Stylus evaluation

[Deepinton]

Can someone help me with evaluating a stylus? I just bought this mofi gold with "new" analysis from vas. Putting it under my 200x scope, looks like the tip is off center and there seems to be a bit of Gunk around. Does this appear to be a shoddy retip job?

 

[Chrispy]

This is without you even using it? Doesn't look good....

 

[AaronJ]

I think it’s difficult to tell. The bonding material appears to be unevenly spread around the stylus yet the diamond does appear to be centered in the second picture. Not sure how big a deal the bonding material not being even will be. Where do you see “gunk”?

 

[Deepinton]

I think it’s difficult to tell. The bonding material appears to be unevenly spread around the stylus yet the diamond does appear to be centered in the second picture. Not sure how big a deal the bonding material not being even will be. Where do you see “gunk”?

Sorry I miscalled the bonding material gunk. The claim is that this was used for under 5hrs and VAS gave it a clean bill of health. Does this look like a something Excel of Japan, the same guys that make Hana among others, would produce. Does this look like a retip, or am i being too suspicious?

 

[Chrispy]

Sorry I miscalled the bonding material gunk. The claim is that this was used for under 5hrs and VAS gave it a clean bill of health. Does this look like a something Excel of Japan, the same guys that make Hana among others, would produce. Does this look like a retip, or am i being too suspicious?

Curious, just what is it used in?

 

[Deepinton]

I haven't mounted it to my turntable yet. Just got it from the seller today and put it under the scope to get my first data point for wear tracking

 

[Chrispy]

I haven't mounted it to my turntable yet. Just got it from the seller today and put it under the scope to get my first data point for wear tracking

So what cartridge?

 

[Deepinton]

Oh, I thought I mentioned in my original post. It's a MoFi Gold

 

[Chrispy]

Oh, I thought I mentioned in my original post. It's a MoFi Gold

LOL only familiar with MoFi as provider of various releases of recordings. Saw something about their speakers but nothing about cartridges. (and thought it was some aftermarket stylus option)

 

[Deepinton]

They get these made to their spec by Excel of Japan.

 

[Wolf11Man]

It looks like the needle has only had to play a very few records, coloring the top of the tip just a very little. No wear, no dirt at the glue. A hard used Tip would look different. Practically new.
I have seen the out of the middle position of the diamond on the cantilever quite a few times with new, high quality pickup's. It didn't bother anyone and all sounded fine, until you had a look on the microscope and saw it... a pure cosmetical problem normal customers never notice.
The needel will still sit in the right spot on the tone arm, it is simply not possible to glue such a small stones exactly on the cantilever every time. Non the less the whole, finished product will be up to specs, as it is adjusted in the factory to work as it is supposed to. The cantilever will have a very small intentional bend in it to compensate, like any of them after adjusting. Too small to do it differently and a lot is still hand made.

 

[Chrispy]

It looks like the needle has only had to play a very few records, coloring the top of the tip just a very little. No wear, no dirt at the glue. A hard used Tip would look different. Praxtically new.
I have seen the out of the middle position of the diamond on the cantilever quite a few times with new, high quality pickup's. It didn't bother anyone and all sounded fine, until you had a look on the microscope and saw it... a pure cosmetical problem normal customers never notice.
The needel will still sit in the right spot on the tone arm, it is simply not possible to glue such a small stones exactly on the cantilever every time. Non the less the whole, finished product will be up to specs, as it is adjusted in the factory to work as it is supposed to. The cantilever will have a very small intentional bend in it to compensate, like any of them after adjusting. Too small to do it differently and a lotis still hand made.

I'm more curious is if this is like having a slightly mis-aimed laser on a good optical drive which would be far better than spending a lot of money on a cartridge/stylus as well.

 

[Deepinton]

It looks like the needle has only had to play a very few records, coloring the top of the tip just a very little. No wear, no dirt at the glue. A hard used Tip would look different. Practically new.
I have seen the out of the middle position of the diamond on the cantilever quite a few times with new, high quality pickup's. It didn't bother anyone and all sounded fine, until you had a look on the microscope and saw it... a pure cosmetical problem normal customers never notice.
The needel will still sit in the right spot on the tone arm, it is simply not possible to glue such a small stones exactly on the cantilever every time. Non the less the whole, finished product will be up to specs, as it is adjusted in the factory to work as it is supposed to. The cantilever will have a very small intentional bend in it to compensate, like any of them after adjusting. Too small to do it differently and a lot is still hand made.

Thanks for the valuable insights. I had a few ortofon before and the diamond were perfectly centered, albeit on an aluminum cantilever. So your assessment is that this would work fine? Is there a repository of stylus micrographs somewhere so I can see what's normal/abnormal?

 

[Deepinton]

Here's an image of my older 2m bronze. I can't believe that something 3x the price would look so much worse

 

[Dillion]

That comparison would make me suspicious too. If the Bronze looks cleaner under the same scope, I’d want to know whether the MoFi’s appearance is actually within spec before worrying about wear or a retip.

 

[Deepinton]

That comparison would make me suspicious too. If the Bronze looks cleaner under the same scope, I’d want to know whether the MoFi’s appearance is actually within spec before worrying about wear or a retip.

How does one confirm "is actually within spec"?

 

[Dillion]

How does one confirm "is actually within spec"?

I’d compare it with microscope photos of known-original MoFi Golds or, ideally, ask MoFi/Excel directly. Without their actual tolerances, it’s hard to say from appearance alone whether it’s within spec.

 

[Chrispy]

Here's an image of my older 2m bronze. I can't believe that something 3x the price would look so much worse

Can you do a photo of the mofi with same perspective?

 

[JP]

Looks like a factory-mounted Orbray ML. "Retip" doesn't always mean just the tip.

 

[Wolf11Man]

Here is a picture how the Shibata Boron Cantilever of your pickup should look. Quite similar to yours I think.

MoFi UltraGold Cartridge Page 2

A feast of guitar sounds, I chose it for another reason: all the voices – Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and George Harrison – are almost embarrassingly familiar to me having savoured them over a half-century. While distinguishing between them isn't as tough as trying to hear the...

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