What are the differences ?

First of all I don't have to much money and cartridges nowadays are very expensive . If the Salsa were to be marketed today with inflation it would be over 500 dollars .

 Second the fact that its old doesn't mean it can't raise up to meet expectations in camparison to other cartridges on the market . It really is very good .

I would have to spend a lot more money in order to get a.little better performance . Maybe 800 or more . I hope this explains why I didn't go with another newer cartridge .

I didn't send the cartridge to soundsmith because of wear but because while mounting it onto my turntable I destroyed the cantilever . Having said that it was probably time for a retip anyhow as I've been using the cartridge for 12 years . 
I asked soundsmith if changing the material of the cantilever from aluminum to shappire would give me better sound he said no , that it would probably track better but that the cartridge would sound as it used to . 

Just mounted and heard my Ortofon Salsa MC cartridge with new shappire cantilever and line contact stylus by soundsmith and it sounds excellent . These guys do great work and I can whole heartly recommend them . By the way the cartridge sounds better then what it used to . I don't know if this is because of the usage and age of the cartridge or a funtion of the new shappire cantilever ( having been of aluminum ) all I can say is that it sounds better by a margin .

First of all having only 300 dollars doesn't give me much options . Even the Hana cost 500 dollars . But 300 to retipped a cartridge that I know sounds great in my system with my turntable is not bad , especially considering I'm getting a line contact stylus with a shappire cantilever with 1 year warranty is I consider a great deal . On MM I have a Nagaoka MP110 which for the price sounds great and a very good Grado MI . The Salsa sounds substantially better then both.

I just received my repaired and retipped Ortofon cartridge from soundsmith and I must say it looks beautiful . The shappire cantilever is smooth as a babys butt and the line contact stylus looks really nice . I'll keep you guys updated on the sound as soon as I install it . SoundSmith seems to do really nice work .