Should I keep this cartridge or send it back?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Jimi Floyd, Nov 13, 2017.

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  1. Jimi Floyd

    Jimi Floyd Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Pisa, Italy
    Just got a new Hana SL cartridge in the mail today. As it happens with many cartridges and most often than not its cantilever looks skewed but the diamond looks straight.

    It happened to me zillion times in the past, and experience tells me that if I send this back I will get another one with the same "feature" and all the procedure would be painful and worthless.

    What would you do? Keep it or send it back? (click on the picture to see it full size)

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Nov 13, 2017
  2. Shiver

    Shiver Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Return.

    Personally, even if it 'works', that apparent lack of quality control would create too much doubt to live with.
     
  3. missan

    missan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Stockholm
    The quality isn´t how the cantilever looks in this case, it´s how the diamond sits. Seems OK to me.
     
  4. Paul K

    Paul K Senior Member

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    Looks like the diamond if perpendicular. It looks fine.
    Don't worry about the crimping. It's the angle of the diamond that is critical.
     
  5. I wouldn't accept it.
     
  6. Bob_in_OKC

    Bob_in_OKC Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dallas, Texas
    If it still looks straight when it makes full contact on the record, I’d keep it.
     
  7. James Glennon

    James Glennon Senior Member

    Location:
    Dublin, Ireland
    Me personally, if I paid hard earned cash for a Hana SL (around $750, is that right), I would at least query it with them.

    Send them an email with the photograph and see what they have to say.

    JG
     
  8. blakep

    blakep Senior Member

    Just my opinion, but this is a $750 cartridge! Wouldn't matter to me how well the diamond is set on a cantilever that looks that horrible. Just leads to the next question: if the cantilever is like that, what are the internals like?

    I have two older MC cartridges in play here, both of which have been retipped, have superior body construction, and quite likely superior internals if the quality of that cantilever is any indication. I have well under $750 invested in each of them and they carry boron and sapphire cantilevers that look like absolute works of art compared to that. Just reinforces my opinion that retipping high quality cartridges is the way to go anymore.

    If that was a $200 cartridge I might consider keeping it, but in all honesty, I just took a pretty hard look at the stylus and cantilever on an AT 120E that I have in a cheapo secondary system here and it looks positively outstanding compared to that.

    Would not be acceptable to me at that price.
     
  9. tiller

    tiller Forum Resident

    Location:
    Montreal
    Hana SH owner here. I'm in the midst of trying to perfect my azimuth (what a f--king BOAR of a job on a Rega-type arm) and decided to take a few pics. Thought I'd share them here for comparison.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  10. macster

    macster Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Diego, Ca. USA
    +1 looks plus performance are important for certain things that I purchase.

    M~
     
  11. Thorensman

    Thorensman Forum Resident

    Send it back snd buy something else. Ortofon and Benz and Audio Technica and Denon are all quality items.
    What you have shown me is rubbish.
    If everyone sent them back maybe they would get the message.
     
  12. JohnO

    JohnO Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    That's awful. They count on people not checking. You checked.

    You will be keeping and using it for 2 to 5 years. It makes you uncomfortable. Get rid of it.

    It really looks like it would test out ok within test specs, and someone less precise would accept it. Let it find its way to that person.
     
    Last edited: Nov 13, 2017
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  13. avanti1960

    avanti1960 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago metro, USA
    I would send it back ASAP.
    Even though the stylus looks to be perpendicular to the mounting surface of the cartridge the cantilever is still twisted relative to the body of the cartridge. There may be a geometric relationship between the rotation of the cantilever and the coil windings such that the twist in the cantilever would miss-align the coils to the fixed magnets internal to the body of the cartridge.
     
  14. Helom

    Helom Forum member

    Location:
    U.S.
    Hana is far from alone in needing to improve QC. I've received poorly aligned products from Ortofon, AT and Denon.
     
  15. The FRiNgE

    The FRiNgE Forum Resident

    Send it back
    Reason as many have stated, what other quality issues does this cartridge have?
    Most importantly, a skewed cantilever suggests a skewed magnet/ coil relationship, possible channel imbalance and frequency response imbalance.

    Get rid of it!
     
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  16. send it back; too stressful to live with
     
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  17. VinylRob

    VinylRob Forum Resident

    Absolutely send it back(.)

    The cartridge industry also needs to get the message, at any price point, this is totally unacceptable. Geez!

    Obviously, regardless of sonic virtues, these guy have a quality problem.

    Sorry to see this Jimi Floyd
     
    Last edited: Nov 14, 2017
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  18. VinylRob

    VinylRob Forum Resident

    Nice work tiller. If I might inquire, what measuring tool are you employing here? It certainly does the trick.
     
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  19. tiller

    tiller Forum Resident

    Location:
    Montreal
    I'm not exactly satisfied with the azimuth at this point. I believe I've shimmed the right side of the cart down a little too much. It did improve crosstalk, but the tracking seems to be suffering ever so slightly. I've decided to go for a thinner shim and see how that goes.

    I wouldn't go so far as to call it a "measurement tool". I'm just using my camera on a tripod with some good lighting, then used Photoshop to add guide (grid) lines. From there I rotated the picture until I was satisfied that the horizontal was correct and with that I can ascertain the vertical true. Pretty hacky, but it's better than trying to do it with my eyeballs unaided!
     
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  20. Jimi Floyd

    Jimi Floyd Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Pisa, Italy
    Update: fair seller! After email exchange they immediately sent me a new Hana SL, now checked by them with a 40x lens. I also have a paid return shipment for the first one...
     
  21. Thorensman

    Thorensman Forum Resident

    I, m delighted all is well.
    It seems from what others report
    It's getting to be a problem with
    Other manufacturers.,
    Its a shame in this day and age.
    I have never experienced this and can appreciate how distressing it is as these
    Items are not cheap.
     
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  22. Jimi Floyd

    Jimi Floyd Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Pisa, Italy
    Never had any Benz, I was never disappointed by Denon or AT
    Ortofon, worst rubbish than you are talking about here. Look at the 2M Black stylus I got few years ago, before returning it[​IMG] ...
     
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  23. Jimi Floyd

    Jimi Floyd Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Pisa, Italy
    OK. All good news here. This is the replacement cartridge they sent me. It really looks straight and aligned, more than this picture would explain.

    Thanks to you all who helped me take the right decision.

    Thanks a lot to Playstereo.com in Italy who assisted me beyond their duty sending me a brand new cartridge before I sent back the first one, checking the replacement one and not charging me any back-and-forth shipment. I will do business gladly with them any time again!

    [​IMG]
     
  24. snorker

    snorker Big Daddy

    Yeah. As an aside, 2M Black is totally overpriced IMO. The old OM 40 – still available – is better for less than half the price.

    Benz Micro quality and workmanship looks incredible based on the Wood SL I recently purchased. While not cheap, I can’t believe the quality you get for the price compared to a lot of what’s out there for a lot more money.
     
  25. James Glennon

    James Glennon Senior Member

    Location:
    Dublin, Ireland
    A thing of beauty is a joy forever! Glad you got it sorted without any messing around.

    JG
     
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