Maybe Benz can send me an LPS and convince me it was just a fluke. For all the trouble I have had with their cartridges, they owe me big time. I would never buy another one. 4 is enough.
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I think it could be quality control issues with Benz. It happened to every Benz I ever used. As soon as I tried other cartridges, no problem. Go figure. maybe they addressed it. I hope they did. I really think it had something to do with the suspensions and stylus. Too many with exactly the same issues on multiple tables. Everybody said you have to upgrade the table and arm. Nope, that was not it at all. |
I honestly just want to save someone else the aggravation that I had. Here I thought it was the VPI, lol, not. Not at all. Nothing wrong with it at all.
I should not need to go to a retipper to get a better tracking stylus and cantilever than the original manufacturer. GEEZ... OMG All these years I was dealing with that BS and it had nothing to do with me or the table. |
Maybe the high end carts are different. Like I said, all the Benz carts I had exhibited the same phenomenas, sibilant, mistracking and inner groove distortion. The thing was when I had my glider retipped, it went away. Again, The ace, glider, wood, and ref s all exhibited the same things on different tables. I now have a Lyra Delos that sounds much better than all of them. Is it that much better a cartridge? I also had Ortofon cadenza, Denon 103, and others that did not do this. Same alignment techniques, nothing different. Whats up with that? I am just glad I do not have to deal with that anymore, it was a total PITA. |
"the cartridge and the most importantly, the stylus has a lot to do with good sound."
Why is that a revelation? I take it more as a given.
I guess I just thought that Benz had such a good reputation. I am playing Finzi- Images of Mortality. The Benz's could not handle this record at all, always distorted out the chorus, The Lyra just sails right through it with the same arm. So much more depth. I find it hard to believe that the Delos is just that much better as well as some of the other carts I have used. I mean C'mon man. I did nothing different with my alignment technique. If anything I owe an apology to VPI as I always thought it was the table. So much so that I bought a 1200G, only to find out that the Benz did the same thing on that table as well as the Linn LP12 and Ekos. I put the Delos on the scout and I am astounded as it has never sounded better. I am glad I did not sell the Scout. |
Well, if I had such setup issues, how come everything else tracks fine? I tried the Benz on multiple tables and it was professionally set up on the Linn by a very good Linn technician. same thing, I guess it needs a 12 inch arm. lol. Hey if everyone else’s are tracking fine, great, maybe my ears are just more sensitive. How come the Delos tracks great? Is the Delos more forgiving LOL? How come the Cadenza tracked great, how come the Denon tracked great, however that one did not sound right on the scout. I personally think the diamonds, cantilevers, and suspensions are just better on the Lyra, the Cadenza, the Denon, the pickering, I could go on and on. |
The thing is, every benz had the issues in almost the same tracks at the same spots. I think it has to do with how they cut their diamonds or something. Suspension... lol. I can laugh about it now. I am glad I am done with that.. Hope they fixed their problems. |
As far as system, a fully maxed out Linn with Ekos Arm and 1200G had the same issues. Maybe some people just live with it. |
The thing is, I really liked the presentation of the Benz cartridges, especially with classical music. I kept hoping for a better outcome. They all did the same thing at the same spots on the records. That led me to believe that the stylus was cut in such a way to promote inconsistent tracking. When i had a new cantilever and stylus installed on the glider, it tracked fine. It should track the best from the factory, not Andy Kim for heaven sakes. Andy did a great job. it was the best the glider ever sounded. Thats not good enough. |
I have never heard a cold sounding Benz. |
I do not disagree with anyone. I am just giving my experiences. Every other cartridge I used was fine. If you asked me, the fussiest cartridge I have had to set up is by far the Delos to get it to sound right. There is a lot that is possible with that cartridge if you know how to set up a table. |
I always thought it was me until one day I was Youtube and the Linn specialist had one on a 18K table and it did the same thing. lol. OMG |
Defect.... ya i would say, like about four in a row all doing the same things at the same places on the records. The only time I had a benz track decent is when Andy Kim retipped one for me lol.
I still think to get the most out of a Benz from the factory, it has to be on a 12 inch arm. That may help the tracking some but they all were sibilant, except the one retipped by Andy Kim. lol
I still think it has a lot to do with the stylus they use. |
