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At 2 AM this morning they advised her that they had a new heart for her. Surgery started at 4:30 and ended at 10:30. All went well but there is a need to leave her open for 12 hours to deal with bleeding. If all goes well, I will be able to speak with her Friday afternoon. Right now, obviously, she is sedated. I drove up to Cleveland after taking care of our farm needs and arrived at 8:00 PM. So, so far, so good. Thank you for asking.

Well, be careful about people's descriptions of "lightly used." Here in the States, there are some parts of the country that the term "good condition" means by God's Will it still works. As for the length of time you enjoyed it, I would hope that it was not used for 1,000s of hours. Even Ortofon gives their cartridges a life expectancy of 1,000 hours. In reality, many cartridges, depending upon set-up, are good for 400 to 600 hours of use before the flat spots begin to affect the vinyl. Physical destruction and audible issues do not go hand in hand. As for trade values, you are absolutely spot on. Interesting that you mention Benz Micro as they are no longer found in the states. Yes, they are a fine value indeed. We sold many Silvers. Thank you for your contribution to the channel and please let others know about it and our 180 other videos. We have many more planned.

@@audibleeleganceinc good point! My ebay cartridge was described as 150 hours usage, and the seller seemed very honest, to judge from the way he wrote the listing...but perhaps I just got lucky. Cheers.

@@DalstonVinyl The general rule of thumb is 60 hours or less as the flat spots begin to show on the stylus. See pics provided by Stanton. Anyway, it also depends upon tracking force and the weight of the arm itself (mass inertia). Glad it seemed to have worked out for you but I'd suggest keeping the use range lower in the future.

@@audibleeleganceinc dare I suggest that flat spots are much less of an issue with Japanese microridge/microline stylii profiles?

@@DalstonVinyl interesting suggestion. I'll have to look into that. Thanks for the idea.

Thank you for contributing to the channel with this information. My point was you just cannot buy an old cartridge and use it. Re-tipping is perfectly acceptable and I am glad you made this comment to alert others to look before leaping. Please tell others about this channel as I have 180 other videos to enjoy.

If you can purchase a new replacement styli as is common for MM cartridges, you should be fine. Soundsmith is a solid recommendation.

Thank you kindly for your comment and addition to my channel. It is much appreciated. Please tell others about my channel as we have many more videos planned on top of the 180 already posted!

And I would also worry about the world of counterfeits. As for that age of cartridge, it's like getting a never ridden 40 year old motorcycle. OK, well, those gaskets and most rubber pieces are likely shot....

Thank you for contributing to the channel and speaking from experience. I appreciate your qualification of used gear as "properly serviced." Right now, the flippers are finding whatever from estate or garage sales and getting absurd amounts of money merely because the wood box is not dinged. Please do tell others about my channel and maybe they can find something useful in the other 180 videos. We have many more planned.

@@audibleeleganceinc Actually, my use of (?) was meant to indicate I was seeking corroboration. Your video was an eye opener for me inasmuch as the old Shure's and Pickering's are getting big price tags because of refurbishing and now I'm realizing they likely received new rubber parts and coils. So, it just depends, right? I subscribed by the way.

@@ricefieldrecords You never really know what they do, actually. Now, here's a bit of trivia for you. Pickering and Stantons use diamonds driven through the cantilever. That makes them very strong and you can back-cue with them. Shure on the other hand, glues the diamond to a metal shaft. That's why they lose their diamonds all the time when the cartridge is bumped sideways. Sold a lot of M91ED stylus in my day. Back-cuing with Shure is out of the question for that very reason.

Jeffrey, thank you for contributing to the channel with your comments. My simple goal is to get people to think about things. What people do with the information, well, that's up to them. It's all rather scientific, actually. I just try to bring it to life. Please tell others about my channel and maybe they will find things of interest too.

And that is perfectly acceptable. Sometimes, while they call it a "rebuild" it is actually an exchange.

I really don't think that is a good idea either. The reason being is that many of the other surfaces are metal and humidity is an enemy. Best to buy a cartridge when you need one or make sure you cycle through your back-up first and replace it.

@@audibleeleganceinc Well, my Boy Scout 'upbringing' of "be prepared" has me as one who'd have a new, back-up stylus (for an Ortofon Blue) but, I've got a thousand hours left on the one currently in use. Still, I'm curious as to shelf life? How long will any particular cartridge/stylus sit in a warehouse or shop? I don't know that they have a "born on" date. Thanks, as always Lou!

@@zizendorf Well, I don't know the "shelf life" of ortofons but the real average life expectancy of a phono cartridge is not thousands of hours. Typically you are looking at 400 to 800 hours of use before those flat spots begin to do their damage. I would consult with Ortofon directly about such matters. I'd be curious what they tell you.

@@audibleeleganceinc Well, Ortofon states that one can get 1,000 hours of play time without degradation. I can only guesstimate that I may put 300 hours on my cartridge in a year - calculating is difficult because I will go on vinyl "streaks" but also listen to my CD collection just as often. So, that's about 3 years.

@@zizendorf Well, that's higher than what I have heard for other cartridges. It would also depend upon tracking force and the weight of the tonearm itself as there is inertia with weight. There's also a difference between record damage and sonic issues. They don't necessarily go hand in hand.

Thank you for the compliment. I try. Please do tell others about my channel. Perhaps they might like to subscribe to the channel as we have many more videos planned.

Thank you for the compliment. Many folks really don't understand what is going on with turntables and as you can see, it's not like buying used tires. There's a whole lot more. Please to tell others about my channel and subscribers are always welcomed.

I am merely explaining the risks. If you want to experiment and enjoy the hobby, then it's your money and records. You are always free to whatever you wish.

@@audibleeleganceinc Yeah, I know, man. I was just being a bit snarky and joking around. That’s the problem with comments sometimes, is that the inflection is unfortunately lost. I enjoy hearing your point of view.

@@NickP333 Yes, that is really the problem with text type messages. Not only are the inflections lost but you can not see the face of the person. Both delivery messages. That's why so many youngsters get into trouble with the internet. A 58 year old guy would never net a young girl. Then, on some, even with videos, humor is lost as well. I try to spice my videos with a bit of that here and there. By the way, the videos are shot 50's style. There are no scripts, teleprompters, or retakes unless I catch myself saying something either unclear or, once in a while, simply stupid. So, my early ones which are being repeated right now show how awkward I was at doing them with all the UMMMMs which I caught hell for and rightly so. We are doing a lot of reissues right now as all my attention is towards my wife who now has been in the Cleveland Clinic Cardiac ICU for 115 days hoping for a 2nd heart transplant as the first heart is now failing after 4 very difficult years. I spend much of my time traveling from Virginia where I live to there while also maintaining her horse farm. So, when you hear UMMMs, well, those are early ones.

Thank you for your comment to our channel. The RX1X are exceptional.

Well, that certainly directs your senses. Thanks for the humor and your contribution. Feel free to tell others about this channel and the other 177 videos we have posted. Maybe even subscribe.

Funny. Love humor. But it's only one day of the year. Please feel free to subscribe and look at our other 177 videos.

Well, I would certainly watch out for that being wicked up the cantilever if it of a hollow design. When you consider that whatever gets baked onto a stylus under 600 degrees and about 2,000 pounds per square inch, I don't think water will do much. But, if the cantilever is of a solid design, well, I can not see it hurting. Thanks for taking the time to write the question and contribute my channel. Please tell others about it and the other 177 videos we have done. A lot more are planned.

Those would be called headphones. Yep, your ears go between them.

Such a structure is a cross between a bay widow (which are real challenges) and a box. To understand what it might be doing, have someone get near the opening and simply talk into it and listen to what happens to their voice and what reverberations you are getting. There is really no other way to understand what it is actually doing. For other readers, this effect is also present with other speakers to a greater or lesser degree. It depends upon the distance of the speaker to the opening. Thank you for an excellent question that gave me the chance to explain how to understand what is happening with any opening. Please tell others about my channel and perhaps they will find something useful in the other 177 videos. We have many many more planned.

Actually, it cuts both ways. One of the common tricks is to place a small picture or object at some depth behind the between the speakers. It 'locks" the image and triggers a sort of depth. You are absolutely correct in the visual is a priority. The ears are, fundamentally, a defensive system for what the eyes cannot perceive. That's why it is hard to sleep in a strange place because the ear alarms keep going off.

Books are a wonderful way of adding damping, eliminating empty box sounds, and can help with diffusion if you don't make all the bindings equal in position. I use them whenever I can.

@@audibleeleganceinc Thanks! Yeah I read about it somewhere and it made sense.

In most cases, yes. The original Magneplanar Tympani speakers were not a hobby to set up, they were a lifetime.

Thank you for the compliment and I try to be honest and open. Please enjoy the rest of the channel with the 177 videos. We have many many more planned.

Absolutely! Bingo. Excellent contribution and we are, in fact, working on a product to make this possible for both wall and stand mounted sets. Please feel free to tell others about this channel and perhaps they will subscribe.

And I don't disagree with your reality check. What I can do is to say what is the best way to do things and people are certainly free to do as they need or wish. It also must be understood as to why things sound different in different set-ups. Thank you for taking the time to comment and contribute to the channel. It is most appreciated. Please tell others about our work and they too might subscribe. There are many more videos planned.

Thank you for reinforcing what I am trying to say. Some have gone off the deep end thinking I don't want a stereo image. Of course I do. However, the system must play music musically correct first. Right timing, right pitches, and right emotions. If you don't have those, I don't care what image you prefer, it's simply wrong. Get those first three right, well, enjoy what you wish but don't tell me which is the correct version for the very reason you stated very clearly. Please tell others about this channel and the other 177 videos currently posted. Many more are coming!

Not flawed at all. See the comments from real performing artists. Now, I don't care what effects anyone prefers as long as the system is musically correct. However, many speaker manufacturers introduce phase errors that create all sorts of effects. These phase errors screw up the musicality of the system. If there's no rhythm, correct pitch note to note, and emotionless, I don't care what image you prefer, it's simply a terrible performance. The other thing you completely overlook is the potential tampering that goes on at the production site regardless of format. In any event, I have wasted enough of my life listening to "audiophiles" argue about what effect is correct when neither have a clue. Should there be stereo? Yes. What version? Well, most likely nobody knows. Like DG classical music? They use 80 to 100 microphones all the time. That spatial effect is complete fiction.

Thank you for taking the time to comment. Yes, it has been quite a journey and it was equally expensive for the dealers plus the burden of having to sell so much of it a quarter. It was insane when they introduced the Naim Nait again for $3,000 when that was meant to be an introductory piece to the line. Well, if that's the first step, it's not for many. Please tell others about my channel and the other 177 videos. Perhaps they will enjoy them too and subscribe.

@JohnLee-db9zt Are you just by nature rude? Holographic is hysterical. A visual adjective to describe aural translation? I'm not sure you have much grasp of semantics, syntax, grammar and certainly not the meaning of connotation. Words have meaning for a reason. You must be an expert! Please share your credentials.

@@zizendorf And you’re not rude? Since you asked, I have 40 plus years in high end audio industry modifying and designing speakers and preamplifiers and amplifiers. I designed my own audio room with concrete outer wall, air gap, and inner wood framed wall with built in bass traps and quadratic diffusers and absorbers. I have a PhD in neuroscience with specialization in sensory cortex including auditory, visual, and somatosensory cortex. I also make my own recordings of music with minimal mics so I know how it should sound. What are your credentials? You sound like a CZcams “expert” with pedantic obsession with words rather than seeking excellence in reproduction of music in the home. If you don’t understand the concept holography in auditory terms, then you don’t belong in high end audio.

I certainly agree that there is, hopefully, some form of stereo effect and I have seen nightmares as well like interior designers placing speakers on the diagonal in a room. I certainly don't dismiss it at all so that is an incorrect assumption. My point is that most people don't know what is real and to argue over it is pointless.

Everything is a coloration in the audio chain. 😂

Hunt down that CZcams video where the recording engineer is going completely nuts using auto-tune where the music sounds wonderful but then they show what is going on in the booth. It is hysterical. Thanks for the comment.

@@JohnLee-db9zt Please spare me your personal criticism and attack. You don't know me. You don't know about the sound I get from my system. You know nothing about the research I've done nor the time I've taken to get my speaker placement just right. My comment was about the obtuse, vague, and subjective terminology used to market hi-fi equipment. But thanks for your input. Have a great day!

Agreed! I will vouch for how quiet my system is between tracks when I’m playing vinyl but otherwise, black sound? Huh?!

My all time favorite was when "midrange suck-out" was the fad term to use. Most of the terms audiophiles use have little relationship to music and when musicians hear them they wonder what drug you are on.

@@audibleeleganceinc Yup!

Yes, it is. Usually the difficult thing to do turns out to be the right thing to do. Thank you for your comment to the video and please do enjoy some of my other 175 videos.

Thank you for your pointing out some serious challenges to my statements. While your observations may be deadly accurate, as a long term retailer, I am also sensitive to what I see are good ideas co-opted for quick profit while ignoring fundamentals. I had a friend buy such a pair with a single 15" or so driver. Maybe it is coaxial but I don't think so. Hopefully you can see my concerns as well. So, while some may consider your writing a bit of a lashing, I don't at all. In fact, I am glad to took the time and effort to point out these points and, quite honestly, they are most welcome. Unlike other review sites where you cannot leave comments, I have left mine open to get such solidly constructive observations like your own. They are, contributory. I think you have left some wonderful advice in a number of areas on this approach and I sincerely thank you. I hope others will find useful as well. I really enjoyed your passion in the writing and it is indicative of someone who really cares. Thank you.

@@audibleeleganceinc Your concerns are well founded, I’m just not convinced that they don’t, to one degree or another, apply to all speaker designs. I lack your perspective as a retailer and I do believe there is limited commercial appeal for OB speakers. The speakers that I am currently having built are a good example. They will be close to 5 feet tall and 2 feet wide around the woofers. Combine that with the placement requirements of an OB speaker and selling something like this as a retailer would indeed be a challenge. There are a lot of great sounding speakers that can blend in with most living rooms. OB speakers is not one of those speakers. These puppies are going into a dedicated listening room/guest bedroom (with Murphy bed). No way in hell would these speakers EVER get into our living room!!!! I can definitely see the reservations a retailer would have in carrying a speaker like this. But limited commercial appeal does not mean that OB speakers are a passing fad. My best guess is that, in the future, most OB speakers will be hybrids. The tweeter/midrange will be open backed, but the woofers will be in sealed or ported enclosures. This will allow the speakers to have MUCH smaller woofers, greatly reducing the size of the speaker, while still providing good bass response. Such a speaker might one day find its way into your shop. Best wishes

Oh yes. When I saw the price of the "anniversary Nait" I just about fell over. Talk about milking the cow. They have so raised their prices that it left most of my customers behind and I was never able to get my hands on the current stuff to know if it is even any good. It is what it is. Thank you for your comment to the video. It is most welcomed.

Thank you kindly, sir.

In the end, it is never about stuff. It is about humans closely followed by the care we give animals. Life is what is important. The rest can easily be replaced. I will now give you an update as I prepare to return to Cleveland for what will be my 65th time. She has now has been in the Cleveland Clinic for over 100 days, most of which has been in the Cardiac ICU. There have been repeated issues from infections to the loss of access to her veins for medication. We have been waiting 3 weeks for a special surgeon to do a procedure (he had a family emergency in India and we completely understand). He is, in short, he's the A squad. They did not want to risk her to others who were not as skilled. That is now scheduled for Wednesday. I have a farm with livestock to prepare so I can be there as it is not without substantial risks. As for the transplant itself with all the limitations due to anti-bodies, we wait. It is, in a nutshell, a race against time between heart failure and transplant. This journey is repeated time and time again by any person seeking an organ transplant as well as those with difficult long term medical issues. The often forgotten are those who remain in support of this journey. It is how we respond to it that reveals who we are. I now spend a lot of my time trying to make the medical people laugh as they have to deal with life to death and everything in between. My latest escapade is asking them where do we sign up for the Cleveland Clinic Wheel Chair Demolition Derby. I even had a trophy made for my wife. Monty Python has little on me.

Thank you for your kind words. It has been a long long road. I will bring you up to date now: She has now has been in the Cleveland Clinic for over 100 days, most of which has been in the Cardiac ICU. There have been repeated issues from infections to the loss of access to her veins for medication. We have been waiting 3 weeks for a special surgeon to do a procedure (he had a family emergency in India and we completely understand). He is, in short, he's the A squad. They did not want to risk her to others who were not as skilled. That is now scheduled for Wednesday. I have a farm with livestock to prepare so I can be there as it is not without substantial risks. As for the transplant itself with all the limitations due to anti-bodies, we wait. It is, in a nutshell, a race against time between heart failure and transplant.

Thank you kindly, John. I am posting an update to what is going on below but I think that many need to know both about the miracles in our lives as well as how each of us has our own challenges. This just happens to be ours. She has now has been in the Cleveland Clinic for over 100 days, most of which has been in the Cardiac ICU. There have been repeated issues from infections to the loss of access to her veins for medication. We have been waiting 3 weeks for a special surgeon to do a procedure (he had a family emergency in India and we completely understand). He is, in short, he's the A squad. They did not want to risk her to others who were not as skilled. That is now scheduled for Wednesday. I have a farm with livestock to prepare so I can be there as it is not without substantial risks. As for the transplant itself with all the limitations due to anti-bodies, we wait. It is, in a nutshell, a race against time between heart failure and transplant.

She has now has been in the Cleveland Clinic for over 100 days, most of which has been in the Cardiac ICU. There have been repeated issues from infections to the loss of access to her veins for medication. We have been waiting 3 weeks for a special surgeon to do a procedure (he had a family emergency in India and we completely understand). He is, in short, he's the A squad. They did not want to risk her to others who were not as skilled. That is now scheduled for Wednesday. I have a farm with livestock to prepare so I can be there as it is not without substantial risks. As for the transplant itself with all the limitations due to anti-bodies, we wait. It is, in a nutshell, a race against time between heart failure and transplant.

@@audibleeleganceinc Thank you for sharing that. Wow, you guys have really been through it. Hoping for a successful surgery on Wednesday. Please keep us posted.

To bring you up to date: She has now has been in the Cleveland Clinic for over 100 days, most of which has been in the Cardiac ICU. There have been repeated issues from infections to the loss of access to her veins for medication. We have been waiting 3 weeks for a special surgeon to do a procedure (he had a family emergency in India and we completely understand). He is, in short, he's the A squad. They did not want to risk her to others who were not as skilled. That is now scheduled for Wednesday. I have a farm with livestock to prepare so I can be there as it is not without substantial risks. As for the transplant itself with all the limitations due to anti-bodies, we wait. It is, in a nutshell, a race against time between heart failure and transplant. I will soon be making what will become my 65th trip to the Cleveland Clinic most of which have been on the ground from Virginia. It's an 11 hour trip one way. At this point, there is no end in sight and neither of us expect her home before the end of the year even if she does get a transplant. It's been a long tough war and I am reminded of the speech given by the German general at the end of the Band of Brothers. So, if you know of anyone getting a transplant or had a transplant, or are caring for someone with a transplant or long term illness, it is what the best of us do. Many transplant families end in divorce. It is not for the timid.

Thank you for your comment and understanding. It is a miracle in its own right but still not an easy path. She has now has been in the Cleveland Clinic for over 100 days, most of which has been in the Cardiac ICU. There have been repeated issues from infections to the loss of access to her veins for medication. We have been waiting 3 weeks for a special surgeon to do a procedure (he had a family emergency in India and we completely understand). He is, in short, he's the A squad. They did not want to risk her to others who were not as skilled. That is now scheduled for Wednesday. I have a farm with livestock to prepare so I can be there as it is not without substantial risks. As for the transplant itself with all the limitations due to anti-bodies, we wait. It is, in a nutshell, a race against time between heart failure and transplant.

The question on top of that, however, is product support and repair. I simply have to wonder how well they will do that once the model is discontinued. Will it simply be a throwaway? I have to order parts for Cambridge from the UK as they are not here in the States. Thank you for your comment and addition to the video and channel. Please share our site with others and consider subscribing.

We really enjoy the Totem products and company. Thank you for contributing your comments to the video and to our channel. Please feel free to tell others about what we do and if you have any ideas for future videos, well, send them along. We have lots of them planned but fresh ideas can be very inspirational.

Well, it depends upon your intention. I have known some companies that intentionally pump up sales and destroy their dealership base because their true intent is to sell it to the next person based on yesterday's numbers. They had no concern about their existing dealers because they were working on walking out the door. I think of Equity, the former operator of B&W, Rotel, and Classe as an example in the States.

And we still have that poster! It will be sold now, as times have changed. I particularly loved the Linn with the chimp looking skyward with the caption "Deliver Us from Evil" in referring to CD. Yes, the advertising was brilliant. Thank you for contributing to the video with your personal recollections. It is all part of what makes us a community. Please share this channel with others and please subscribe.