The Cartridge and Stylus makes a big difference.


I am becoming more convinced that the cartridge and the most importantly, the stylus has a lot to do with good sound. I had Benz cartridges for years and always blamed my arm and table (VPI Scout) for mistracking and sound quality issues mainly sibilance.  As years go by I have learned that the Cartridge and Stylus have a lot to do with this problem.  Shame on Benz Micro for not making it right with me for years as I struggled with this.  Its amazing when I put a Lyra Delos on the same tonearm, my problems went away immediately.  Same thing with the Denon, the Ortofon, and so on.

My problems started with the ace, then the wood, then the ref and so on.  I always thought it was my table that was to blame.  I had a glider that was better but still had the same issues.  It was amazing when I had a new cantilever and stylus put on the glider by Andy Kim, my problems went away.  I should have known right there.  I am sure I am not the only one.  I took the Benz Micro Ref to a Linn dealer and had him install it on a 18K turntable and it did the same thing, maybe even worse.  So if you have a Benz and have experienced some of these issues, I assure you, you are not alone.  I hope they get there act together.  

Thanks to Lyra I am finally enjoying my music instead of trying to figure out what is not aligned properly and fiddling forever.
tzh21y
1 - First off, I take it as a given that anyone who posts here understands how critical the cartridge and stylus is to good vinyl analog sound. I don’t know why that would be a revelation, as others here have pointed out.

2 - the cartridge/tonearm relationship is a fussy one, and that fact is also something that should be well known to anyone in this group. I remember, decades ago, buying a hi-end Grado from an irresponsible salesperson in a Manhattan shop. Not only was there nothing that I could do to get the Grado to track properly, it literally bounced across the disc! I took it back to the store owner who I had a good relationship with as I have bought a lot of gear from him, including the table and arm (VPI HW MK II At the time, now a MK IV with SAM, and Sumiko MMT), explained what was happening and he asks “Who sold you this?”, then calls the salesman over and says “what’s the matter with you? He’s got The Grado Bounce! You know you can’t put that cartridge in that arm!!!” In other words, the problem isn’t necessarily the cartridge, it’s what it’s being partnered with and how it is being set up.

3 - I have a Benz Micro, a Koetsu Onyx, a Koetsu Rosewood Platinum, and a Grado for my 78s (the cartridge for the 78s - I suppose because of the stylus charactistics, the different speed, the groove size and depth etc - does not have The Bounce problem). I’ve had the Benz for decades, it’s been retipped by Van denHul many times (as have my Koetsus: I’ll keep them until they die, so I’m not concerned about resale value and Van denHul does excellent work at a good price), I use it for rock and for some jazz and Afro-Cuban and it has always performed satisfactorily.

4 - you had a bad experience with four cartridges. Even though you had a bad run, the “sample pool” is still exceptionally small, and this is why it’s fair to say that you should consider your experience an anecdotal one. Did you consult with Benz? Did you consider that maybe you might have gotten some lemons from a bad production run, rather than draw a general conclusion about the inferiority of Benz that does not comport with the experiences of the majority of Benz owners, or draw conclusions about the inferiority of Benz owners themselves? Isn’t that a tad bit arrogant?
Btw, speaking of the-tipping, FYI to anyone who might be curious: I go through the risk of sending my cartridges across The Pond to The Netherlands in order to have Van denHul refurbish them, even though I live in Newburgh NY, a short 20 minute drive north of Soundsmith in Peekskill. 
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 think that you just don’t like the Benz. You should simply say so and let it go at that. No need to jump from there to saying that Benz must be doing something wrong.

My Benz out of the box tracked fine, no technical issues.

That said, I don’t use the Benz for classical. Too cold and shallow. Not in the same class as the Koetsu, or a Van denHul or a Grado for that matter. I use it for rock and for parties. 

Purists say that I shouldn’t use Van denHul for retipping. But there is a several thousand dollar difference between the Van denHul retipping policy and that of Koetsu, whose policy is essentially like trading in your leased car for a new model.  Koetsu replaces everything but the body, Van denHul just replaces the tip only, and the cantilever if needed.

The Van denHul tip gives the Koetsu a slightly more analytical sound, which is not a bad thing. 

To me, based on the OP's recent threads, I think it has more to do with the owner than the equipment.