Soundsmith re-tips received today

Some time ago I had a cartridge with the cheapest Soundsmith update - $150,-- - and I was really impressed about it. An excellent example for doing a great job in this overpriced business.

I think your moniker says it all, "Just listen".

I have had a half dozen or so cartridges retipped by Peter and all of them are superb! I choose the $250 level service on all of them. Highly recommended.

Dear Justlisten: That's almost normal with re-tipped cartridges.

A new cartridge that has no single playing hour must to settle down especialy in the cartridge suspension before could shines. In a re-tipped one that cartridge suspension is already broke-in and fine tunned for the re-tipper.

The VdH service in its Colibri cartridges is a good example about. They give us a cartridge fine tunning after three months of playing ( the service is free and we only pay the shipping both ways. ) and what they do most than all is to fine tunning the cartridge suspension.

In one of my Colibri's I bented the cantilever not one but in four different times and each time the cartridge was re-tipped sounded great at the very first track played in the LP.

Now, a re-tipped cartridge that was re-tipped for a " universal " retipper source other than the cartridge manufacturer loosed its original performance level. The re-tipped cartridge is a different one, that could like us more than the original is only a result that we are hearing a different cartridge. This is like when we hear a new cartridge that like us more than our current one in the audio system but many times that " I like it more than the other cartridge I own or owned " is only a different " flavor " and not a real best flavor.

Anyway, all these is my take about.

regards and enjoy the music,
R.

Justlisten,

Which level of rebuild did you choose for the AQ7000? AQ 7000 remains one of my all time favorites and I also got one that needs to be rebuilt.

I'd appreciate your reply