reddog48
Active Member
A recent entry on this site mentioned that the Clear Audio MM cartridges could be DIY replaced with a Audio Technica AT-95 stylus/grip assembly. Evidently AT is the OEM for all Clear Audio stylii - at least for the MM carts.
I had purchased a Clear Audio TT (Emotion model - now being sold as a Marantz TT-15) bundled with the Clear Audio "Maestro" MM cartridge (the top of the line Clear Audio MM cartridge). This cartridge comes with a "boron" cantilever (unobtainium by another name).
Of course the stylus/cantilever assembly extends about 3/8" of an inch below and in front of the cart body - just asking to be broken off. Which of course it was shortly after purchase.
The "dealer" wanted $600 to replace the stylus/cantilever assembly (evidently referred to as the "grip" by those who are "in the know"). I didn't have clue one as to how this could be repaired - I pictured elves in some German forest busily bending over microscopes performing micron level surgery. Wrong.
The "grip" pops out of the cartridge body using no tool other than a finger nail - rather easy actually (see the attached picture of the original grip - the picture of the small black thing with the text showing where the original cantilever appeared).
I then tried to find an AT-95 "grip" - no luck - as all I could find was an AT-95E - the picture on the web site appeared to be what I was looking for as it seemed to be the same size as what I removed from the Maestro. This website picture of what IS an AT-95 is is also attached.
Unfortunately when the AT-95E arrived it was NOT what was pictured on the website - instead it had a large,green plastic carrier (picture of the green thing with a gap in it) all around it.
However in an "aha!" moment I determined that the "grip" I needed could be removed from the "carrier" assembly via some surgery with a sharp razor knife. And it was so. The "excised" grip fit PERFECTLY into my Maestro cart body.
How does it sound? In a word simply wonderful - better than when it had with the original grip assembly from Clear Audio - I think the AT-95 has a tonal balance that nicely compliments the Clear Audio motor assembly.
Lessons to be learned?
There are a lot of people on this forum who actually possess some very valuable and useful information - so thanks to all of you. Further the folks around here are NOT afraid to experiment and try things that are more than a little outside the box.
The other thing I learned is that Clear Audio and their products are more than a little bit of a "rip" - I would steer clear of any outfit who charges $600 for what I fixed for $35 and about 10 minutes of labor. The very least those rascals could have done is offer me a "cheaper fix" - for say $100 (and they still would have made a pile at that rate). So Clear Audio will be forever banned with me - and I am going to make this clear to as many people as possible.
If you do have a Clear Audio MM cart - you can fix a broken stylus YOURSELF - don't pay the $600 the dealers want to pop in an AT stylus/cantilever assembly.
best to everybody,
Reddog
PS: rest of system? Odyssey Khartago mono-block amps, Vincent SA-T8 tube preamp, AR-9 Speakers (completely rebuilt crossovers and internal wiring), Cambridge Audio 840C CD player, and Kimber KCAG IC's and Cardas "Golden Reference" speaker cables. Took several years to assemble this one but I am very happy with it.
I had purchased a Clear Audio TT (Emotion model - now being sold as a Marantz TT-15) bundled with the Clear Audio "Maestro" MM cartridge (the top of the line Clear Audio MM cartridge). This cartridge comes with a "boron" cantilever (unobtainium by another name).
Of course the stylus/cantilever assembly extends about 3/8" of an inch below and in front of the cart body - just asking to be broken off. Which of course it was shortly after purchase.
The "dealer" wanted $600 to replace the stylus/cantilever assembly (evidently referred to as the "grip" by those who are "in the know"). I didn't have clue one as to how this could be repaired - I pictured elves in some German forest busily bending over microscopes performing micron level surgery. Wrong.
The "grip" pops out of the cartridge body using no tool other than a finger nail - rather easy actually (see the attached picture of the original grip - the picture of the small black thing with the text showing where the original cantilever appeared).
I then tried to find an AT-95 "grip" - no luck - as all I could find was an AT-95E - the picture on the web site appeared to be what I was looking for as it seemed to be the same size as what I removed from the Maestro. This website picture of what IS an AT-95 is is also attached.
Unfortunately when the AT-95E arrived it was NOT what was pictured on the website - instead it had a large,green plastic carrier (picture of the green thing with a gap in it) all around it.
However in an "aha!" moment I determined that the "grip" I needed could be removed from the "carrier" assembly via some surgery with a sharp razor knife. And it was so. The "excised" grip fit PERFECTLY into my Maestro cart body.
How does it sound? In a word simply wonderful - better than when it had with the original grip assembly from Clear Audio - I think the AT-95 has a tonal balance that nicely compliments the Clear Audio motor assembly.
Lessons to be learned?
There are a lot of people on this forum who actually possess some very valuable and useful information - so thanks to all of you. Further the folks around here are NOT afraid to experiment and try things that are more than a little outside the box.
The other thing I learned is that Clear Audio and their products are more than a little bit of a "rip" - I would steer clear of any outfit who charges $600 for what I fixed for $35 and about 10 minutes of labor. The very least those rascals could have done is offer me a "cheaper fix" - for say $100 (and they still would have made a pile at that rate). So Clear Audio will be forever banned with me - and I am going to make this clear to as many people as possible.
If you do have a Clear Audio MM cart - you can fix a broken stylus YOURSELF - don't pay the $600 the dealers want to pop in an AT stylus/cantilever assembly.
best to everybody,
Reddog
PS: rest of system? Odyssey Khartago mono-block amps, Vincent SA-T8 tube preamp, AR-9 Speakers (completely rebuilt crossovers and internal wiring), Cambridge Audio 840C CD player, and Kimber KCAG IC's and Cardas "Golden Reference" speaker cables. Took several years to assemble this one but I am very happy with it.