Hapafoto, the least expensive way to get a working cartridge is to send it to Soundsmith who can repair and re tip it. You can't be 100% sure of what it will sound like after. The problem is that the cartridge has a conical shaped cantilever which I think only Denon can supply. The best thing to do is send it back to Denon for a factory rebuild. That will take some time especially with the pandemic. Accidents happen. Many of us keep two or more cartridges just in case. If it were me I would send the Denon back to the factory and buy a second cartridge so you always have a backup.
Family Problems...
My last post here was about how to keep my baby away from my Magnepans, but it seems I had my eye on the wrong person in my home! I stupidly let my wife take over turntable duties for an evening while I was busy in my office only to come home to a broken cartridge. I believe she literally dropped the needle on the record and part of it broke. So now I seek the wise advice of the internets on what to do. But first more details...
It's a 6-month old Denon DL301-mk2 and I was quite happy with it prior to it breaking. I know there are re-tipping services that might be able to fix it. It looks like material at the pivot of the cantilever that fixes it in place has separated from the rest of the cartridge. Think it's worth repairing or would scrapping it be the route you'd go? Again, I was quite happy with it before and I'm not particularly interested in experimenting with similarly priced cartridges at this point.
It's a 6-month old Denon DL301-mk2 and I was quite happy with it prior to it breaking. I know there are re-tipping services that might be able to fix it. It looks like material at the pivot of the cantilever that fixes it in place has separated from the rest of the cartridge. Think it's worth repairing or would scrapping it be the route you'd go? Again, I was quite happy with it before and I'm not particularly interested in experimenting with similarly priced cartridges at this point.
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Sounds like you just need to get another one then. Because fixing this one, you could call someone like the Soundsmith but how much can you possibly save, compared to the turnaround time? You were happy with it before and don't want to experiment, which is perfectly understandable. Time for a new one. |
Records do require unforeseen investment. I agree with what has been suggested, except for the divorce route. You've already invested in your family, keep that. Look into Denon repair cost, where service. Now you have an opportunity to also try another, while Denon is out. That will be another investigation as what to get!! Of course, when you find yourself really liking the new one, it would be nice to have the choice of both available at a time, hence a second tonearm ..... and so it goes. Good luck. |
Buy yourself a nice MM or MI cartridge with spare styli and simply change the stylus next time when someone will destroy it again. Do not use MC cartridge in your house (or remove it from the tonearm when you’re away). When one of my MC was destroyed is was a $4000 cartridge :( When a friend touched my tonearm another $1000 MM stylus was destroyed along with its born pipe cantilever. It happens. Your Denon is relatively cheap, if you want another Denon buy new cartridge (or something better). |
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I was gonna say, maybe set her up with a CD on the system or streaming, when you're not there. Then both of you use the TT. Just make sure you're there when she uses it, and be the gentleman you are, and do it for her. :-).. Spare carts aren't cheap... CDs are..usually.. 16 years my stuff stayed stored..... LOL Regards |
2Juki has the 301/II for $300 and a USA based place has it for $329 (quick Google search). Guessing that the Scarecrow Sprinker I recommended some time back is looking better now eh? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jHYV6nJksw Anyway, my wife used to confuse the side weight jig with the tonearm lift lever on my SME so I've been there. I simply replaced the stylus on my MI Grado, so no big woop @ well under $100 a pop @ the time Big woop is that I recently found a new OEM stylus that I don't recall purchasing - so I'm set for another few years. DeKay |
Send it to VAS Audio. Steve will retip for around $250 - but, best to call him for an exact quote and discuss options (upgrades). He repairs tons of Denon's and knows what he's doing. His turnaround time may also be better than Soundsmith. Cartridges break - they're very fragile. https://vasnyinc.com/repair-service/ |
Second or third the VAS recommendation. Steve reworked my cart... very reasonable. He is busy, so turn around isn’t super fast right now, but the job is done right. Get another cart and move on. My wife doesn’t really like to play with the TT, so as mentioned prior, we’ve got streaming gear to use. She likes it, she can listen to “her” music and it’s all good. She loves the vinyl sound but isn’t “into it”. |
Probably you don’t understand what is re-ripping. If only stylus tip was damaged then you need just new tip, but on aluminum cantilever stylus tip mounted with press-fit method. Re-tippers can glue a new tip, but it’s downgrade compared to press-fit. You can’t re-do a press-fit, you will have to change the whole cantilever. It’s cheaper to buy a brand new cartridge and your new cartridge can be much better! People who love to re-tip cheap cartridges are very strange, you can upgrade cheap cartridge replacing the whole cantilever/stylus, but it will cost you more than a new cartridge. If you don’t want to upgrade it, never re-tip it, it will be downgrade if it’s not a denon factory service. So basically it’s waste of money, buy new cartridge, if you love your denon so much just buy the same new cartridge. Your denon DL301 mk2 cost only $390 new, you can find it even cheaper (new). Re-tippers charge the same just for new cantilever and new tip (if you want a good one). But you can buy a better cart for under $500 (with better tip than Denon elliptical). You can always buy a much better MM or MI for the same money (with replaceable stylus). Look for Garrott P77i series for example, amazing new cartridge for the money, brand with a long history related to Garrott brothers. |
I am surprised that Chakster did not point this out, but if the stylus originally was a spherical one, then for about the cost of a new replacement you can have sound smith upgrade the cartridge with a more advanced stylus tip and possibly a sapphire cantilever for about the same cost . Or even a little less than replacement cost.. It does seem you will probably need a new cantilever and a stylus, but I don’t see in my experience where that affects cost very much. Most cartridge repair businesses is routinely replace both the cantilever and the stylus when rebuilding a cartridge. It’s your call. |