps supplier of the fine wire etc. @mijostyn is an experienced high-end analog aficionado, and I think it's safe to assume this cartridge was in good care by him. And NO ONE in the sales / distribution chain has even stepped up to say "hey, sorry - maybe we should at least take a look into this". AT A MINUMUM. Not a good look for any of the involved parties!
There seems to be some misconception about the quality control of a lot of these ’artisan’ sourced cartridges. The assumption being that each one is looked at by the maker and determined to be good. In reality, I suspect this is not the case at all; instead the QC leaves a lot to be desired. In my instance, the Lyra cantilever was installed incorrectly, leading to a return visit to the manufacturer. But we have all heard of QC problems with these expensive cartridges, albeit less so seemingly from the manufacturer’s who are larger ..like Ortofon, AT etc.,
The key here it would seem, is to make sure that your dealer is willing to stand behind you in the event of a failure and/or a manufacturing defect. If that is not to be the case, move on to another dealer who is. Doesn’t excuse MD’s protocol, but perhaps we can all learn a lesson from the OP’s folly.
While I agree that a good dealer will try to ease the pain by making a deal on another cartridge. The dealer does not set the warranty and once you are dealing with a huge bureaucracy it is like talking to a brick wall. It is much easier dealing with smallish companies like Musical Surroundings. They are great. The Hana Umami Red is looking better by the minute. I have never heard one of the more expensive Clearaudio cartridges. The Da Vinci is a possibility.
Is there Cart's being sold that offer a Manufacturers Warranty that extends beyond one year?
The Cart' is clearly defined as being one year old, what makes this a special case?.
I don't quite see how the Three Month Warranty and the Supplier being contacted 9 Months outside of the Warranty Period, puts them in the position, where rile is being expressed by individuals not effected in any way by this incident.
In this case, with the Cart' being pulled from usage, the Cart' at present has been approx' $150 per hour to use (75 x $150 = $11Kish)..
If the treatment from VAS is accepted by the OP and a 1000 hours of Usage is achieved, that will come in at approx' $9.75 per hour of usage, bringing the original purchase price and usage cost per hour closely aligned. Which as an outsider looking in, and one who suggests Cart's are sent periodically into a Third Party Service for a Inspection and Clean, the $9.75 per hour surely looks like a win win outcome.
If the OP rejects the VAS work, as a result of inherent prejudices for this type of service handling Cart's built by Japanese Masters of the Phono Cartridge and decides to sell the Cart' for approx' $3K and the new owner gets the 1000 hours usage from it, then that is a steal.
A friend got a Audio Note IO Cart' at a real bargain basement price, and a thorough styli clean resolved all issues reported with the Cart'. The Cart' is now after many hours of usage rebuilt by AN. The Cart' cost and rebuild cost are still less that the present market value for the low hours rebuilt Cart'.
Maybe!, if Cart's are being purchased at prices that are going to be approx' $3-$15 an hour to use, if the 1000 hours usage life is to be the guideline, then a extended Warranty to cover wear and tear damages within a few year period of ownership would be nice as an option from the supplier, as not many Cart's put into service will come close to the 1000 Hours in the first year of usage, or in some cases not for quite a few years.
I think the idea is that Mijostyn is probably a long time customer, and if that is the case, then he has purchased many tens of thousands of dollars from this same vendor. Also, he is reputable. Given all those things, the consensus seems to be that he was owed some sort of consideration by the dealer or distributor, despite the fact that the cartridge is out of warranty. There are many other ways this could have been handled wherein Mijostyn would not get the benefit of a full warranty but would get at least something other than a rebuff. You can argue this either way.
Never miss an opportunity to remind us you own a Porsche.
Porsche the company is not the best brand to bring up in a discussion of customer relations and customer support. You must know about the notorious Intermediate Shaft Bearing used on type 996 Porsches from 1999 to 2006 and thereafter in 997s possibly up to 2011 (it's a bit unclear to me exactly when the factory fixed the underlying problem), which part can fail by emitting iron filings into the oil supply and thereby kill the entire engine in only a few thousand miles, albeit that rarely happened. But more than a few persons had to replace low mileage engines at their own cost until the factory finally caved in and after many law suits. Why 996s are so relatively cheap to this day.
I received all the usual help, and in the end got the issue resolved at a cost.
The individual who resolved the concerning issue, made it clear.
"Some Lessons in Life are coming with a hefty price to pay"
Ouch! I paid up and absorbed everything I could from the experience to be preventative for the future.
As for @mijostyn, "Some Lessons in Life are coming with a hefty price to pay"
What is not known is if the lesson is about buying into Cart's at a US price that can be found as an Import for two thirds less, or is the lesson one that is based on learning that snobbery can hurt at times.
I do not need to Spend $11K on a MSL Signature, hence it is one that is on a shortlist to experience in use. I expect to be able to have one at the door, for approx' £4K+. Possibly even a VAS overhauled one with 75 hours on it for £2K.
Maybe the lesson to be learned is that when looking at the assembly of a Cart' under a microscope, as the OP claims to do, the same scrutiny would be best practice for the warranty being offered as well.
With the OP’s example, unfortunately his cartridge was one year old, even though it had only 75 hours of usage. The problem is that this same circumstance would apparently have occurred even if his cartridge was only three months and one day old...as the manufacture is only standing by a three month warranty! Personally, I think such a short warranty is unreasonable on a cartridge that not only costs $11K, but also gives the dealer/distributor such a large mark up. IMHO, for them to offer some kind of accommodation would seem to be appropriate.
@pindacI do not need to Spend $11K on a MSL Signature, hence it is one that is on a shortlist to experience in use. I expect to be able to have one at the door, for approx' £4K+
Porsche replaced a lot of those engines even after the warranty ended. They sent letters to the owners of those cars telling them to get the intermediate shaft bearing replaced because in a few months they were not going to support it anymore. The suits come after. 996's are cheap because their ass is not fat enough and they have stupid looking headlights. However, the turbo version has a fantastic engine and is a steal if you can find one. I own a 17 year old Porsche. What is wrong with that? You jealous?
So far so good. Steven has been very responsive. The cartridge arrives at his shop today. The lesson is that I should have looked at the warranty before buying it. That would have killed the sale. I have to say that the Hana Umami Red looks like an excellent cartridge for the money as does the Mutech.
Yes, for a period of time Porsche replaced some engines after the problem became a public disgrace. Replacing the bearing is not a panacea, because the problem is in the design itself. A few US based companies made replacements with a different design, less likely to fail. I don’t know how that worked out. Anyway high end car companies are not paragons of virtue when it comes to customer relations.
It would be nice if the warranty was longer than 90 days. Especially for the subtle defect that @mijostyndetected. This is a defect in the cartridge coils, not something that the owner did to the cartridge. Should be a lifetime warranty for certain functional aspects that exclude stylus and suspension wear and tear.
@karl desch, VAS works quick, as the Cart' arrives at his premises today.
Are you in direct communication with VAS on this matter. as there seems to be a knowledge of the cause of the fault addressed in your post.
The findings of VAS are welcomed to be shared, speculation on such a sensitive matter, is not really appropriate.
The only two things that are seeming accurate at present are $11K and 3 Months Warranty, even the usage of 75 hours might not be on the money.
A Post has already been pulled for an unknown reason, maybe the content was a little too much, I missed the chance to read it properly.
Even though the opening suggested I needed $11K to have a similar experience to the OP, which I am struggling with as being a correct assumption from the OP.
The Umami Blue, is a Cart' that is growing in user support, and certainly has created the idea in my thoughts, that it will sit in well with a Ortofon Model, I am attracted to, especially as the Blue is approx' 2/3's cheaper.
Very very recently, I visited one of my favourite 'dirty little secret' sites.
By that, I mean 'dirty little secrets' found under the hood of Cart's.
The witnessing how fragile a Cart' is and how it is doomed from day one, is a great leveller and certainly lifts the lid on any false ideas touted that a Cart' is invincible and going to do wonders.
A Cart's is a tool that has no defense against the ambient environment or the guardian looking after it.
In my most recent observations under the hood of Cart's, I was to learn how light alone is a accelerant to deterioration of a Cart' (Dampers disintegrating on one side where light has been able to penetrate and the remaining material appearing quite grainy in make up), what I assume is a moisture damage has been seen to be extremely detrimental (Verdigris Coated Coils), coils over time seemingly implode if the ambient condition are the catalyst (Coils seeming fracture and fall away).
If one wants a Cart' to deliver in a Certain way, the materials selected have to be able to deliver the required function. The selection of materials are not with too much consideration for how they will perform in the field after five years of being exposed to the Non- Manufacture and Packaging Environment, the selection of materials are in my presumption, selected to be able to survive a Warranty period and a usage life of approx' 1000 hours at a time line determined by the manufacturer, not by the end user.
I'm sure the Manufacturer is aware that certain end users will extend their attaining 1000 hours beyond the timeline the design has allowed for. I also feel confident the manufacturer has chose robust materials that will offer a extended service, where the assembly of parts remain near optimised for a extended period.
The idea any part used for the assembly of a Cart' should be a part with a lifetime warranty is pure fantasy.
It is no different to asking for a lifetime Warranty on a Porsche Set of Boots or any Car Tyre, good luck with that one.
If one is into their owned Vinyl LP as a Source Material that is to be replayed. There is a vital ancillary required to be used to create the replay of the Source Material, which is by its very make up, a Sacrificial Ancillary, that is the realisation that is regularly overlooked.
Too often all that is seen is the fantastical world of what such an ancillary is going to bring and who breathed on it at the time of its creation. The Power of Marketing is very good at concealing the realities, especially the realities that really are worthwhile considering.
@pindac- I don’t think @mijostynis asking for a lifetime warranty. I’ve had stuff happen over the years with product defects. The ideal response would be-- gee, that’s too bad. Would you mind sending it to us for inspection-- and if the distributor isn’t capable of doing the inspection, get permission from the customer to send it back to the manufacturer. (I reckon DHL Express or Priority Japan might cost 50 dollars US, maybe a little more). Then see where things are, and maybe cut the guy a break on another specimen (if he wanted that) or something else. An inspection should also reveal any user mishandling causing the problem--not that I'm suggesting that is the case here. It's simply good business and if there was a defect in the wire or manufacture, wouldn't the manufacturer want to know about that too?
That, in my experience, is how you maintain goodwill. Instead, we have an unhappy camper, a thread which has roused peoples’ ire-- there is something about vicarious rage at a third party that is just so easy, and negatives about a product and its US distributor, which is never good for bidness.
I’m very curious to learn what Steve Leung says once he gets to it and hoping for the best.
The upgrade bearings are doing fine so far. The 997.1 was the last car with that design. It came with a much larger Intermediate shaft bearing. The 997.2 onwards do not use intermediate shafts. This means the heads, instead of being identical are mirror images of each other. The cars with intermediate shafts sound different and much more in keeping with the classic character of 911s. Porsche has always treated me well.
I cut loose with a four letter word somebody did not like. If you were to spend $11K on a cartridge and it did this and you were handled in the way I was I think you would be upset to say the least. With the exception of the diamond and cantilever cartridges are really very simple and quite tough. The Umami Red is the one to go for.
Exactly, I started this thread to warn others of the limited warranty on these cartridges and the corporate nature of Music Direct and MoFi. The grape vine will do the rest. Steven has been ace so far. All I expect is a manufacturer to take care of problems that are obviously do to a manufacturing defect within a reasonable period of time.
In my view the Distributor should have offered to have the fault evaluated by the factory. If it was a manufacturing fault - then they should come to the party. If they felt it was a user issue then they could stand by their warranty.
If I was the manufacturer and a cartridge was defective I would want to know what the issue was.
As far as cost goes, if the cartridge retails for $11k, then it probably cost less than $6k ex the factory, so in the remedy offered the distributor is not offering any contribution to @mijostyn's loss. On the other hand we don't know if the original purchase included any discount.
I have had multiple top end bespoke cartridges fully rebuilt ( not re-tipped ) by the manufacturer at considerably less than the $6k quoted.
@whartThere has been a suggestion that certain parts in the make up of a Cart' are given a lifetime warranty, hence my lengthy description about how this would be quite a offer, especially with what a manufacturer knows, and the evidence that can be seen of a Cart's deterioration.
Additionally, my contributions have been to encourage a hold off on the contempt being expressed to a supplier, prior to the outcome of a investigation. At this stage it does not matter who does the investigation to discover the fault, the skill and experience about such matters is the concern. VAS is more than capable to carry out this assessment.
.Making the per hour costings known, is a good practice for all to utilise as a number crunch.
The ideal response would be ... Would you mind sending it to us for inspection ... Then see where things are, and maybe cut the guy a break on another specimen (if he wanted that) or something else.
Exactly. There's no way to know what's going on here without an inspection and the distributor/importer and manufacturer are the best qualified to do that.
... if there was a defect in the wire or manufacture, wouldn't the manufacturer want to know about that too?
Yes, of course. But @mijostynrecently acknowledged this:
I cut loose with a four letter word somebody did not like. If you were to spend $11K on a cartridge and it did this and you were handled in the way I was I think you would be upset ...
That may explain the treatment he received, at least in part. There's little value in offering a customer accommodation if he won't be pleased with the result.
I never get upset and always use a polite diplomatic manner. If I do not like the results I never use that entity again and start posts like this. Another thing is "I do not care about the price of the cartridge. Someone buying a $500 cartridge should be treated exactly the same. All people are in business to make money. Some only care about the money others care about having happy customers and their reputation. Music Direct is an example of the former, Soundsmith and Clearaudio the latter. As always it is consumer beware. I should have checked the warranty before buying the cartridge.
The Platinum is a great cartridge. It is very easy going, smooth and quiet. It's high output makes it a shoe in with most phono stages. It does not have quit the detail, dynamics or spatial resolution of the Atlas SL or the MC Diamond.
@mijostyn Should you had to have the attitude in your statement " as always it is consumer beware"?? With a company like MD and Jim Davis, based on just their non-disclosure digital step debacle, it is clear that you needed to. This industry seems to need a little cleaning of the house as far as the many bad actors that seem to inhabit it, IMHO.
@mijostynI've heard the MSL Platinum Sig and I would never say it's easy going. Each time I've heard it I was wowed, it was dynamic and so detailed and lively like a real concert. I personally can't afford one but if I had the resources it would be at the top of my list. Although based on this thread I would have yo think twice about one. Waiting to hear what Steve has to say was the issue regarding it.
As stated on a few posts in the past, the Mutech Hayabusa, has been reported by an individual who has a extremely High End System, has demo's Cart's with combined values from my math, getting close to $100K+.
I have read up on much of their reports and the Hayabusa has been a Cart' that has impressed them, but as important, is the Cart' suggested to be considered along side the MSL Plat' and Gold on a shortlist.
The Hayabusa can be found cheaper than any of the MSL models referred to in Japan, shipping and Import duties will add to the monies required to purchase.
It looks like the Plat' importer has added a substantial mark up to their purchase price and cut their commitment to inherit a responsibility for the products function substantially as well. In the UK we call this Business Model 'Cut and Run', which pretty much means having the monies of a Customer or Client and leaving them High and Dry whilst holding the Baby.
Due Diligence is always encouraged when looking into a Service Provider.
I am looking at Cart's I can acquire for approx' £4.5K to the door max'.
I hope to get the 1000 hours guideline usage, and have a mid life inspection/cleaning undertaken @ approx' £200, max' cost £4700 @ 1000hrs is £4.70 per hour.
If a retip/refurb is required at 1000 hours at approx' £450 and a mid life clean is £200.
The Cart' cost for 2000 Hours of usage is at a max' £5350, or £2.60 per usage hour. The cost starts to be a Bargain at this stage, in comparison to some other cart's that can't offer the same at the hourly usage rate.
Have a second refurb, and I am sure the hourly usage will be close to £2.
I genuinely expect more usage hours than 1000 as a result of usage on well cared for Vinyl.
Also I don't see a refurb from a third party service changing the sonic of the Cart' in any way, apart from refreshing it. A good mid life clean does that as well, the crud build up under the hood substantially inhibits the Cart's function. Let the Crud build up on a Cart' that has been slowly getting to a 1000 hours usage, and I will suggest the Cart' is almost trudging through the mud in Wellies.
All very true. Unfortunately, it is a very significant fault based on common human behavioral traits. I use to give people the benefit of the doubt but you can't do that anymore. Friends and family are more important than ever.
The MSL is not as detailed or dynamic as the Lyra Atlas SL or the MC Diamond. That is not to say it is not detailed or dynamic. I listen to all three cartridges regularly on electrostatic speakers ,so I feel very comfortable in that assessment. Another point is that these differences are subtle and in many instances would not be noticed especially with limited exposure. If anyone listens to a cartridge for one song and gives you a full detailed assessment of it's performance they are FOS..
You might want to take a look at the Ortofon Windfeld Ti. It is a fabulous cartridge made by a reputable, well funded manufacturer. It is a neutral, smooth sounding cartridge with superior tracking abilities and arguably the best diamond profile made.
The Vienna Spec WRD, is claimed to produce a very similar Bass Note to the Per Windfeld Damper.
I have been present at A/B demo's of the above two Cart's and have had my Cart' demo'd in the Company of both the above Cart's as an A/B comparison.
My evaluation is that all are much of a muchness and very difficult to separate when it comes to details, dynamics and the manifestation of a envelope.
Bass Depth is very similar even though the Aucurum Copper Wire, adds a set of boots to the bottom register and the Silver Coils and Beryllium is more fleet footed but not quite wearing stilettos. The Silver Coils with Sapphire Cantilever and FGS, IS is a very close relative of the Windfeld.
It was my rebuilt Cart' that ended my search for the chance to purchase a Vienna.
Not bad as in Germany where the Market was originally set up for the Vienna, it had been described as Ortofon's best Cart' ever by a selection of those who bought into the limited edition.
I am ready to now listen to their latest generation items and the Verismo is top of the list to experience.
I do see the Titanium used on the Windfeld Ti as an interest, but I can't see it being too much different from what I am already familiar with.
I sense it will be something like my rebuilt Cart' as it is described to me by a person who owned one as coming across as lean, in comparison to the original Windfeld.
If I was invited to be demo'd a Ti, I would not decline, I am not pursuing the experience.
As said the Umami Blue also has been described in a way that suggests it falls into this section if a sonic as well. This Cart' could prove to be a real Bargain.
I also have the Post Covid Indulgence, to have a owned Cadenza Black to undergo a rebuild to my Spec' as well, when world peace returns this should be able to happen.
If all goes well, this will have the coils directly attached to PC TripleC/EX wire.
EX is the same wire that are substantially expensive when found as a Tag Wire, I have my own ideas to bypass this type of cost.
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