A Story about a Defective Signature Platinum


Last week I was listening to music at a healthy volume while sitting at my computer. I have an auto lifter (Little Fwend) and after the arm lifted I noticed a static noise with occasional popping coming out of the left channel about 40 dB down. At first I thought it was a bad tube but it disappeared when I turned the volume down. It is in front of the Preamp. None of the other sources had the noise. Swapping tonearm cables did not seem to change the sound but then I noticed that the sound was also in the right channel just farther down. Disconnecting the tonearm stopped the noise. I change over to an MC Diamond, no noise. Same with the Atlas, no noise. Swapped back to the MSL, noise is back.

The cartridge is exactly one year old but it rotates with two other cartridges and might have 75 hours on it. I called the dealer who told me to contact MoFi distribution, the US agent for MSL. Turns out the cartridge only has a 90 day warranty and I was told I would have to send it in for a rebuild for $6000! Can't they just fix the problem for maybe $500, No. Can't I just send it in for evaluation?  The stylus and cantilever are brand new. No, a rebuild is the only option and you have to do that through the dealer, click!  Most very expensive cartridges have a 2 year warranty on them not to mention that most companies would cover such a defect even off warranty as in the absence of physical damage it is obviously a manufacturing defect, a bad solder joint or maybe just two wires rubbing together. This is very disappointing and as far as customer service goes Home Depot is better than MoFi, Sears is better than MoFi! MoFI is right up there with Anthem Blue Cross! The service rep could have offered to look into it. Maybe communicate with MSL and get their opinion. I am sure if MSL knew about it they would gladly fix it and actually be embarrassed. The Japanese are like that. There is no way I can find to get directly in touch with MSL.   

$6000 is not an option. I am not going to throw good money after bad. I am also not going to off a defective cartridge on someone else. I am going to take the cartridge apart and reflow the solder joints and make sure the wires are separated. If that doesn't fix it, it goes in the trash.

Mistakes and defects happen, it is what you do about them that counts. MoFi failed dismally in this regard. MSL makes a fine cartridge but I would only get another one if they changed agents and increased their warranty. Obviously, I will avoid buying any other MoFi products myself and warn others about their customer service. I have no further use for the dealer who did nothing to help. I have had superb service from Musical Surroundings, Soundsmith, B+H Photo and the Cable Company. All handled issues with ease. Has anyone else had trouble with MoFi? What companies have provided you with excellent service when the sh-t hit the fan?

 

 

128x128mijostyn

Dear @dover  : Certainly the S was the top of the line around Talisman LOMC. I owned all 3 models: A, B and S. Where B and S ( boron and saphire cantilever, the A is an alloy cantilever. ).

 

The A came with  the smallest elliptical dimension you can imagine and the B and S came with line contact stylus shape.

 

By its specifications seems to me ( I'm not sure ) that those Talisman were made by Excel due that the great ES-10 has almost the same specs than the S model with no saphire cantilever but Excel made for them similar to the ES-10 with diamond and saphire cantilevers.

I sold the S model because I prefered not only the B but even the A . @mijostyn these with no colorations. Nice cartridges. I think that your appreciation on that " body junction " is not totally correct: Excel makes no mistakes of that caliber but obviously I can be wrong. The fact is that I don't detected any coloration other that Talisman signature.

 

Btw, as HO the Talisman Alchemist is very good too.

Dover I think that you are diminishing a little the quality performance levels of Talisman because in many ways can be a challenge for cartridges even over 5K, obviously that all these is down of audiophiles priorities.

 

 

Dear @mijostyn  : Thank you for Imgur I will reload the pictures. please tell me something and make me a favor: due that you already have the fixed cartridges pictures I emailed to you can you by imgur post here?  I'm sending the Ortofon MC 3000 MK2 too.

Thank's in advance.

 

Btw, The Talisman design is a yokeless and only one pole piece that Sumiko named Direct Field Coil. Come to my memory other vintage LOMC cartridges that were designed yokeless: Yamaha and Audio Technica, there are others but I don't remember in this moment.

R.

Sorry…but time to dump their tables too. I was really really interested in checking them out but have heard way too many iffy things about their service

I do like Music Direct though…a lot. Too bad they got mixed up with Mofi.

Sorry MoFi (and others)…be on alert, we’re not going to take it (anymore! (Hit it! 🎶)). Best get your $#&* together!