chartz:

Hello!

I have just discovered that someone here in France does B&O re-tips!

I had missed that one. Maybe because since the demise of the Revue du Son I haven't read any other mags than the excellent Hi-Fi World (I'm a 20 year subscriber!).

I'll have to give them a ring to know whether they also renew the suspension. I'll keep you informed.

HERE

Please do!

Hello!

No news from Axel, no mail, nothing. Odd.

Still waiting... 

Should already been solved without any interference from others doesn't it?

I've made my choice already.

Leslie:

Should already been solved without any interference from others doesn't it?

Indeed, my friend, indeed. 

I received my 4 MMC4's back from Axel this morning. He has rebuilt them for free and they look OK now.

I have one playing in a BG6500 right now and it sounds and looks 100% to my ears and eyes.

The diamond would appear to be riding in the groove at the correct angle.

I have just sent him another mixed batch for refurb.

Good to know!

Mine is on its way. 

Hello!

I finally got my second MMC4 this morning. I haven't had much time, but it looks better and certainly appears to sound better too, with much more treble and deeper bass. It also rides at a normal height.

It still doesn't look anything like the original though!

I'll post my conclusions (and a photo) when I have completed my listening tests.

Hi!

After many comparisons with CDs I also have on vinyl, I can now report that there is not much between the two. Axel's new MMC4 (he changed his way of doing them it seems) works very well indeed, even though it does look odd—30 years of many different carts speaking!

Now playing: Katie Melua's The House, what a delight...

This is what it looks like (actually the picture is Axel's own, hope he doesn't mind, I couldn't manage better):

PS: I finally got my Beolab Terminal for my Beomaster 8000 and it's a minter (€30).

Here to comparation my SMMC4, 1 year old, used 2 times a week 3-4 LPs

And here my MMC4 came with my BG 5000 2 years ago, still plays good, and very small diff. to SMMC4, through BM 2400

In my opinion Axels new look is the most correct, the MMC has the biggest angle and is the original, the SMMC is somewhere between the 2, I have to run both with 1.5 gr. weight on the arm, both correctly 0 adjusted, with 1.2 gr. the sound is missing highs and bass.

chartz:

This is what it looks like (actually the picture is Axel's own, hope he doesn't mind, I couldn't manage better):

 

Is it just me, or is that cantilever SHORT!

It does look short, that must be an illusion or a development model. The supplied cantilever is actually a mm or so longer than the original, as is the SMMC cantilever, apparently.

Axel has told me that in tests, the slightly longer cantilever was found to be better "for compliance"

Hi,

It is just short enough to allow the stylus guard to be safely lowered, contrary to the previous one on which it was impossible because of the extra length of the cantilever.

I would like to try an SMMC though!

I did raise the stylus guard issue with Axel and in his answer he indicated that he would be making the cantilever slightly shorter to accomodate the stylus guard.

I used to supply quite a few SMMC4's in the "pre Axel" days. I quite liked them as they were brighter and a bit more "in your face" than the B&O equivalent.

I think I prefer the more "laid back", "easy listening" sound of the original B&O model for extended listening when compared to the Sound-smith version. This latest "Axel" would appear, at first listening, to be some where in between. I would recommend it. 

I get the best sound with my MMC20CL on my Beogram 4000/Beomaster 4400 set-up. It is painfully bright with CD though...

With rock the SMMC20EN is better but less subtle, very CD-like!

As you say Graham, the new Axel lies in between, but the Beomaster 5500 is less bright than the 4400, and the Soundsmith on the BG8000/Beomaster 8000 is the brightest, the BM8000 being also midway between the aforementioned receivers!

Hi Jacques,

On my side, i bought recently a MMC2 to Axel. When received, i did install it on my 8002 and i'm afraid to say i've been slighly disapointed comparing its sound to my old MMC3 and even to my newer SMMC4 from SoundSmith.
Actually, the MMC2 sound was a little bit "boomy" on one side and seems to lack treble on the other side. Comparing to the old MMC3, it was obviously really less bright and even a little bit dull. Comparing to the SMMC4 it was even worst as my SMMC4 is itself slighlty brighter than my MMC3.

So i went back to Axel and ask what we could do to solve that problem. He told me he was soory for me and did immediatly propose to change for another MMC2.

I did receive the other MMC2 yesterday and tesed it : Perfect !

With 1.2 g tracking force i can read my test LP with a 80µ elongation with no distortion. This was not the case with the other cell where i had a lot of distortion on the left channel at 1.4 g for 60µ elongation.

Sound of that MMC2 is comparable to my old mmc3. Just a little bit warmer but not dull at all.I'm pretty happy now with that 8002/MMC2 association !!!

Jerome

Who is Axel?

Ok, found him

Orava:

Who is Axel?

Ok, found him

Good!