They're holding my cartridge hostage!!

[cybot]

There's also Dominic Harper at Northwest Analogue who recently started doing retips and has some good feedback if you search PFM.

He has a thread at http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/show ... p?t=101018 with examples.

Richard

I can vouch for Dominic too! I haven't yet availed of his legendary cartridge retipping skills so I cannot comment. His stylus cleaning putty,which I currently use, is amazingly effective and it's only a fiver! Hi Fi World did an interview with him recently and he came across as a very genuine but passionate guy. I know if I had stylus issues I wouldn't hesitate to avail of his services....




http://northwestanalogue.weebly.com/index.html

[Fran]

Expert stylus have a fantastic reputation- and I think I'm going to stick with them. Next opening though is August!! I've also sent an email to benz to see what they say - awaiting a reply.

The DL110 is a pretty good cart I have to say! Sounding nice on the deck. It doesn't have the refinement of the benz though. I had seen the northwest analogue name out there alright but couldn't see much feedback on them.......



Fran

[Fran]

Well, I had some very good responses back from Benz-micro. They say a turnaround time of <6weeks worst case. They will examine the cartridge and let me know a price, but if I decode not to go ahead there is no charge, I just pay to ship it back to me. So as I see it if they are crazy money, I'll still have the cart back here before August anyway. Its just sitting in the box in the meantime so I've nothing to lose except post each way.

They asked me what country I was in, so I think maybe we're lucky there's no dealer here, you can go direct to their european repair service. Comms so far have been very prompt.

Fran

[Dowser]

I'm over in CH next week - want me to drop it in the local post to them?

Richard

[Fran]

Thanks Richard - but its already gone to them - and the repair centre is in Tengen in Germany anyway.....

[PeterK]

I have had my Benz Glider cartridge tipped at least twice with Benz Micro, cost was 100 euro and I got it back pretty quickly. No difficulty post wise as they insisted I label package as for repair. When I first contacted them I spoke to Herr Lukasec, a first rate gentleman. I would give them a ring and see what they say. Great cartridge by the way.

On the other hand my experience of mail order with the states is not so positive. You buy your item from say Acoustic Sounds, who will only use UPS which is hideously expensive. The goods arrive and you are faced with a tax bill, namely VAT which is by the way charged on the shipping costs and administrative costs as well as the goods, and those admin costs are outrageous, a flat charge of 10 euros. The whole operation leaves me seriously peed off. So I never use Acoustic Sounds, Music Direct and Elusive Discs in the States. My you the biggest bill I ever got was for the Classic Records Led Zep flight case set of their catalogue on 45 rpm. It nows sells for an obscene amount on the net!!!

When dealing with the States or elsewhere outside the EU only use the national post service.

[Fran]

I think I'll do a dance if it only costs €100! I was budgeting more towards the €500 mark!

Lucachek is Mr. Benz-micro - so you did well to get him. I know another member here who went through benz, but it took almost a year to get the cart back. Seeing as I was directed to the "European repair centre" in Germany, maybe they have restructured the service - I believe expert stylus did this last year, hence the "booking service " they now use.

Fran

[PeterK]

Hi Fran

You could go to Mr. Van den Hul for a retip. He is also I believe quite reasonable. My Benz Glider is available if you want to borrow it for a period. However it is not the latest version.

[Fran]

Thanks PeterK for you generous offer - but I'm OK, I have a spare cart so I'm fine. Also - I have to admit I'd be pretty nervous about handling someone else's cart!!!

I sent the cart on Friday to Benz, so its a wait and see operation now. Expert stylus wanted STG£291 for the retip assuming everything was OK with the cart and it didn't need any other work. I know in the US at least, the dealers there encourage you more in a direction of exchange/replacement rather than retip, with ~$800 often quoted. This might just be to give a better deal for the dealers rather than reflect true costs. I'd be aiming for well below that kind of cost .....

Benz say they'll inspect it for free and if I decide not to go ahead they'll return it, with me paying postage. If its much more than the ESCO retip then I've lost nothing....


Fran

[Fran]

I posted the cartridge last Friday, and a response from them at 8am this morning, Tuesday. See:

The cartridge has arrived and we have checked up:

Benz Micro Wood L2 # 15396 Mr. Francis Morrin

-Diamond FG II, very dark used up

-Cantilever Bor, little bent

-Coil 2 X 12 Ohm, loosely

-Dumping Rubber Butyl, hard

-Packaging original Wood

-Remark very dusty, Iron dust on the coil

We recommend the following:

Version 1

-complete disassemble

-complete clean

-new diamond FG II (old version)

-prepare cantilever

-prepare dumping rubber

-adjust and tune

-Control

The cost for the repair:

Euro: 498,00 + Euro 17,00 for shipment (insured Air-Mail)

Version 2

-complete new “ Wood SL”

(with the new MR diamond, newest generation)

-Measurement

-adjust and tune

-Control

The cost for the replacement:
Euro
Euro: 598,00 + Euro 17,00 for shipment (insured Air-Mail)

Please let us know your decision!

Best regards

Benz Micro Switzerland

Service

www.benz-micro.com

So I think it's a no-brainer, it's at least half price offer for a new cart. Given how much things have moved on in cartridge design and construction its worth it to spend an extra €100 and have a 2012 cart rather than a refurbished 1997 one.

Expert would likely have wanted more than the quoted stg£291 given that the suspension needs a rebuild too.

Fran