Phono Cartridge Purchase from Asia?

I’ve personally purchased a few cartridges from Kron, and yes he’s excellent; the Benzes are legit and have always been perfect.

I have yet to require warranty service on any cartridge (most cartridges will either die by accident/abuse or by worn stylus after many hours), and at the cost savings you can buy another new and still be under the normal price anyways.

It’s unlikely that user damage / misuse would be covered under any warranty.

@big_greg That’s exactly what I’m saying too. Nor would I WANT it covered by warranty; it would necessarily raise the prices even more, and I guess I have a more steady hand than most. Buy 2 for the price of 1 (discounted) and take your chances, or pay a > 100% markup for routing an 8 oz package from overseas (assuming you mount & setup cartridges yourself). I’ll take my chances but realize others have a different calculation :)

The seller in question has been selling Benz cartridges (and now a few others as well) for years. I have always wondered where he gets these cartridges, as they are all apparently new? Yet, the factory(s) consistently deny any connection to him, BUT he seems to have unlimited supplies??? IMO, something does NOT pass the smell test here!

As everyone with purchase experience has been saying, these are quite clearly Benz cartridges made by Benz. From my own examples, they sure seem like A-stock with straight cantilevers, excellent sound, and great L/R channel balance. Haven't gotten a low-rider or lost a cantilever yet. If something seemed even slightly suspect, I'd have said so.

It's also pretty clear they're very much gray market goods. We can only guess as to the mechanisms at play here. Cartridges DON'T have to content with regional voltages or shipping challenges. But they DO have the same old import markup structure (+40-60% distributor, and again +40- 60% dealer). These make the gray-market's risk vs. reward proposition much more enticing than usual. 

There is NO implied warranty or guarantee of restitution. From my perspective, the huge price differential covers that. Does that make you nervous? Don't buy it. Installing the Benz (no stylus guard at all, ridiculously powerful magnets that will easily grab any ferrrous tools) should make you more nervous than that anyways 😅

Dang, sign me up. Ime more like 10-15%...

I don't know jack about distributorships, so you're probably right on that. But the significant purchase price disparities here speak for themselves, even with Kron taking whatever cut he does. 

@daveyf 

That's a pretty stiff insinuation. If I thought there were any chance that was the case, I wouldn't buy them. There are many more simpler explanations for his supply, which might well piss of other dealers & distribs, but don't involve theft.