What Cartridge Manufacturers Will Retip Their Moving Coil Cartridges For A Fee?


What cartridge manufacturers will retip their moving coil cartridges for a fee?

I have a $3k Sumiko cartridge....Sumiko offers me $900 credit for my old cartridge towards the purchase of a new $3k Sumiko cartridge.

Next time I buy a new cartridge, I'd like to buy one from a manufacturer that will retip it for a fee.  Do any manufacturers of moving coil cartridges do retipping?

128x128mitch4t

Why not have Soundsmith or one of the other services rebuild it for you.

I had them do a Sumiko Blue Point evo 3 with a broken cantilever and it sounded excellent. It's a lot cheaper than a new cartridge.

Rdk, yes, but, as previously mentioned, SS make MI cartridges. The operating principle is different from that of MCs, making rebuild a much simpler exercise. That’s a real virtue but not what the OP asked.

I think Soundsmith has the best deal for re-tips/rebuilds.  Their top cartridges have great reviews and people do like them - you should be able to find something compatible with your Sumiko. The Hyperion ES Mk II, their top MI cartridge retails for $8k and the rebuild is only $850 to the original owner. That's hard to beat.  

I have two Lyra Atlas Lambda (SL + Mono) and a DV XV-1s. I am happy for them to get a rebuild. I don't see a need to get a whole new cartridge out of it. A rebuild the way Lyra and DV do it is pretty much the same thing anyway. It costs an arm and leg either way. 😉

Ortofon rebuilds, at least the higher end models. Only the body is reused, I believe, and the cartridge gets a new serial number. My A90 has been done thrice.

I prefer the offer of a fresh recently inspected new cartridge for a discounted price.

Audio Technica: I sent my AT33PTGII in to see if it's stylus was worn as I expected.

Yes, it is worn, we have a program to sell you a new cartridge for $_____

Half the price when purchased a few years prior.

Yes please!

Everything new, including fresh suspension which is often forgotten, recent inspection for output specs and truly straight/aligned cantilever/stylus tip.

Lyra rebuild Etna and Altas cartridges. Dynavector rebuild the XV-1s and XV-1t cartridges. They go back to Japan. It's more than a retip. You get all new internals, including dampers/suspension. Only the body and magnets are reused. For both brands the cartridges down the product line are exchanges.

Dear @mitch4t  : VdH do it but with out question the best way to do it for your Celebration is the one posted  @dhcod 

 

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,

R.

VAS NY Inc has their own models of MC Cart' and have always been able to  accommodate Cart' owners requesting a re-tip.

My Sonic Lab will retip/refurbish. It isn’t cheap. For my cartridge it cost 60% of new retail.  For all that I know, this is just a discount on a new cartridge.

None that I've heard of will do that. The most you can get is a discount on a new cartridge when returning the old one. 

SS do not make MC cartridges, so far as I know.  MI cartridges are easier to retip.

For the moment... I thought you've missed one letter in your last word. For fee I guess almost all, but for free not to many :-) All you do is to give the core to get $50 for it of the trade-in value and get brand new one for full retail price maybe minus cup-o-coffee discount. The alternative company such as Soundsmith would probably make you wait a couple of months if not longer before your cartridge is back so prepare to get some "loaner" or temporary budget cartridge if you go that way and if they're still around. Everything does seem to be temporary even the members here and even me...

It's a matter of semantics. Which is to say that nearly all MC cartridge makers will supply you with a "new" cartridge for a fee that is darn near to the OEM cost of the cartridge.  In some cases, the new cartridge may be your original one that has been truly rebuilt.  In most other cases, the consensus seems to be that the maker simply exchanges your old cartridge for new.  Call it what you will (except in the former case, you get back a cartridge with a used suspension, if that matters).