Audio Origin Retip or Soundsmith New?

[GessWurker]

Hi – Does anyone have any experience with retipping performed by Audio Origin in the UK? (https://www.audio-origin.co.uk/)

I’ve just acquired a Beogram 1700 w/the original MMC20EN and need to get a second cart. Need to decide whether to go with Soundsmith (as I have in the past) or give Audio Origin a go. My choices: A freshly-rebuilt MMC20EN from Audio Origin or a new SMMC20EN from Soundsmith. Any thoughts? Experiences? Recommendations?

Cheers!

[adyan]

Hello,

also interrested what the recommendation or thoughts are…

Regards

[chartz]

Soundsmith, definitely AFAIC. That’s what I’ve been using for years. BUT the sound is brighter than any B&O cartridges, more up to date and CD-like.

[GessWurker]

Yes. I had an SMMC1 that, even after some years of use, remained too bright/harsh for my ears. When I mentioned this to Peter Ledermann, he suggested a custom rebuild with a Boron cantilever and low mass CL stylus. Went ahead with that. And now, I love my (custom) SMMC1. (Note: Before moving forward with the custom rebuild, Peter confirmed the stylus was still in very good shape. The sound my ears didn’t like wasn’t due to any stylus defects.)

[JC]

I am about to receive a retipped MMC20s, which wil now be fitted with a nude shibata (on a aluminium cantilever) in Germany by “FJS-Tonabnehmerservice” / Franz-Josef Schulte, who learned this craft first hand from Axel Schurholz.

I will report when I have listened to it, but just to mention another possibility for retipping by a company with a lot of experience with B&O cartridges.

[JC]

chartz wrote:

Soundsmith, definitely AFAIC. That’s what I’ve been using for years.

Your recommendation sounds quite strict (“definitely”); do you have experience/compared with retipped Audio Origin styluses?

[GessWurker]

Update: I went with Audio Origin, received my rebuilt MMC20EN a few days ago, and couldn’t be more pleased. It sounds fantastic and I feel like I made an excellent choice. See below the specs/description of my purchase, provided by the builder (and Audio Origin owner), Alistair:

Line Contact Diamond, Aluminium cantilever

Useful life: 2000 hours under ideal conditions
This extended contact design allows the diamond to more accurately reproduce high frequencies, in comparison to the elliptical design, it has more contact area which reduces record wear significantly and is able to track with slightly less force. This represents a further upgrade in sound quality over the Elliptical, in addition it lasts longer.

Recommended tracking force: 1.1 grams

Closest to original B&O cartridge spec: MMC5000

Significant Upgrade from: SP12 MMC3 MMC20EN MMC4000

[chartz]

Good, thanks for the update. How much?

[GessWurker]

Total cost: $450

[Author]

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