Who needs a Diamond Cantilever...? 💍

was this the recent Yahoo auction? If so, you overbid me (and others of course).

Dear Edgewear..I trust that you weren't the 'underbidder' at that auction, for if you were.....I hate you with a vengeance 😛
It was a five-day auction and there were a half dozen bidders slowly increasing the price till it was $600 on the last day.
I waited till there was 20 minutes left and hit it.....every previous bidder folded at $1000 until there was five minutes to go.
Suddenly a new bidder arrived who exceeded my maximum bid and pushed it to $1700.
I reassessed...and increased my max. to $1900 but he topped that.
I had one last go increasing my max to $2100 and his top was $2000 🥳
Had he known I was 'maxed out'...the cartridge would have been his for $2150 🥵
But had he not appeared at the last minute....I would have had it for $1000.....😎

I owned the MC1000 by AT that came exactly the same: cantilever and stylus in one piece.

Unfortunately there is no such model listed on Vinyl Engine nor does the World Wide Web reveal its existence.
The AT Catalogue lists the MC-2000 II with aluminium cantilever, the MC-3000 II also with aluminium, the MC-5000 with sapphire and the MC-7500 with aluminium.
There is mention of the AT-1000 with 'diamond cantilever' but no claims nor evidence of 'one-piece cantilever/stylus'.
In the absence of ANY photos, descriptions or confirming evidence of its existence on the entire WWW.....the above statement appears to be a fabrication.  

I've heard Sony XL-55 with Boron cantilever and did not like it at all.

Neither the Sony XL-55 nor XL-88 (in standard form) had Boron cantilevers.

@best-groove,

you can’t buy a new cartridge that sounds better than the XL88D?

In 40 years of owning over 80 cartridges (both vintage and modern)...I can honestly say NO 🤗
The STANDARD XL-88 is itself, the best cartridge I’ve heard in my system with the $10,000 AS-PALLADIAN and $5,000 LONDON DECCA REFERENCE as ’runners-up’.
The XL-88D is the ’Holy Grail’ for me....
It’s the elusive ’perfect’ cartridge for which I’ve been searching over the last 10 years!
I can truly state that my quest is over...😝 and if I buy another cartridge....it’s because I’m really really sick 🤮
Yes....$2,000 is a lot for a ’used’ cartridge, but how much do you think ’used’ Lyra cartridges are selling for? Or Koetsu Stone Bodies or Colibri Master Signatures or top Ortofon MCs?
Don’t forget....the XL-88D cost $13,700 at today’s prices so I consider $2,000 a ’steal’ 😉

Was the original box and paper provided with the purchase?

Unfortunately not.....but beggars can’t be choosers 🥴
I’ve seen a few XL-88Ds for sale with box and papers....but the cantilevers and styli did not look like THIS!

I've heard Sony XL-55 with Boron cantilever and did not like it at all.

The XL-55 and XL-88 are about as DIFFERENT from each other as any cartridges can be 🤗
Not only in SIZE and SHAPE....but particularly soundwise.
The XL-55 has a distinctly 'coloured', warm and robust presentation...not dissimilar to the vintage 'A' Style SPUs.
The XL-88 in contrast...is neutral, dynamic, detailed, transparent and nimble.

I have no interest in Sony cartridges

Your loss....😎

@best-groove 
I don't buy ANY 'used' cartridges without good-quality closeup shots of the styli 🧐
I don't trust anyone's admission of 'hours-of-use'....🤥

I didn't understand this sentence....

Haha.....it means if you're really desperate for something (begging for it)...you can't be fussy 🙏🏽

In those times the Sony had a price of 150K Yens when my AT was 200K but the AT was not the only cartridge more expensive than the Sony you own, the following top of the line were more expensive too: Supex D for 270K Yens, Highphonic for 158K, Jeweltone for 200K, Physics for 250K, Final for 230K, the Dyna at similar price than the Sony and the Sonovox for only 330K !

IN 1980

• 150K Yen =$714 =$2223 (today)
• 200K Yen =$952 =$2964 (today)
• 270K Yen =$1286 =$4000 (today)
• 158K Yen =$752 =$2341 (today)
• 250K Yen =$1192 =$3705 (today)
• 230K Yen =$1095 =$3409 (today)
• 330K Yen =$1571 =$4892 (today)

That doesn't seem right...?
The most EXPENSIVE cartridge in the world (according to Raul) cost just $4892 at today's rate 🤪

IN 1980

• 7500 DM =$4400 =$13700 (today)

Another case of:-

Believe what he says at your own risk...

.
 

Thanks Terry,
A limited 'Club' at the moment.....but sure to increase if current trends continue 🤔

The Yahoo Japan auction site looks like a very DANGEROUS place for someone like myself to visit! lol.

Uber, it's not for the faint-hearted 😬 but the first 'auction' is the most fearful. After that...with more experience, it becomes easy and exciting.
I list my cartridge 'Preferences' with HiFi Shark and every day they send me an Email with Links to any of those cartridges they have found on any site on the Internet.
80% of the Links they send me are for Japan Yahoo....understandable as most of the cartridges I desire were made mostly for the Japanese market.
Once you sign up to Aleado...the Administrator of Japan Yahoo....you have to deposit funds into your Account via PayPal before you can bid at any Auction.
This scares most people but it's perfectly safe I've found.
You 'Bid' your max. amount but they only put the amount needed to beat the highest offer by another Bidder.
Communication with Aleado is excellent and prompt and if you 'win' the Auction.....their packing of the goods is unbelievable 🤯👍
The only caveat about the Site is......the 'automatic' English translation of the Japanese description of the 'Goods' is USELESS!!!!
That's why one needs to be able to assess the product from careful examination of the pictures supplied.

BTW, I took my revenge last week, winning an auction for the Victor MC-L1000, another of those classic cartridges I simply must hear. Do you have this and if so, what do you think of it?

Congratulations Edgewear 👍
Yes...I owned the VICTOR MC-L1000 complete with original PACKAGING AND PAPERS.
An incredible cartridge with its COILS AT THE TIP.....
I found its presentation from the Midrange upwards to be perhaps the most realistic and stunning I think I've ever heard.
The only negative I found (and hopefully it's not endemic to all examples of the model) is a reticence in the Bass presentation which after a while....I couldn't live with 😢
So regretfully I had to sell it 🥺
I will be interested to hear your impressions...?

I was aware that the Victor is quite a delicate device, but I didn’t realize it was this fragile.

Fear not Edgewear, for the MC-L1000 is a robust cartridge without the tiny PCB embedded in the MC-1 or Victor MC-L10.
Hopefully, as Raul says....the lower frequencies on your sample will be fine.
I know that Thuchan bought one on my recommendation, and he reports no problems 🤗

I will try it in the FR-64S. Just about every cart I own sounds good in that arm.

Every user I know reports exactly the same thing.......an amazing tonearm 🤩

The S3 FR headshell you said is the one used with the 88D is more than the double the weigth than the SAEC one and that over-weigth stays where coul do more harm: where MOI is affected the more.

Yes Raul, it astonished me also.....that's why I never tried it in all the seven years I've owned the 8000/ST 🤯
I have tried every type of headshell I could find in that arm....two types of wood, aluminium, titanium, carbon fibre 🤗
They all sounded better than the SAEC original ceramic headshell which is quite simply....the worst sounding headshell I've ever encountered 👎
How the SAEC engineers could ruin all their fine arms with such a 'dog' of a headshell material (and design) is beyond me.
But when I accidentally fitted the XL-88 onto the 8000/ST (which was already installed in the S-3 headshell on another arm)...the arm simply came 'alive' 🥳
It just demonstrates that trying, experimenting, and listening (rather than believing the opinions of others)....can reveal amazing counterintuitive results in the Audio Chain.

I have the Uni-Protractor and Dietrich made me a special insert to adjust the WE-8000/ST to his 'geometry' 😇

Dear Raul,

You are more tolerant or less sensitive to those additional developed distortions than me.

We’re all here to learn.....For many many years, we’ve heard about your unique ability to identify and analyse ’distortions’ in the ’Audio Chain’.You’ve never been able to describe nor clarify these ’distortions’..🧐
But now you CAN 🥳
HERE on my ’Hear My Cartridges’ Thread are scores of YouTube Videos with dozens of cartridge comparisons on all types of music. Many contributors have been able to identify and describe ’minute’ differences that are audible between each and every cartridge.
Frogman (a professional musician) is consummately skilled and erudite in his abilities to analyse these ’differences’.
He has particularly invited YOU

I would be interested in knowing what you yourself hear in some of these comparisons. Have some fun and feel free to “go in deep”.

For some reason you have failed to accept that invitation...?
Unless you can finally demonstrate to us...one and all....the ’Kinds’ of distortions you are "more sensitive to"....I must politely request that you cease using these meaningless terms.
Certainly in any Post directed at me 🤭

Will be interesting to see if anyone can hear the differences between the ’Normal’ cantilever and the ’Diamond’.....🧐👂

SONY XL-88 LOMC CARTRIDGE

SONY XL-88D LOMC CARTRIDGE Diamond Cantilever

In the other side if you can't directly at your home system hear the distortions developed by that terrible/disastrous S3 headshell how could you think you will listen it from you tube recording. Makes sense to you? because for me is almost a stupid way of thinking.

Aaah....but we're not talking about ME Raul.....🤭
Of course I can't hear "distortions" which aren't there 🤪!
We're talking about YOU Raul.....who for years has spoken endlessly about your "self-taught" ability to 'hear' and 'analyse' every facet of the audio chain....and you even do it again in your Post above 😂.
But you admit that you can't hear a SINGLE "distortion" in the YouTube videos....?
What happened to these "distortions" Raul?
Did they somehow manage to 'vanish' in the recording process?
Others (like Frogman, Noromance, Dover) can hear clearly...the minute differences in the cartridges presented via the YouTube videos but you can't....🤗 

Please think for a moment how that S3 " works " against quality when all those ( non-damped. ) metal parts just " inmediatly " return/feedback its developed resonances/distortions to the cartridge cantilevers additional to the tonearm feedback own resonances.

Blah, blah, blah....words and theories which you disguise as 'knowledge' but reveal your ignorance.
Here we have a perfect 'test' for you Raul......
There are a dozen videos on my Thread, which use the WE-8000/ST arm WITHOUT the S3 headshell.
Please point out to us the "resonances, distortions, feedback" that are 'missing' with these headshells...😉
And if you CAN'T.......please have the humility to finally admit to us all, that you are nothing but an 'Audio Fraud' who hides behind meaningless 'words' but when 'challenged' to prove his boastful audio abilities.....continues to 'hide' behind meaningless words 🤣

It’s understandably difficult to hear the ’nuances’ and ’subtleties’ that a different cantilever material may bring....
I couldn’t hear the differences between a SAS-Boron, a NeoSAS-Sapphire and a NeoSAS-Ruby when I did the comparisons a while ago 🤨
It is therefore even more difficult to isolate any differences via YouTube videos. It becomes easier the better your playback medium is....

Listen to the beginning of the track with just the bass guitar, percussion and piano....
There is a distinctly different ’tone’ and clarity with the 88D and an ’added’ ability to project a 3D image.
Then listen at the 0.33 sec mark when the saxophone first comes in....there is a slight coarseness to its sound which is missing with the Diamond stylus.
Listen to the background drums behind the piano at the 1.00+ min mark which are more distinct and shimmery with the 88D.
And the real ’kicker’ at the 1.42 mark where the sax begins to strut its stuff....the 88D just gives this so much ’tonality’ that you can actually hear the reed..
Then listen to the background percussion and cymbals behind the sax all the way to the 3.00 min mark. Just a bit clearer and shimmery (again) with the 88D.
Then the drums from the 3.00 to the 3.30 marks...just a bit more ’timbre’ with the 88D.
At the 4.05 mark with the bass, piano and percussion...hear the extra clarity and sheen of the cymbals with the 88D and particularly behind the bass at the 4.40 mark till the end.

It’s impossible via the YouTube Videos to hear the ephemeral nuances that I hear in my room....things like soundstage (side to side and back to back), transparency, imaging, image height etc
Try this track.....

SONY XL-88 LOMC CARTRIDGE

SONY XL-88D LOMC CARTRIDGE Diamond Cantilever

Thank you Dover.....
'Golden Ears'......👂

And not to forget perhaps the most famous cartridges of all time.....the Ortofon SPU.
In all its guises....even with their new top-of-the-line SPU Century......only aluminium cantilevers 👍

😂

I have just been informed that we are no longer allowed to call someone from Mexico....a 'Mexican' 🤫
Your Post will be removed when the 'M' complains to the Moderators 🤨
God knows how they will cope with the word....'Australian'😝

It must be an 'American'' thing that we Australians don't understand.
But I do believe the US President is allowed to use the term "Mexican"....?

Thanks Frogman for your revealing comments about 'Political Correctness' and one-sided 'complaints' to the Moderators.
Thanks also for your, as always....welcome observations between the two Sonys.

not enough has been made of the fact that the cantilever material that is best for one cartridge may not be the best choice for another cartridge that uses a different motor and a different housing; all which contribute to the overall sonic signature of the cartridge as determined by the designer’s goals.

This is true enough and Edgewear's comments are interesting (thanks Edgewear for the kind wishes 😃).....
Having said that.....I do believe that 'choice' of 'cantilever material' may be a 'primary' element in the initial concept of cartridge designers.
As we've already heard.....cartridges such as the Fidelity Research FR-7 Series, the SPUs, the Acoustical Sounds have 'chosen' to use Aluminium as their cantilever material 'of choice' whereas many 'modern' designers have chosen Boron whilst (with the Boron shortage) Sapphire and Ruby are 'returning'.
I say 'returning' because in the past....designers seemed to have a larger selection of, not only materials....but HOW the materials are utilised.
Solid rod, hollow tube, tapered solid rod, tapered tube...hybrid combinations like the Sony Carbon Fibre/Aluminium/Beryllium cantilevers of the normal XL-55 and XL-88.
Can you imagine the design time, prototyping and testing that went into that...?🤯
And not to forget the cantilever material of choice for the high-end MM cartridges of yore....Beryllium 😃

In line with their 'experimental' approach to cantilever hybrid design shown in the XL-55 and 88.....I suspect that Sony's designer Mori San as Nandric reminds us.....was given the freedom to produce a stylus/cantilever of one piece solid diamond as a 'cost-no-object' ultimate design.
He would have needed many convincing arguments...and again....prototyping and testing...to gain approval for production.
And in the end....in this Thread you are hearing two 'identical' cartridges with the 'cantilever material' the only difference 🤗

😂😂😂

Frogman and Edgewear are right of course...As Dover so eloquently observed....

Cartridges are always a sum of the parts - a diamond cantilever on an average cartridge is at best just a more articulate average cartridge.

The XL-55 and XL-88 obviously have a unique MOTOR design by Mori San.....but why they sound so differently to each other is a mystery only Mori could explain 🤭
When all other Diamond Cantilevers are two-piece constructions like THIS and THIS and THIS........there might also be some Mori 'magic' when he can imagine Diamond Cantilever and Stylus as a one-piece construction like THIS 🤗

Eric Kingdon may be slightly biased Gallus....🤩?
The normal XL-88 is far better than the either the XL-55 or
XL-55Pro IMO.....but trying to corner the market on XL-88D cartridges in mint condition, is not on my radar 🤪

There’s no way the XL-88D can be re-tipped as there is no glue involved whatsoever.
The stylus and cantilever are formed out of one complete piece of synthetic diamond.

The Pua-9 looks like an interesting arm Gallus....one I had not heard of previously.
THAT fact bothers me 🥴
Vintage tonearms, like vintage cartridges and turntables gain a ’reputation’ if they are really great.....a reputation that grows with time if they are truly ’legendary’ components.
Maintaining high resale value on the ’used’ market is a good sign of ’legendary’ quality in a component 🤗
I’ve had perhaps 15 tonearms (vintage and modern) and of the six I currently have.....five can be truly called ’legendary’ whilst the sixth one I believe, will one day attain that status.
Soundwise in my system....they all perform at a superior level to their competition, be it vintage or current.
That doesn’t mean to say that the Sony tonearms you recommend, wouldn’t compete.....
It’s just that I have no reason to believe they will...and I’m not one who is ready to test all the arms in the market place 🤪

That's interesting Gallus....
I had the figure of 7500 DM but that was 'here-say' from the Internet...
Is it possible for you to post a Link to that particular issue.....or perhaps some further comments from the article?

Thanks Gallus,
When I opened the 'Contents' on that Link, under cartridges:-

Audio Technica AT 1000 HC68thBoston MC-1H Van den Hul68thDenon DL-1000 A68thDynavector DV-50A68thExcel PROB1 MC68thGloss GMD-10EX68thGold ring 920 / IGC68thJVC MC-5 E68thKiseki Lapis Lazuli1066Mission 773 HC68thOrtofon MC Exclusive68thOrtofon MC 100 Universal392Ortofon MC 200068thSonyXL-MC368th
Sony XL88D Custom
68thTechnics EPC-205CMk368thYamaha MC-9

You see it lists the Sony XL88D Custom.....
Now I don't know if that means that the 88D was only available to 'Customer Order'...or whether there was another model of the 88D called 88D Custom? 🤔

Thanks guys...🤗
Great (new to me) information....
Thanks for the photo of the 'Real Thing' Gallus...from Thuchan's website.
I don't know if there would be any differences (other than the integrated headshell) between the 88D and 88D-Custom as there is none between the Sony XL-55 and XL-55Pro (integrated headshell).
In any case, I could not use the integrated headshell versions in my WE-8000/ST tonearm as there would be no off-set angle 🥴

It will be interesting to see how much this one goes for Edgewear.....as my one was only up to $1000 with 5 minutes of the Auction to go.
This one is already up to $1650 with 2 hours to go......
It does appear to be in superb condition with the Seller claiming about 20 hours use.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see it sell for $2500 or more 🤪

Dover may be able to help you with the Dynavector 13D as I believe he had one.

So it only sold for $1900.....a bargain 🤗
Why did I pay $2100.....?
Someone owes me $200....😂

@edgewear 

I've just joined your nightmarish scenario. A cartridge with irreplacable cantilever, irreplacable stylus and irreplacable sound! I completely share your sentiments and I'm glad I followed your lead!

I'm so pleased for you my friend.... 👏
And I'll never forget your kindness in NOT bidding in the auction for my Sony XL-88D so that I would have a better chance.....

Your eloquent description of some of the feelings elicited by this stylus reinforces the spine-tingling excitement I also feel every time I switch from a different cartridge......
It's hard to describe and even harder to convey to others.....
YouTube videos are unable to capture all the qualities projected into the listening room.

There is one light at the end of the tunnel for our mutual 'conundrum'......
As we get older, the listening hours available to us are inevitably decreasing so that the 'value' proposition of listening to this cartridge rather than some of our other ones is increasing.....if you follow this logic? 🥴

The fact that this Thread inspired you to follow my lead into the 'abyss' is justification alone for my efforts...and if anyone else has profited from reading the contributions here, it may have saved the few remaining vintage cartridges like ours from lying dormant in some drawers...?

Happy listening @edgewear....💍 

@dover 
I have no reason to doubt Mori San's instincts....
After all, there is a reason that both Edgewear and I are stunned by this cartridge 🤯
What I cannot for the life of me understand though, is why today.....in the 2020s....it is not a piece of 'cake' to emulate this one-piece synthetic diamond design???
If they could do this in the 1980s before CNC machines, 3D Printing and Computer-Controlled Lasers......we should be able to do this today.... better, faster and cheaper without even trying 🥳
Have you seen what they are doing with casting and machining synthetic sapphire crystal watch cases....? 🧐

As a side-note.....HERE is a Sony XL-88D that has just appeared for auction on Japan Yahoo.
Expect it to go for around 240,000 Yen 🤪

What is not generally accepted, is that the world of ’Analogue Audio’ is as much ’ArtForm’ as it is Science.
The fact that so little is known about WHY we are able to hear such differences between cartridges, tonearms, turntables, drive-systems, solid state vs vacuum tube.....should make it obvious that we are in the hands of ’Artists’, ’Creators’ and sometimes even ’Geniuses’ for the advancements in ’Analogue Audio’.

Apart from the ’Genius’ of Sony’s one-piece diamond cantilever/stylus....have a good look at the SHAPE of the STRUCTURE....
Why is it shaped like this...?
Look at the SHAPE of the Copperhead Tonearm compared to all other tonearms 🧐
Why is it shaped like this...and unlike any other tonearm?
And why is there a similarity between these two ’shapings’?
Both tonearm and cartridge-cantilever....when in use.....are structurally defined as ’Propped Cantilevers’ NOT pure cantilevers....and the structural forces (Shear and Bending) within ’Propped Cantilevers’ are graphically ’mirrored’ in these ’shapings’ 🔬

I’m not claiming that these ’shapings’ are solely responsible for the fact that the Copperhead is the best tonearm I have heard and the Sony XL-88D the best cartridge......
What I am claiming, is that ’Analogue Audio’ design involves so many arts and sciences that the only way a designer becomes proficient (let alone brilliant), is not only to be highly educated in all the sciences involved.....but more importantly to be mentored by their elder masters and craftsmen who in turn have also been mentored by past masters.
This is the nature of artistic endeavour and for it to advance and prosper.....a thriving, inspiring and profitable industry needs to exist to maintain the core of elder craftsmen whilst also attracting new apprentices.

This state of affairs has not existed in ’Analogue Audio’ for 30 years and the elder masters and craftsmen have virtually all disappeared together with the vast data-banks they had assembled within their mega-billion $ companies.
The result has been, that the recent resurgence of ’Analogue Audio’ has inevitably led to ’self-taught’, under-educated and inexperienced ’newbies’ entering the industry to fill the vacuum.
Their sole contribution to the ’Art/Science’ of cartridge, tonearm and turntable design is ’technology’ 🙏
They believe that everything can be improved by the advancements in materials science, computers, lasers, 3D printing, CNC machining, chemistry etc.

They are mistaken.....!
And so are all the gullible, innocent followers of most of the new analogue products launched over the last 15 years.

• This is NOT the ’Golden Age’ of Analogue!!!!!
• The 70s and 80s WERE the ’Golden Age’ of Analogue.
• The digital tape-decks used today are INFERIOR to the analogue ones used in ’The Golden Age’
• The recordings produced today are INFERIOR to those of the ’The Golden Age’
• The quality of records themselves are INFERIOR to those stamped in ’The Golden Age’
• The cartridges produced today are generally INFERIOR to those of ’The Golden Age’
• The tonearms produced today are generally INFERIOR to those of ’The Golden Age’
• The turntables produced today are generally INFERIOR to the ’great’ ones of ’The Golden Age’

Why am I so sure about these statements.....?
Because I have listened to so many products from the past as well as the present, just like Chakster has 🧐
Most dissenters from this viewpoint have simply not had the same depth of listening experiences with those ’hard-to-obtain’ products.

Why is technology NOT the ’silver bullet’ for ’Analogue’?

• Why can no-one paint or sculpt like Michelangelo 500 years ago?

Today we have better paints and power tools?

• Why can no-one make a violin to compete with a Stradivarius made 400 years ago?

Today we have all the power tools, CNC machines, 3D printers and new chemistry for lacquers

• Do you think today’s mosaic or stained glass industry could compete with that of the Byzantine or Gothic eras?
• Do you think today’s watches are better than those made 30-60 years ago?

Today we have all the technology to ensure they are....but they’re NOT!
The Swiss Watch Industry (just like the Analogue Audio Industry) was virtually wiped out in the 80’s and 90’s with the revolution of ’digital’ watches.
Dozens of small firms disappeared and only Rolex and Patek Philippe maintained their ownership structure.
Luckily.....unlike the audio industry.....the digital revolution was shortlived
and a sudden huge consumer market developed for high-horology and ’Statement’ analogue watches which is almost out of control....🤯
This allowed those artisans and elder craftsmen in the Swiss industry to be retained and to mentor a new wave of apprentices, but the new watches of High-Horology produced today, are very much created the same way as in the past with hand-finishing vastly valued over machine-finishing.
Watches from the 60’s and ’70s continue to set the multi-million dollar records at auctions.

• Do you think that in 20 years time, anyone will be able to design and produce a naturally aspirated Flat 6, V10 or V12 that will be better than today’s Porsche, Lamborghini and Ferrari ones?

Not a chance!!!
The ’Golden Age’ of the internal combustion engine is at an end and never again will the world be able to match or improve upon engines from this period.

The same applies to the Golden Age of Analogue Audio 🤗

* The views expressed above are solely those of Halcro and not supported or condoned by anyone who derives a current living within the Audio Industry

Sorry @best-groove,
I didn't understand what you were referring to in your previous query....
PROTUBERANCE is something I hadn't previously noticed and I have absolutely no idea what it is or what's its purpose 🤔
If it's any consolation.... the standard Sony XL-88 has exactly the same thing 👀

Thanks Frogman,
Always a pleasure to see your participation and comments 😃
And I think you've nailed the 'protuberance'....👍
Makes sense knowing the brittleness and expense of diamond as a cantilever material.
I wonder if the new modern LOMC cartridges with diamond cantilevers have something similar to limit deflection?

All these cartridges have 3 things in common....

• Koetsu Urushi
• Symphonic Line RG Gold LO
• Lyra Helikon
• Lyra Titan i
• Lyra Atlas
• Clearaudio Concerto
• Clearaudio Insider Gold
• Dynavector XV-1S
• ZYX UNIverse

1. They were all expensive current-model LOMC cartridges which I’ve owned over the last 40 years
   
2. They all have Boron Cantilevers
3. They all no longer exist in my System

I’ve also had one or two MM cartridges with Boron Cantilevers like the Technics EPC-100C Mk3.
It also no longer exists in my System......🙏

There are many audiophiles who claim to clearly hear the differences between MC and MM cartridges.....I’m not one of those 🤔

There are many audiophiles who will only praise the virtues of exotic-profile Line-Contact type styli...I’m almost in that ’camp’ but am not dogmatic 🤗

I never have been able to listen to anything ’Digital’....even digitally recorded/produced/mastered/mixed VINYL RECORDS generally leave me unmoved 😢

And I have never been ’entranced’ by ANY cartridges with Boron Cantilevers 🥱

The majority (over 20) of my cartridge collection have Beryllium Cantilevers. Aluminium Cantilevers make up the next highest number whilst Sapphire, Ruby, Diamond and exotic composites make up the numbers.
 
Just saying........🙃