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Benz Micro Wood SL - Repair or Replacement?

My system is as follows:

VPI Classic 1
Sony SCD-777ES SACD Player
Whest PS.30R Phono Stage
Musical Fidelity A5CR Pre Amp
2xMusical Fidelity A3CR Power Amps bi-wired (All amps upgraded by John Sampson)
ProAc D15 Speakers

Unfortunately my 2 year old Benz Micro Wood SL cartridge has been damaged (chosen with lots of great help from this forum), the tip has been broken and the cantilever isn't completely straight.
See pic.

So, do I buy a new cartridge or have this one replaced?
I know that Soundsmith have a good reputation and there are maybe other options closer to home (Switzerland) but is it worth spending USD 400 or so rather than double that sum (for the same cart new) or a bit more as an opportunity to upgrade.

If I were to buy a new, different cart the following seem worthy of consideration :
Soundsmith Zephyr
Dynavector XX2
Ortofon Cadenza Bronze
Benz Micro Gullwing
Lyra Dorian
Lyra Delos

Thanks in advance for your help.
ecosse_011172

Showing 2 responses by cmalak

cmalak
681 posts
 
Ecosse...you are in Switzerland? I wish I could send in mine and get it back in 3 weeks. I am being quoted a 1 year turnaround time here in the US.
cmalak
681 posts
 
Ecosse...I broke the cantilever off of my Benz Micro Glider SL and I have been quoted about a year to have the retip done by Benz in Switzerland, so if you want to do a retip and want it more quickly, Soundsmith will be your best bet. The only issue though is that the sonic character is likely to change with the Soundsmith retip (different stylus and cantilever from that of Benz). The other option is to have the retip done by Benz and hope it gets done sooner than a year and in the meantime buy a new cart. You can have the Micro Wood SL as a back-up when it comes back to you from Switzerland or sell it at that point. The Benz retip will help it retain more of its value on resale especially if you sell it without putting any hours on it.

In terms of the other carts in your list, they are all very good contenders. The only thing I would say is that I would personally skip over the Dorian and go straight to the Delos. As for the Gullwing or any Benz cart at the moment, you will have a hard time finding inventory in the US right now. If you call your dealer or any of the online retailers who carry Benz, you will be informed that there is no visibility on when Benz carts will be coming in. There seems to be an issue with Benz right now which also explains the long turnaround time on retips. Hope this helps.
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