Ortofon Kontrapunkt C vs. Cadenza Bronze

He can put an FG2 on it, he tells me, for $350. Does anyone know how this varies from the FG80?

How likely is it that the different styli are making me prefer one over the other? To fit the Kontrapunkt C with a Replicant stylus would make it like the Bronze, I think, and that's not what I'm aiming for. I assume there are other internal changes between the generations that may be more important, and either for better or worse.

Nothing else has changed in the system - same table (well, same model but a second example), tonearm, phono stage, preamp etc. So all I want to achieve is the sound from it that I used to have.

Very interesting. The FG2 will be on the same cantilever (tapered aluminium) and mounted nude. The only difference I can find is that it has a larger measurement of 70µ instead of 80µ.

Thank you all for your input, I have sent the cartridge off to VAS. I will report back when it is here.

In short, I would NOT seek out a retip on the Bronze to try and make it sound more like the Kontra "c". It’s kind of its own thing for a few reasons, and retipping that cantilever seems like it might degrade its integrity.

Nor would I. It is the Kontrapunkt C that is going to get a new stylus!

The cartridge has arrived at VAS, and now I have to wait for it to get to the top of Steve's to-do list. It will be very interesting to compare it to the Bronze when it returns. I tend to use the Ortofons for classical records, and the Decca Reference and MP-500 for more modern stuff. When I first had the Kontrapunkt C it replaced a BM Ruby 3, and I initially felt it was overly-detailed (I may have even described it as 'scratchy') but I guess in retrospect that I was influenced by the the cartridge that had gone before which was rather rich and glowing in its sound. Indeed I became accustomed to it and grew to love it. When I got it out again during my long search for a replacement for the Reference when it looked like there would be no more service for it, I was surprised at how very good it was. But it was clear that the stylus was worn under a microscope (I keep a nice old Olympus binocular microscope that I used to use in the office for urine microscopy!) and hence the switch to the Bronze.

If it comes back and I can't tell the difference from the Bronze....well, at least I have yet another spare cartridge! But that isn't what I'm expecting to happen. I remain very happy with the Cadenza Mono on the remaining tonearm.

I was just sent a video from Steve, so I thought I'd share:

https://youtu.be/9klmK0h83Nc

It's back, and mounted on a headshell for an SME 309 arm. It definitely has, as far as psychoacoustics lets me tell, that addictive quality I remember. How come the Cadenza Bronze just doesn't sound as good? Who knows or cares?

I'm about to do something that some will criticize. Two more tonearm pods, one with an SME IV, and one with another SME 309. One will house the Sussurro MkII, and the other the Grado Statement 3. Then I shall be running four MI cartridges and two MC cartridges.

Raul, I'm not sure what you'd find "anal" about my desire to re-create the sound I loved from the K.c. If the stylus shape makes any difference to sound, it is reasonable to try to fit one as close as possible to the original (and the Replicant 100 on the Cadenza Bronze may even be part of why it isn't satisfying to me.)