Magic Diamond vs Airtight PC1?

Yikes! I thought when I originally posted the MD cost $2,500! Looks like I was out by 3K! My apologies.

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I quote for the site: http://www.dietiker-humbel.ch/magicdia.htm

"There are also some Signature models in the Magic Diamond cartridge lineup, selling for $15,000 to $30,000. But the waiting list for these Signature models is over a year long, which tells you how high this cartridge's reputation is among those cognoscenti of the international audiophile community who can afford to buy any cartridge they want."

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Gadfly, I wasn't challenging you, I wondered the same thing:

I am curious to know what kinds of mods would incur 5k, 10, 20k, 30k. That seems to be a bit inflated.

So I thought maybe you knew what else the MD incorporated (if anything) beyond what's obvious to the eye. Reminds me of the Shelter rebadging fiasco and now the EAT tube scam.

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It looks like the back plate where the connectors are has change but i can only see that from the bottom. I do not know if that actaull goes as far as replacing the entire back plane.

It does not look like he braced the generator other than epoxying it.

It looks like a basic rebody and epoxy which is what the Zu is. I am at a loss to see where the $????k went.

I wasn't sure if you were challening me or not so I too the opportunity. ;-)

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From what I've seen in the thread, the only 'evidence' to prove it's not a modded dl-103 (or, to give the benefit of the doubt, a 103r) is one guy who says that's "rubbish", a supposed 'letter' from a supposed 'friend of the manufacturer' claiming otherwise, and a link to the manufacturers website. As opposed to the evidence of the two carts looking exactly alike, down to the spherical/conical stylus and aluminum cantilever.

I guess we're to believe that the manufacturer is building his own custom, handbuilt carts that, coincidentally (or perhaps ironically), look exactly like a dl-103, and cost thousands more.

There are some old sayings leaping to mind here-'....fool and his money.....', '....one born every minute....'. Etc.