If a brand does not continue to advertise or does not develop new models, it is not at all indicative that the company is in crisis.
Unfortunately, there are many enthusiasts who, if they are not stimulated by new products and intense advertising, go through withdrawal and end up in depression, with enormous pleasure for psychologists.
I don’t like constant innovation, innovation is not always an indication of improvement, perhaps in terms of measurements but listening ears could say the opposite and I don’t appreciate factories that put new products on the market that replace older ones at an incessant pace, but I believe that a company is serious even if it doesn’t have anything new to show for some time.
Let me start by saying that I have never had a Benz but I appreciate manufacturers who keep their products in the catalog for a long time.
Curious Why Benz Micro Slid Into Obscurity
I remember there was a time when Benz Micro was one of the more prominent cartridge manufacturers out there. The Ace and Glider sure were popular cartridges. Then there was a hiatus in production. The company recognition seems to have never recovered. There are still new cartridges for sale on the various sites. But none of ther upper tier cartridges seem to gather the same recognition or praise that the earlier cartridges did.
Is perception of them changed that much, or is it the fact that the brand has aged out? Are the designs that dated to where people no longer believe quality and value are there?
@best-groove I love that! Well said. This especially applies to phono cartridges. Not that new tech and materials aren't great, but I think it's too easy to upset the delicate balance and lose the beauty of sound here. I prefer good old aluminum bodies over (say) carbon fiber or exotic-wood-flavor-of-the-month. Copper coils and iron armatures are hard to beat. And aluminum cantilevers are underrated (though Benz incorporates boron absolutely beautifully). |
Actually, in the “good old days”, cartridge bodies of all types were typically made of plastic. Inexpensive and both strong and stiff plastic. Koetsu was fairly unique in offering wood bodies with exotic Japanese lacquer finishes. Metal bodies heralded the “modern era”. Ortofon was one of the first to offer titanium, although someone else may point out otherwise. Anyway with metal bodies and good marketing higher prices than ever before could be rationalized. |
The LP-S arrived today, and is now sitting at the end of a Series IV (which balanced it with about a centimeter of weight adjustment to spare). It's playing its first record for me, the Opus 3 Test Record 1. Going back and forth between tracks played with it and with the Kontrapunkt C is showing me a pleasant surprise: I'm hearing vocal details I hadn't heard with the Ortofon. I know Therese Juel's track very well indeed, and this is an incremental improvement. It looks like table 2 will be purely MC (LP-S, Kontapunkt C, Cadenza Mono), and when Lee at Acoustand makes me two more pods I'll have the great moving iron shootout on Table 1. |
I was very surprised to do a head to head comparison of the LP-S with the London Decca Reference. The Decca has been finally de-throned! So the LP-S is now on the SME V, and the Cadenza Mono is on the IV. I couldn't resist, and sent the Ruby 3 off to Steve Leung for conversion to mono (he does it properly and removes the vertically-sensitive coil and connects the remaining coil to both outputs). That and a new Gyger stylus for $550USD seems like a bargain. You can't tell too much from the iPhone video that Steve sends, but I think it's going to be good. Better than the Cadenza Mono? I'll find out in ten days or so. |
Moved on to Furtwangler's 1951 Beethoven 9th, and smiled some more. Then the 1967 Parlophone mono Sgt. Pepper. I think it sounds better than the pristine modern stereo re-release, despite having had a hard life (bought used in 1968 by my brother, and likely played a hundred times since on some questionable equipment). I think I can recommend having VAS surgically alter a Ruby! |
Dear @dogberry : Good but additional to that exist other re-tippers and this one in the next link is just superb, I sended a set of 10 cartridges and I'm truly satisfied by his unbeatable work:
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/miracle-by-joseph-long-on-dynavector-xx2mkii-cartridge
R. |
