you'll surely see many who will tell you a $20K amplifier sounds like crap. Or that it sounds no different than a $2K amp, or, or that amp A sounds different than amp B, or that $20K amp C sounds like crap when used w pre-amp D or, dare I say it, power cord E! Of course, another way in which high end audio differs is that the amp by itself cannot make any sound; in some ways it would be like trying to evaluate a car solely on the basis of how many horsepower the engine can make, without considering the suspension, chassis, tires, gearing, etc. I also think that people become so passionate just because there ultimately are no objective criteria (sorry, Raul, not in my world!) and so arguments/discussions/disagreements have no verifiable "correct" resolution. Back to the Anna- I could not agree more w Actusreus (you know, that's even harder to spell than Swap...Smwap...Swapmwalker...); it's totally incomprehensible that a well-established industry leader (to say nothing of a garage shop) would send a flagship product to the English-speaking world's most widely read reviewer in their specialty w/o making 100% certain that the sample was PERFECT!!!!! It's not like Consumer Reports where they buy one off the shelf. It's not like there is an assembly line churning out an Anna every minute, 24/7. Ortofon knew it was a review sample and who was doing the review. At that price, the customer has the right to know/demand every single cart is individually tested and sold w a spec sheet to verify it meets the design intent and meets or exceeds the published specifications. If that were my company, the head of QC, head of marketing, and the QC inspector of those units would all be looking for new jobs. |
Doug and Swapmwalker, Your comments are always welcome so no need to apologize, especially after the thread took a wayward turn anyway. I still believe there's something special about audio that brings out emotional responses like few other subjects. I definitely agree. I also think Swapwalker made a good point regarding objective criteria in the high-end car industry vs. a more subjective nature of the high-end audio industry in comparison, which I think also applies to other luxury products you mentioned. The prices commanded can be for the most part explained by the laws of supply and demand, and further categorized by easily verifiable criteria such as diamond cut, clarity, color; Rolex model and materials used; same for Ferrari and other exotic makes; manufacture quality of a bag, etc. Sure the brand itself commands a premium, but the brand signifies top quality and performance, which can be more objectively verified than in the audio industry. I think therein lies the "problem." Nobody will question whether a Tiffany ring is worth $20K with the necessary certificates, but you'll surely see many who will tell you a $20K amplifier sounds like crap. As Swapmwalker noted, objectivity is not something we can easily employ in this hobby. |
Onhwy61, I read your comment in one of your post, "As an actual owner/user of the Anna I welcome your comments," to mean you owned an Anna. My bad. You're outraged about the Anna's performance or lack thereof. Well I'm outraged about the level of your outrage. I think some of the comments here are way over the top. Particularly so if, like me, you are not in a position to judge the Anna's relative value. I think you are misinterpreting what my original post was about. If not, we just might have to agree to disagree. I only commented on Fremer's experience while reviewing the Annas, not the performance of the product. I can't be outraged about the cartridge's performance since I've never heard it, and Fremer in the end gave it a stellar review. But as a vinylphile I was astounded (rage is definitely not what I felt, btw) reading the review. Astounded that it would take three units to finally get to a properly functioning unit and conduct a review of its actual performance, given its price and who was reviewing it. As a vinyphile with a passionate interest in anything analog-related, this to me is a perfect thing to bring up and discuss on an analog forum, regardless whether I currently own this cartridge. It either was a very odd and freaky set of circumstances or Ortofon has a problem that needs to be addressed. So yes, it should put a question mark on the Anna's value especially after Ortofon failed to address the issue in their comments, and we don't know why the problems occurred. That's why comments from actual owners are very useful in the discussion, and I certainly welcomed Mike's feedback. Why certain others chose to turn it into a personal criticism, I cannot answer. |
One other point that deserves to be mentioned regarding the analogy of high end auto to high end audio (hmmm, only differing by 2 letters...coincidence???) is that there are generally accepted objective performance criteria for autos. Horsepower, torque, 0-60, 0-100, 100-0, skid pad G force. Subjective criteria also fairly well identified. Beauty, creature comfort, reliability. [Of course, NO ONE expects a high performance auto to rate high on reliability. But we do damn sure expect that when the dealership delivers it that it will start when asked and that the wheels will not fall off on the way home] W high perf. audio, we can measure some of the performance criteria (wow, flutter, certain kinds of distortion), cannot measure some, cannot agree on others (PRAT, "jump factor") and can agree that some are immune to measurement (ability to convey artist's intent...etc.) So I think that w such a subjective, potentially expensive, and emotionally involving past-time, people are more apt to have passionate disagreements. Also for whatever reason, with the large number of small manufacturers involved, it tends to be more "personal", and when it's personal, again, it has a tendency to become more emotional.
Also, not to be argumentative, but the folks who "tune" and race WRXs probably have no use for the guy who walks in, drops 180Gs on a Porsche 911 Turbo S and then blows them off at a stoplight.
Rant over. Doug, call me if you are still interested in talking about things swampy! Sorry for going OT, Acutusreus. |
I do not nor have ever owned any Ortofon cartridge let alone the Anna model. At an MSRP of $8,500 it would be more expensive than any single component I have ever purchased. That plus the critical nature of the setup, very low output and high retip costs means I will never own an Anna. Besides, I'm a Benz-Micro Ruby kind of guy.
Everybody has a right to express their opinion, but don't be surprised if someone else expresses an opinion about your opinion. You're outraged about the Anna's performance or lack thereof. Well I'm outraged about the level of your outrage. I think some of the comments here are way over the top. Particularly so if, like me, you are not in a position to judge the Anna's relative value. |
Hi Actusreus,
Thanks for reading and responding to my little story and sorry if I took your thread OT.
The person who pointed to RtC was indeed vilifying. His comments have been vile for as long as he's been around. I stand by that characterization.
My car example might not have been the most apropos, sorry, but there are other examples that resemble high end audio in their price extremes. Take other luxury consumer items like jewelry, designer perfumes, cosmetics and clothes, etc. Is a Tumi shoulder bag from Nordstroms or a 1 oz. bottle of perfume really worth $800 when I can buy a similar looking and functionally equivalent item for 1/10 the price at Macy's, or 1/100 the price at Target? Is a diamond earring really worth what it costs? We all know the markups on such products can match the most extreme ones found in audio, yet nobody spends time posting about how outrageous they are. They just buy whatever they're comfortable with and have done with it. I still believe there's something special about audio that brings out emotional responses like few other subjects.
That said, products should indeed work as designed and advertised, particularly premium-priced products. No quarrel there and you've every right to bring it up for discussion. Fremer may in fact have buried the Anna by divulging the problems he had. Perhaps that was his intent, to damn with faint praise. If so, it was artfully done. Ortofon may pay a price in lost sales for their apparent clumsiness. One needn't always call a spade a spade to help people recognize what's being shovelled. ;-)
|
Dougdeacon
Why is that no one questions the person who buys and loves a $500K Ferrari, yet the person who buys and loves an audio component costing more than [insert critic's preferred standard] is vilified?
There are no websites dedicated to the proposition that all cars are created equal, that a well tuned Fiat is as good as a Lamborghini, that the Mercedes E-class owner is misguided and foolish. Yet we find reasonably popular audio websites (e.g., Audioholics) which fervently promote cheap as not just a viable way, which it is, but as the only right and justifiable way. Something about audio (more than other hobbies) attracts or generates "my way or the highway" defensiveness that approaches religious fervor. I've been guilty of that attitude myself - it's a peculiar institution. Doug, If I may respond just to offer my observations, I don't think anyone is "vilifying" Mike or anyone else who can afford an ultra expensive cartridge. Perhaps Ortofon got some flack in this thread, but I certainly welcomed Mike's and Onhwy61's comments about their Annas. Perhaps what you're referring to is personal animosity and attacks in general that seem to, way too often, accompany discussions on audiophile boards. That is very unfortunate, but is certainly not reserved for those with all-out-assault systems from my personal experience. Regarding the topic of this thread, I was simply astounded by Fremer's experience with a close to $9,000 cartridge, and Ortofon's complete ignorance of the issue in their response. As an audiophile/vinylphile, I have a keen general interest in everything that is related to high-end analog playback, whether I can afford it or not. The proposition that I should not be allowed to comment on a Stereophile article because I don't own an Anna, or am not about to order one, as expressed by Onhwy61, is absurd in my opinion. I also think your analogy to uber-expensive cars with respect to high-end music reproduction equipment, albeit tempting, is not exactly apples to apples. I think we'd all agree that high-end audio is unique in high-end consumer product industries as it often preys on the naivety, ignorance, or cluelessness, or combination of all three, of many audiophiles and sells overpriced products where more attention went to the packaging than quality of the parts and actual sound. Hence you have the value vs. price criticism that is a common theme in audiophile discussions. I don't have a clue whether a Ferrari is worth its price on paper, but I do know that when you get one, you expect nothing short of a flawless driving machine, and nobody would accept anything less, which is often not the case in the high-end audio market. So any comparison of a $500,000 Ferrari to car in a different, lesser class would be preposterous to anyone who knows anything about cars, let alone experts. That said, I'm sure you could find a few people who would find a Buick more comfortable than a Lamborghini, and better suited to what they think is the whole purpose of a car: to get you from place A to place B at a much lower price... |
Boy what a dufus, that Romy. |
Why is that no one questions the person who buys and loves a $500K Ferrari, yet the person who buys and loves an audio component costing more than [insert critic's preferred standard] is vilified?
There are no websites dedicated to the proposition that all cars are created equal, that a well tuned Fiat is as good as a Lamborghini, that the Mercedes E-class owner is misguided and foolish. Yet we find reasonably popular audio websites (e.g., Audioholics) which fervently promote cheap as not just a viable way, which it is, but as the only right and justifiable way. Something about audio (more than other hobbies) attracts or generates "my way or the highway" defensiveness that approaches religious fervor. I've been guilty of that attitude myself - it's a peculiar institution.
***
As for Romy, a cautionary tale...
I once visited a new vinylphile who lived near him. The newbie was having trouble with his TT, which Romy had set it up for him just a few days before. I agreed to stop by and take a look.
The rig could barely track anything and sounded terrible. Worse, it was only by cautious practices that I avoided destroying the newbie's $5K LOMC, since the end stub literally fell off in my hand the instant I touched it. Yikes!! I nearly jumped through the ceiling. If I hadn't locked the arm down before touching it the cartridge would have smashed down onto the platter.
Romy's setup had included installing the end stub so that it was just hanging by a thread, with the VTF counterweights adjusted to suit. No one could set up a tonearm this way by chance. The end stub was so wobbly that adjusting the counterweights would have been impossible. The only way to achieve such a setup would be to pre-set the counterweights, then carefully screw the assembly into the arm by less than a turn. This was no mis-adjustment, it was a mal-adjustment.
The newbie was quite wealthy and freely admitted knowing very little about his fancy gear. He'd dumped a large pile of money into a system and expected it to work with little hands-on input. Naive? Certainly. Laughable? If you're that way inclined. Deserving of being booby-trapped to prove him undeserving? Only if you're without conscience, bordering on psychopathic.
There's a reason Romy was kicked off of this and other forums. I hope he's happy talking to the shadow puppets in his little cave.
|
My Sumiko Pearl cost $125...so it's not that one. |
Somewhere out there is a $100 cartridge that beats all. I'm convinced. Just haven't found it yet. OK, maybe $500.
There is a fine line to walk. One may not "like" the fact that there are cartridges that cost more than $10K, but one should keep an open mind that such expensive trifles might actually sound really good. In someone else's house. |
Judyasblues, Did you notice that that bit of slander from Romy the Cat was written in 2006? Mike himself has admitted that he was a bit naive in those days in his choice of audio gear, and by all accounts including his, he has come a long way since then, even assuming that Romy really did the extensive investigation that he claims, to back up his colorful insults. Can you give Mike a break, or do you think this is brain surgery with life or death consequences? In any case, dredging up that sludge from seven years ago is bad taste and mean-spirited on your part. I for one am happy to have the opinion of one of the few people who has actually heard the Anna against many comparably priced and highly touted cartridges, in his own system. |
As a general comment, I still think genius exists more in the ability to make great things that aren't "cost no object" and work really well. I'm often stunned at how beautiful my analog rig sounds with great recordings...and the used Linn/Akito table (rewired with a Jelco Mogami din cable) with a newer Sumiko Pearl (laughably inexpensive) into a Cambridge 640p absolutely astonishes. The State of the Art is always interesting, but when lunacy takes over as it did with Fremer's article there is just too much mirth to ignore. |
The best Cartridge is always
- the more expensive one
or
- the next |
Mikelavigne, my post about relevancy was meant as humor. My true opinion on this topic is contained in my earlier post dated 5/5. As an actual owner/user of the Anna I welcome your comments. I can only speculate as to whether the OP welcomes your comments in that he seems to have made up his mind, along with others, about the Anna "debacle". Yes, someone actually used that word to describe the course of events outlined in the review. |
Yeah Wolf, I haven't heard it either. And at $8500 its out of my price range. But when Mike says its the best sounding cart he's had in his system (and I believe my memory serves he's had some stellar ones) then the Anna must be something. And for the price, she better be!
I probably won't get to hear an Anna until I go to one of the audio shows. And even then, I really won't know what I am hearing as the room and associated gear I will likely not be familiar with. Sigh..... |
I have NOT heard the Anna. I have to use my imagination to construct its sound based on reviews and opinion. So far it sounds fine in my head but it does need VTA adjustment. |
Mike I think people have just taken notice of an 'outlier' from the norm review of an expensive piece of gear ($8K cart) that was defective multiple times. It naturally raises concern about quality control of this specific model - not Ortofon in general.
Clearly Ortofon is stretching the boundaries of manufacturing with the Anna and its complex, sophisticated design. I also think that a 14 mo review from you about its great sound and zero problems along with a few others you know with the Anna having a similar good experience is very important to the discussion.
I also think Jeff Catalano at HWS has been spinning an Anna for a few months without any issues too.
Again probably the Fremer experience was an 'outlier' but justifiably unnerving. And good experiences like yours is great to hear and reassure propsective buyers. I have no doubt that someone from Ortofon has to be watching this thread (those industry guys in high end are everywhere!).
By the way, as much venom and lack of objectivity that Romy the Cat guy spews, why would anyone listen to him? Credibitlity factor is low with that guy from what I have read from him. Strong opinions, objectivity lacking. |
ok. I get it. you guys have no interest in actual owner feedback on the Anna.
I would have expected that information from extended use would be pertinent to discussion of the review.
sorry to have bothered. |
I've owned an Ortofon MC Anna for 14 months. And how is that relevant to the discussion? |
All you need to know about mike L:
www.goodsoundclub.com/GetPost.aspx?PostID=2013 |
Wolf,
so you've heard the Anna? |
I want to meet the "Friends of Anna"...who are these people? What do they look like? Where do they go after they're through with Anna? Do these people walk among us? What kind of shoes do they wear? Are their watches automatic? |
Who in this thread is placing an order for an Anna? I've owned an Ortofon MC Anna for 14 months. it's the best sounding cartridge I have heard and I've had zero issues. I unconditionally recommend it. amazing sound. btw; I have a number of friends enjoying the Anna who are similarly impressed all with zero issues. |
The question about whether you were ordering an Anna goes like this -- if you are someone who can afford and/or own this cartridge, or a similar class cartridge, then your opinion about its build quality, stylus life and Ortofon's quality control and service is informative and meaningful. If you are someone who cannot afford and/or does not own this cartridge, or a similar class cartridge, then your opinions on these subjects is, shall we say, less informed and less meaningful.
Being the oldest continuous manufacturer and largest volume producer of phono cartridges is in no way correlated with the quality of their product. It's a coincidence, right? |
Give me a break when you say "The cutting edge has never been plug in and play".
That's a joke. Contrary to the pure crap about new technology and advancing the state of the art that you hear from some manufacturers and reviewers, this is a phono cartridge, a basic thing that keeps on being built about the same way despite visual changes to bodies. This is not rocket science. |
Fremer's a character, and his review is sort of a "comedy classic" for all the reasons described above. I have no idea how many extreme high end cartridges are sold but even in the Serious Audiophile world I assume very few...so it's all irrelevant to me anyway except for entertainment value...I feel the analog "state of the art" resides in great sounding cartridges that cost a lot less than my motorcycle. |
Onhwy61
Actusreus, if there wasn't an issue with faulty components would you be placing an order for an Anna? How is this relevant to the discussion? Who in this thread is placing an order for an Anna? |
My rebulit A90 will arrive from Ortofon within a few days. I'm going to inspect it very carefully. |
Actusreus, if there wasn't an issue with faulty components would you be placing an order for an Anna? |
I don't think even Ortofon would find the issues that occurred with Anna cartridges lent to M Fremer to be acceptable in terms of quality control. There is no excuse for his having received two consecutive defective samples. "Plug and play" is one thing; selling defective product is another. The point is that Ortofon deserves a break in this case, because of their track record and longevity in the business. But if I were to read that actual customers are finding similar problems, I would advise anyone else to stay away. |
Onhwy61
I read the review and thought it was good reporting. Fremer clearly outlined all the problems he had with the product and gave a description of what he heard. I would catergorize the comments in this thread about price, cost to retip and cartridge life as besides the point. This is a cutting edge product reaching for state of the art performance and either you can afford it or you can't.
Ortofon is probably the largest cartridge manufacturer in the world. I applaud Ortofon for trying to advance vinyl performance. The cutting edge has never been plug in and play. It might be a cutting edge product on paper, but as long as you need several units to get what you paid for, it's still a dud. |
I would like to hear it in a very controlled setting with familiar music. I'm sure it is one of a handful of top cartridges that is reaching for new levels of performance. The technology is kind of cool and I'm sure we will see more audio items like the VPI arm made using this laser melt process. |
This is a cutting edge product reaching for state of the art performance ... Interesting how easy any product gets such merits. All it needs is a high price and most fall onto their knees? Ortofon is probably the largest cartridge manufacturer in the world Quantity is not Quality and Ortofon is mainly known for low price Systems. But time will tell how good it really is. The A-90 was transformed from a hyped swan to a duck after 1000h. Great Design indeed. |
I read the review and thought it was good reporting. Fremer clearly outlined all the problems he had with the product and gave a description of what he heard. I would catergorize the comments in this thread about price, cost to retip and cartridge life as besides the point. This is a cutting edge product reaching for state of the art performance and either you can afford it or you can't.
Ortofon is probably the largest cartridge manufacturer in the world. I applaud Ortofon for trying to advance vinyl performance. The cutting edge has never been plug in and play. |
This cartridge is a big turkey!! |
Dear syntax / Thomas,
That's not always true. I have asked the German distributor and also Soundsmith directly for a for a replacement cantilever for my StrainGauge. There was no price difference including import sales tax and p&p. |
Thanks Raul, It's interesting to read how people do their setup. I've got a good system down that works for me but I'm always willing to learn something new. Cheers. |
The estimated lifetime of 1000-1200 hours has held true in my experience. Most recently I had my Benz LP retipped by SS after it developed some mistracking. I calculated that it was in the 1200 hour range. SS reported that the stylus had significant wear. The good news is that the retip was fast and inexpensive compared to a new cartridge. And it sounds and tracks like new. |
... doesn't reflect the actual cost to the manufacturer of that repair. That's why SoundSmith and many others can do the same repair for much fewer dollars. The manufacturer is counting on audiophilia nervosa to drive the consumer back to him no matter what the cost. The manufacturers get the same money. The difference is the mark up for the Importer and the Dealer. Both want money for writing a new address and buying some stamps for shipping. |
Dear Sarcher30: First than all I would like to speak about VTA and not SRA and this because is more " practical ".
Now, for me is very " easy " an almost in " automatic " because when you are testing or trying different cartridges you learn where that start VTA/SRA is.
I have a process to make the cartridge set up that I use always. Inside that process I use always the same LPs recording tracks, this help me a lot because I know those tracks better than my " hands " ( I know even how should be listen to the clicks and pops in any of those trracks. ).
Btw, in the past I bought additional samples of those recordings but for my surprise the music information/presentation in the new ones ( that came from a different batch. ) was a little different so I been sticky with the old ones.
Now, with MM/MI cartridges normally I start with positive VTA ( tail up ) 2-3mm and from there things goes up/down depending on what I'm hearing. On the cartridge set up process first than all I want to fix both frequency extremes through my selected tracks: this is my main target on the starting set up and these is what I'm looking for from the start VTA. I don't go on till I'm satisfied with and if I can't fix both extremes I look to fix ( at least ) the bas frequency range and from here started again with VTA changes till with out loosing the bass extreme achieve better performance at the other frequency extreme.
With LOMC normally I start with even VTA followed by the same MM/MI process.
In both cases after that first frequency extremes set up I start the fine tunning process where azymuth set up is critical as is cartridge loading.
My cartridge set up process is a simple long one that through the day by day " excersice " converted in an easy tool for me, even there are some times that I jumped two-three steps on that process because the experiences I have.
In some ways each one of us have its own set up process some process more elaborated than other but I think we all have it. Mine works and worked for me with today 98% efficiency thank's to continuous process up dates.
The whole process involves not only the VTA/SRA but VTF, overhang, azymuth, tracking habilities, AS, etc, etc.
My reference is live music and in my home system I have 2-3 cartridges that functioning as references that are the cartridges that after " severe " fine tunning showed the higher overall quality performance level.
Anyway, I think you have the idea about.
Regards and enjoy the music,
R. |
Actus, The short answer is, it shouldn't, and it doesn't reflect the actual cost to the manufacturer of that repair. That's why SoundSmith and many others can do the same repair for much fewer dollars. The manufacturer is counting on audiophilia nervosa to drive the consumer back to him no matter what the cost. Or, at a less cynical level, the manufacturer is often giving you a new product in return, which probably does justify the cost, when that is the case. |
Swampwalker
Acutusrex- Sorry to have offended you; I was just trying to light-heartedly say I agreed w you. Swampwalker, No offense taken; I gathered as much. To the rest of your post, I agree with your points, and I would too very much like to know what dictates those very high costs of retipping. This really had me scratching my head in light of the recent work I had done on my speakers. One of my tweeters failed, and I had it fixed (essentially rebuilt) by an experienced professional who does these things for a living. That entailed not only new materials and labor, but also "aging" the new tweeter to match the other tweeter. I was also told even things such as the tension of the screws matter and affect speaker performance and specifications. Those were things you just can't do yourself, if you want to have them done right. But the cost of the rebuilt was still a fraction of the cost of the speakers. So perhaps someone in-the-know can explain to us why a retip of a cartridge should cost nearly as much as its price when it's brand new. |
Raul, Since you have experience with more cartridges than most people, what SRA do you think is the best starting point for an unknown cart? Do you feel some carts are better at a different SRA than others? If so how big of a variance is there? |
Acutusrex- Sorry to have offended you; I was just trying to light-heartedly say I agreed w you. The cost is very high compared to the cost of a new product. However, rebuilding/re-tipping high end MC carts is a sub-niche of a niche market and one that cannot be accomplished on a DIY basis. Tube power amps are a sub-niche market but most can be easily re-tubed at home and in most cases, the materials are readily available from a range of vendors. So you have a classic case of constrained supply which is going to keep prices high. However, I also freely admit that I have no idea how much of the cost of building a new cart is labor vs. materials and how much of the materials is in the body vs. the stylus/cantilever/motor assembly and how much can be re-used. I do believe that a rebuild/retip would be much more "customized" for each unit, which would drive labor costs up per unit, even when compared to a new build.
That's not to say that I do not believe that the costs of these services, like much of the high end, is totally out of control. |
Raul, I kind of agree with you on cartridges at that price level. But I am not so sure (any longer) that there is much that is proprietary regarding cantilevers and the styli that are attached thereto. It seems there are only a few businesses in the world that make these as replacement parts, and even the high end brands may be reliant upon them. Ortofon may be an exception, if indeed the replicant 100 and previous replicant styli are unique in shape. Also, each high end cartridge maker may separately contract with these few sources of parts, for exclusive production of a particular cantilever/stylus that is then not made available to independent re-tippers. And too, if the cartridge needs a total rebuild, for example, if its been stepped on or otherwise physically damaged, then yes, obviously it must go back to its maker.
I guess I have lost faith in the price/performance gospel, which is why I have become more cavalier about cartridge repair. |
Raul,
I do understand what you're saying and you make a good point. I'm simply bemoaning the fact that apparently there has never been A standard for cutter heads. I find it as frustrating as befuddling. And indeed it means that only individual evaluation and close critical listening record by record can result in an optimal setting that renders best sonic results. That to me is perhaps not unacceptable as an audiophile, but very disheartening nonetheless, and not something I ever considered getting into vinyl. I cannot possibly imagine spending months if not years adjusting the VTA to change the SRA to find out which setting sounds best for a particular record in my collection. Perhaps those with tonearms allowing on-the-fly VTA adjustment might find it manageable, but to me it is just not feasible, and frankly, well, nuts. |
Dear Lewm: ++++" However, at present I have done a "one-eighty"; I would happily use Sound Smith in the US or any number of others to rebuild my cartridges. Not only is the cost markedly lower but also the repaired product might be as good or better than the original, " +++++
with out of production cartridges I could agree with you but on current top and pricey LOMC cartridges my advise is to go with the manufacturer that's the only one that knows exactly how to fix it wit out changing its quality performance and in the other side normally the cartridge designers makes small improvements on the original design that they don't give publicity but that they affix in your cartridge when the re-tipped works ends. The re-tippers can't do it because they don't know nothing about those cartridge up dates.
Other important thing is that with some cartridge parts only the original manufacturer has access to them and the re-tipper can't do nothing about but to fix your cartridge with " lesser " parts or even with out change the parts but left it inside even if needs to be changed.
No, I don't think that if I was an Atlas, Ana or a Goldfinger owner I will send to Alex, SS or the one re-tipper you name it to fix it.
Well, that's me.
Regards and enjoy the music,
R. |
Dear Actusreaus: Last June I received this comment from a very good friend:
+++++ " With respect to the MC Anna, Ortofon experienced problems with the adhesive that they used to secure the damper and will only ship when the problem is resolved. " +++++
seems to me that today they not fixed at all.
I own, owned and heard almost all Ortofon top cartridges and I can say that the Ortofon QC normally was second to none.
Agree that at the Ana asking price the cartridge build quality must be first rate/excellent and no excuse about.
Now, on the Fremer suggestion about the USB microscope well this is a suggestion that has nothing to do with this cartridge or any other one other than to have an additional toy.
That SRA of 92 degrees he is self promoting is only a Fremer number because 90 0r 89 could be good numbers to start. As J.Carr pointed out there is no single standard about and certainly 92 degrees is not that standard but only a number to start with as could be other number, so don't get crazy about that 92 degrees. At the ned trust in your music knowledge level through your own ears and not on that " 92 degrees " that means almost nothing.
Regards and enjoy the music,
R.
|
Nandric hit the nail on the head. Up until a few years ago, I took the purist approach; if the cartridge needed retip or repair, it needed to go back ONLY to the original maker, regardless of cost. However, at present I have done a "one-eighty"; I would happily use Sound Smith in the US or any number of others to rebuild my cartridges. Not only is the cost markedly lower but also the repaired product might be as good or better than the original, such is the quality of the work done by SS, Axel, etc. (There is some element of chance involved, and the option of a trade-in/trade-up is also to be considered ahead of rebuild, IMO.)
After further thought, I wonder whether the Ortofon Anna debacle occurred because of the very novel way in which the cartridge body is manufactured. Ortofon seems to have gotten very experimental in that realm. First, the A90 broke some new ground, and now the Anna adds another complex wrinkle to constructing the body. Moreover, they've also produced that very novel SPU-type. Perhaps they've strained their resources. But, as someone else mentioned, they were really remiss in sending a defective product, nay, TWO defective products in succession, to Fremer of all people. That is kind of scary. |
