The Koetsu distributor in the US might not honor any warranty on these cartridges, but Koetsu the company in Tokyo might well do so, if the cartridge was sourced in Japan. I bought an Urushi in person from a reputable salon in Tokyo, and when I got home I found the cantilever was misaligned. I had a certificate of warranty from the selling dealer, and Koetsu honored it. Within a few weeks I got back a new cartridge. I don't know whether this seller offers any sort of warranty that resembles what I received, but in his case he might exchange a brand new item if it is defective out of the box.
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As long as the buyer knows what the risk factors are for gray market and is buying from a reputable seller, it presents a decision. I know that Koetsu supposedly will not work on any gray market cartridge even out of warranty, or so I'm told. A lot of people go the third party retip route, which raises a different set of issues. My Airtight Supreme, which had a lot of miles, got repaired by Peter L.- he did not change the factory cantilever but instead inserted a new stylus into the original cantilever and realigned the motor assembly. That was money well spent. On the Koetsus, I'd send them back to the factory for full refurbishment, rather than have a third party work on them (though there was one vendor in France who was known for its impeccable work on them). It's all trade offs, cost and risk. You, the buyer, have to be the judge. High end cartridges are now crazy money. |
I don't know anything about the seller in question, but consider the fact that the Japanese yen has been severely devalued compared to baseline averages, with respect to many foreign currencies, for the past several months or more. Then add the fact that a foreign national can purchase goods in Japan free of their VAT just by displaying a foreign passport and at a further discount based on quantities and methods of payment. So, the seller in question could be buying in bulk from legitimate brick and mortar emporia in Tokyo or Osaka or other cities goods that are perfectly OK and perfectly legal, and then re-selling those goods at a profit. The prices we pay in the US are often greatly inflated in retail cost by US-based distributors and forms of import taxation that are invisible to us as buyers. If the seller has an excellent track record, it is probably a sign he is honest. |
@mulveling I guess it doesn’t concern you that this vendor is able to somehow source these cartridges and sell them at prices that are far less than anyone else...and is able to do so consistently through time. Yet, we have the factory disavowing any knowledge of him, which again begs the question...how is he sourcing these gray market goods?? Consider this: In some areas, receiving/selling stolen goods is an illegal activity. |
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 😅 |
One more in favor of Kron. I bought a Benz Wood SL from him, received it promptly and have happily used it for over 2 years. Great guy, based in Hong Kong. His Benz Micro prices haven't gone up in all that time, are way below anywhere else, and you can make an offer, I did. If anything unfortunate happens to it, I have no qualms about sending it to a relatively large selection good retippers. I think the great intial savings make the risk of no warranty worth it. |
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! |
@brimmer5000 great. Thanks for the reassurance. |
@alvinnir2 that is good to hear. Makes me feel a bit better about forfeiting the Benz warranty with buying at at discount from Kron. He sounds like he’s a good seller too. Also good to hear you thought the Benz was an upgrade from the Hana SL. I’ve really enjoyed the Hana for the four years I’ve had it. Thanks for the info! |
I actually moved from a Hana SL to a Benz Micro Wood that I bought from Kron. Cartridge arrived quickly and was in perfect condition. I found it to be a significant upgrade to the Hana which I thought pretty decent but not up to the hype. I have owned several Benz cartridge over the years. About 6 months and 200-300 hours into my playing the Benz, the suspension began to collapse and the cartridge body was riding about 0.5mm above a record. I contacted Kron, told him of the problem and included a photo to show how low it was riding. After a few back and forth emails he agreed that things did not look right and he sent me a new cartridge at no charge. Pretty good service, I'd say. That being said, I have shied away from Benz because of that. It may have been a rare thing but it was the last straw for me as I had been improving my digital sources to the point that I was ready to abandon Vinyl. I didn't have a lot of albums anyways. |
Another thing, the recommendation on an AudioTechnica ART9 is a great one. I've owned that cartridge. I'm not an expert as I haven't heard tons of cartridges over $1k. Yet from the stuff I've owned or have solid first hand experience with I can say the ART9 can play well into the four-figure cartridge market. Perhaps the only thing missing from the ART9 is a bit more finesse. However, it's so neutral, resolving and even handed across the spectrum that it's just a winner. The ART9 is a deal and I could live with just that one cart forever I don't because I occasionally catch the audiophile influenza and...well, you know! |
Whoops! Sorry. Poor choice of words. You folks are sticklers. My cantilever just came off and I didn't recall ever misusing it. But, because I"m honest I contacted Benz and ask if they could inspect it to see if it was my fault or if it failed early. The distributor told me no go as the cart was not purchased from its North American dealer. Hope that clears this up. Oh and the other thing, I cannot comment on Kron's other offerings, but I do think that for awhile Benz didn't have a distribution network in North America so we had few options if you wanted to buy one. I think that's changed. |
@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 :) |
@jbhiller thanks for the info! Yeah I decided to take the risk and understand there might not be a warranty for this. Kron has been very responsive and has already provided tracking info. Three days from Hong Kong to Chicago is crazy fast! Maybe it’ll be just as fast for me here in Minneapolis. Fingers crossed! |
I have purchased 2 carts from Kron in the last 2 years or so. Kiseki Purpleheart and a Benz Micro LPS. The seller is honest, reputable, and ships incredibly fast. I received both of these items in two or three days maximum from his location, delivered right to my door.
There is a downside. No warranty. I broke the stylus right off one of these cartridges. (The Benz). The manufacturer denied the warranty claim. I sent it to a third path repair facility and all is good. I think you have nothing to be concerned about with the seller other than warranty issues. I feel the risk of no warranty can be worth it. But you should be aware of it going in. To underscore the positive, I found Kron to be reasonable in negotiations, his shipping to Chicago was as fast as domestic shipping in many cases, and his communication was great. |
If you buy "grey market" goods from overseas they will not be covered by a US warranty and the sellers generally don't accept credit cards, so yes, there's a risk. Know that going into the purchase and decide for yourself if it's a good deal or not. I bought a cartridge from Kron and wouldn't hesitate to do it again. |
I bought a Benz Micro Glider SL two years ago from KRON. Just weeks later I got Covid, and literally forgot all about the cartridge I’d put aside for later. I’d even posted here asking for input on choosing another cartridge when I realized I already had one. Doh! Cartridge is great, but while connecting it to A Musical Surroundings Nova III I had one channel gain off by a lot and contacted Benz USA about warranty. while talking this through I asked if they ever had issues with units sold overseas - as my cartridge’s serial number didn’t show up in their system- and the rep I spoke with said to his knowledge there have never been any counterfeit BM cartridges made. I got it cheap, $680 + about $30 FEDEX global, which was at least $500 less than i could find it anywhere US.
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@mulveling Thanks! I pulled the trigger on the Benz Zebra L. You recommended it to me a couple months back in a different thread. I’m replacing a Hana SL. Looking forward to hearing it! |
I bought a Ruby Z from Kron. Fast shippin and responsive. However,
the serial# was changed on the outer white paper that wraps the case. I reached out to Benz. Apparently, my carts serial # doesn't exist to them. They called it a grey market cartridge. No warranty will be honored as far as they're concerned. The cartridge seems fine but what did I buy; who knows? I wouldn't do it again. |
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. |
@lloydc thats a good question. I can’t seem to figure how to identify the seller either |
There are Trustworthy Hong Kong Suppliers of various luxury items. I have over the past few years spent a considerable sum of Monies in Japan. I have had one bad experience where a Vintage TT incurred an aesthetic damage during transit I recently made a New Item Purchase to be imported that set me back of £8K. Goods arrived two days prior to projected arrival date, two weeks return period was part of the sale. The whole arrangement has been quite satisfactory |
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@fuzztone Excellent. I will look into that. Thank you! |
@saburo interesting. Good to know. Thanks! |
Yeah I’m leaning towards not risking it. Running the Hana SL now. Really like it but it’s nearing the end of its life and I’d like to try something different. I have it in my mind that I want a wood bodied cartridge this time. Maybe it’s the aesthetics? I like what I’ve read about the Benz Zebra L. Maybe I’m kidding myself thinking I can get a deal. I dunno. |