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Cartridge misadventures
When I wake up in the middle of the night I like to go listen to music for an hour or so. I did that a few weeks ago and when the roon server wasn't working, for whatever reason, I decided to play a record instead. In cueing up the record I snagged the sleeve of my robe on the cartridge cantilever and ruined it. The cart is a Rega Apheta 2, not cheap to me, so I sent it off to Soundsmith and they confirmed that the cantilever was a goner and proposed a new Boron cantilever with CL stylus for $450.00 plus shipping.
I said fine and in a few weeks the repaired cart arrived, along with about 10 pages of guidance on how to set it up, which I haven't plowed through yet but seems very helpful. (In the meantime I'd been using a Benz Micro Gold that the Apheta had replaced.) Aside from tracking force I hadn't changed the setup so installing the new/old Apheta was a snap until I got to the point of attaching the last wire. I broke the clip, either by enlarging or compressing it to fit it's (blue) pin.
Well. I have a soldering iron but no replacement clip, and I'm not sure I'm brave enough to work on the very fine wires in the Rega RB1000 tonearm, which are continuous all the way to the RCA plugs at the preamp. So I took the whole turntable to my usual dealer Stereo Unlimited (https://www.stereounlimitedsd.com), but they said they didn't have that clip and didn't seem super-enthusiastic about working on a piece they hadn't sold me—for which I certainly can't blame them. They recommended Classic Audio Repair (http://repairaudio.com).
I took the turntable to this dusty store piled high with ancient audio receivers and turntables and speakers, and waited while the proprietor provided definitive, highly informed and opinionated answers to a couple of customers ahead of me, one of whom had an old Technics direct-drive, I think. When it was my turn the proprietor directed me put my unit on the counter, where his iron was already hot in its cradle next to a coil of solder. He went and got a clip, unsoldered the broken one and had the new one on in less time than it takes to type this. He tested the continuity in both channels and we were done. The charge? $15.00.
I went home, hooked everything up and played my usual system-improvement test record (Art Hodes' "Selections From the Gutter," Storyville SLP 4057) and it sounded better than it every had, with stronger bass and excellent resolution of individual notes in the piano chords. So I'm happy! Just wanted to pass along a positive experience, and the suggestion that you don't wear a bathrobe when cueing records.
I said fine and in a few weeks the repaired cart arrived, along with about 10 pages of guidance on how to set it up, which I haven't plowed through yet but seems very helpful. (In the meantime I'd been using a Benz Micro Gold that the Apheta had replaced.) Aside from tracking force I hadn't changed the setup so installing the new/old Apheta was a snap until I got to the point of attaching the last wire. I broke the clip, either by enlarging or compressing it to fit it's (blue) pin.
Well. I have a soldering iron but no replacement clip, and I'm not sure I'm brave enough to work on the very fine wires in the Rega RB1000 tonearm, which are continuous all the way to the RCA plugs at the preamp. So I took the whole turntable to my usual dealer Stereo Unlimited (https://www.stereounlimitedsd.com), but they said they didn't have that clip and didn't seem super-enthusiastic about working on a piece they hadn't sold me—for which I certainly can't blame them. They recommended Classic Audio Repair (http://repairaudio.com).
I took the turntable to this dusty store piled high with ancient audio receivers and turntables and speakers, and waited while the proprietor provided definitive, highly informed and opinionated answers to a couple of customers ahead of me, one of whom had an old Technics direct-drive, I think. When it was my turn the proprietor directed me put my unit on the counter, where his iron was already hot in its cradle next to a coil of solder. He went and got a clip, unsoldered the broken one and had the new one on in less time than it takes to type this. He tested the continuity in both channels and we were done. The charge? $15.00.
I went home, hooked everything up and played my usual system-improvement test record (Art Hodes' "Selections From the Gutter," Storyville SLP 4057) and it sounded better than it every had, with stronger bass and excellent resolution of individual notes in the piano chords. So I'm happy! Just wanted to pass along a positive experience, and the suggestion that you don't wear a bathrobe when cueing records.
19 responses Add your response
If it makes you feel any better, I did the same thing with a dangling shirt sleeve to a rather expensive cartridge too, and I doubt you or I are part of any type of audiophile minority. Luckily, you tend to make that mistake only once. Great story too. I liked reading such a positive ending to a story that didn’t start off too well. Thanks, John! |
Well. I have a soldering iron but no replacement clip, and I'm not sure I'm brave enough to work on the very fine wires in the Rega RB1000 tonearm, which are continuous all the way to the RCA plugs at the preamp. So I took the whole turntable to my usual dealer Stereo Unlimited (https://www.stereounlimitedsd.com), but they said they didn't have that clip and didn't seem super-enthusiastic about working on a piece they hadn't sold me—for which I certainly can't blame them. They recommended Classic Audio Repair (http://repairaudio.com). The clips are fragile, but very easy to solder if you have any friend with good soldering skills. The are available separately online from Cardas for example, if anyone would like to replace all of them with a better quality clips there are many others (copper or silver). HERE is video tutorial how to do that for everyone. |
I have a removable tone arm stalk so that I can easily change cartridges. Since I save me best M/C for records that are special sounding, I used the arm with the Yamaha M/C 9 that I had bought decades ago to use temporarily while I waited for my Supex "retip replacement". Normally, I just reset the tracking force, then the anti-skate, but this time the damned think kept sliding over the LP. Upon closer examination, no stylus tip! WTF! The cantilever has been babied and never abused. It is not the least bit bent, but there is no damned diamond. Has anyone else just totally lost a tip? |