Stylus Retipping Service (phono cartridge) - specialist from Russia, Moscow

Roman just informed me that he acquired a cutter which can cut and/or polish cantilevers, including the hard materials such as Boron. I have asked him for this capability because precise cantilever length directly affects optimum VTA and SRA.

When the stock cantilever length is matched for a re-build, the design SRA and the optimum VTA will match what you had in the original. So, you can just set tonearm height to what is was before the re-build, and all technical parameters will be identical with no fuss.

Furthermore, if your stock cartridge sounded best at a particular VTA that you set by ear, SRA may not be optimum. In this case, for the new cantilever, a new length can be calculated which will give you that optimum VTA and also bring the SRA into correspondance with the technically correct angle, now with the tonearm set at or very near parallel with the record. This will improve performance, wear longevity, and sound compared to stock. The reason that sonically determined VTA does not always correspond to design SRA is purely due to manufacturing tolerances; no two cartridges (that are supposedly identical) are ever exactly the same.

The specific model Denon cartridge, DL-103D, exemplifies this from my personal experience. I have 8 of this model, very hard to find in like new or NOS condition, so I literally hoard them: . Every one of the 103D carts that I own, and have heard, require a different tonearm height to sound best. This is because of manufacturing tolerances, mostly due to the varying alignment of their coils and magnets. Also, when this model cartridge's VTA is set simply by making the tonearm parallel with the record, SRA is consistently close to correct, but the sound is not its best: highs are aggressive and forward, and the bass is boomy. For best sound, set by ear, this particular model needs an extremely dramatic tonearm-tail-down angle, which makes SRA way-off optimum. But this tonearm height setting does provide much smoother highs, much deeper and more defined bass, and a higher level of dynamic contrasts.

So, with a trigonometric calculation, a new cantilever length can be determined which will provide this best sounding VTA and the technically correct SRA angle.

 

You will have to provide Roman with your best-sounding angle of the tonearm with respect to the record -- or a clear picture of the same stock model cartridge and your tonearm, sitting on a record, so he can measure it himself; the length of an original cantilever for that cartridge, if it is broken-off and not included -- or a clear close-up picture of the same model cartridge, from which he can estimate the cantilever length himself; and the design SRA angle if it is not the generally accepted standard 92 degrees. This is enough information for him (or us) to calculate a new and better length cantilever for your particular cartridge's rebuild.

If I have anything to say about it, besides explaining it, there will be an extra charge for determining a new cantilever length and cutting it.

 

I would purchase at least 3 of the boron cantilevers if another group buy happens.

 

Please, take me down for 3 Namikis, too. The one that Roman has installed in my Denon DL-103R is magnificent.

 

Hi Stephen!
Good news, I just checked tracking information and here is the latest details:
"Your item has been processed through our facility in ISC NEW YORK NY(USPS) at 11:27 pm on November 16, 2018."
It means that you should get your parcel within next few days!

 

Yes, finally I have found a solution how to cut and polish hard materials such as boron, beryllium and probably sapphire too.
I'm still working on a lot of cartridges right now and new orders keep coming.
I'm trying to make a perfect work on every cartridge, without any exceptions.
I am a perfectionist at this things.
There is a lot of pictures that wasn't uploaded yet (my work during this summer and autumn), I will upload them, but later.

Warren, thanks a lot for this important information you wrote above!
Thank you all who is keeping this thread alive and got interest to my work!

 

Roman, you have email

 

Yep! Should be on my doorstep tomorrow, possibly today.


While I wait, how do you folks go about figuring out VTF for retipped cartridges? Just by ear? Will it be in the same ballpark as the stock stylus, or will I need a lighter tracking force since it's a finer profile stylus? Any advice appreciated!

 

If it's the 103 in the aluminum body you had retipped with the Namiki/Microridge combo you should be able to reduce VTF into the 2.4 range. I'd start it off around 2.45 grams when new, put about 25-50 hours on it and then see if you can reduce from there. You might be able to get into the 2.3's but I'd expect you'll settle somewhere between 2.4 and 2.43.

I always ran the stock conical with my 103R right at 2.6 grams; felt that any higher or lower and it did not perform as well.

So you can reduce with the better stylus profile but not into crazy territory.

The one thing you can really reduce though is antiskate. The finer stylus needs much less antiskate than the conical. Antiskate setting with conicals should pretty pretty well match up with VTF. With microline or good line contact styli you can reduced to a setting which is about 1/3 of VTF.

 

Apologies if I missed it, but have you retipped any Stanton or Pickering moving iron cartridges? If so, would you mind posting some pictures? I am just curious how this would work/look.

 

Hello Roman,
I sent you an email yesterday about some carts I need re-tipped, are you still taking work?

 

Going to check my mailbox and reply to you!

 

If talking about moving iron cartridges - I worked only with Grado (wood bodies) series.
Stanton or Pickering - has not worked with them yet.
What happened with your cartridges?

 

Yes, sure, I'm still doing my thing. Sometimes a little bit busy and can't reply on messages very quickly.

 

Nothing happened to it - it's undamaged. I have a Stanton 680 cartridge that came with an EL stylus. This is a heavy tracking elliptical, which doesn't really suit me. I also have an aftermarket Shibata stylus for the cartridge, which is much better but it's only a bonded Shibata. No one makes nude line contact or Shibata stylus for this cartridge. So I was wondering if it was possible to get the EL stylus or an affordable aftermarket stylus retipped with a better nude line contact type stylus at some point in the future. I was just curious if you've ever done this for any customers.

 

Just wanted to add to the chorus affirming that Roman did excellent work. My 103 + Namiki sounds gorgeous. All that wonderful air and body I love about the 103, with a whole lot more clarity and definition up top. And I've only done the slightest of tweaks, haven't played around with VTA/F beyond making one adjustment (I'd forgotten how much more sensitive finer stylus profiles are to VTA!). I'm sure it'll sound even better once I've been able to dial it in.


A question I do have for the retip afficionados: blake-p mentioned letting it break in for 25-50 hours. What might be changing in that time to affect the sound? The suspension's already worn in, as are the internals, so I wouldn't think a retipped cart needed "breaking in," but I have no background and very limited understanding, and this is my first retipped cartridge...

 

Yes, it is a bit counterintuitive when there's been no change to the suspension but I've definitely found in many cases that retipped cartridges are subject to some breaking in. It is certainly a lot less pronounced than break in with a new cartridge and I don't really know what to attribute it to other than perhaps polishing of the diamond/stylus itself and/or the cantilever becoming just a bit more flexible as a result of play and cueing.

I've always heard it as a slight smoothing out of the sound as compared to fresh out of the box; it should tend to happen in 15-25 hours I would expect, if it is going to happen for you.

 

Stephen, I'm really glad that you are satisfied with the sound of upgraded cartridge!

 

Agree with everything you said!
I can confirm it too.
"Break in" thing is working!

 

Sure, I can do that!
Nagaoka JN-P500 replacement stylus - made of boron cantilever with Line-Contact diamond shape (nude diamond, not bonded).
So, it's possible to swap original EL stylus to Nagaoka.

 

Hi Roman, I contacted you last year about a broken cantilever on a goldring legacy.

I now have the funds for a retipping, can I ship it to you for analysis/retipping (If the repair is possible, else you can just keep the body).
Can you send me your address in a PM?

 

Hi Benoit! Replied to you in a private messages.

 

Thanks

 

Please, make that 5 Namikis for me (instead of 3, as previously requested).

 

And of course we are waiting for some new photos from Roman's retipping work. Always so nice to see cartridges given a new life again...