Help with MC Cartridge

Aluminum stock Re-tipping is $200. Sapphire with mass contact line stylus is $299. Ruby with nude contact line stylus is $300. Ruby plus optimized nude line stylus is $350. Boron with nude contact line stylus is $450.

With what I paid for the cartridge, I could get the boron and it's still costing me less than a new stock aluminum 10x5.

So, whatever I do is a no brainer. I just want the one that is most forgiving as I don't want the same surface noise issues as I have with the 2M Black on older or less pristine albums but I still want great sounding music from the cartridge. So if the aluminum plays less surface noise or the sapphire does, then that's where I'll go. I am now only concerned since you broke your sapphire cantilever so easily it makes me think aluminum is the way to go.

 

Fyi to others that may be looking for 10x5, there is a new one (according to ad) on usaudiomart for the last couple weeks for $450. The person is in Hawaii and says he got it a few months ago and hasn't used it. Not my ad and not my recommendation, just a fyi.

 

I can't say which one is going to be the most forgiving to SN and I would guess it to be equal. All of it is going to be more relaxed than the 2mb.

I can tell you that my ruby was like a very thin piece of fishing line and a good bit longer than the stock boron cantilever on my Lyra. It looked fragile and I babied it as much as I could for fear of breaking it. I'm sure it was just bad luck but I would only go with aluminum or boron as a result.

 

I hear you on the SS cantilevers looking fragile. The sapphire cantilever on my Zephyr MIMC Star is tiny! It's actually hard to see in some light. I haven't had any problems so far, but I am super careful with it! Hey, at least the re-tipping is reasonable if it breaks...