Kondo refurbishment advice

[Jw67]

Hi, I have a kondo IO bought from a friend. It’s old and battered looking but plays quite well if lacking a little detail. He had a retip at one point from a guy in Scotland but more information than that I can’t get. I have emailed kondo and they have quoted £2000 for a rebuild and £3000 for a rebuild and re silver-plate- effectively a new cartridge. It seems a bit steep to me.
One or two may have experience of kondo retip/rebuild. Who is best to use? The ones I know about in no particular order-northwest analogue, David Giffin at goldring, expert stylus company and soundsmith in USA. I am leaning towards soundsmith for no logical reason. I’ve heard mixed reviews re esc but outside of that nothing to go on. Any advice welcomed. It also seems a bit sacrilegious to get it rebuilt by anyone other than kondo but they will be overcharging wildly and technology has moved on a bit since the mid 90’s maybe.

If I can work out how to upload a picture I will. I’m not sure of the exact model of io it is can anyone help identify it?

[Jazid]

Looks like a standard Io, possibly the heavier bodied model (in AN parlance an Io2, approx 22gm).
You can ask Tom (Montequieu) about his experiences, he had an Io-J or similar and if memory serves me got it rebuilt by AN here in the UK to Io2 spec. Its a bit less, but still quite an outlay...
The rebuild is essentially full new innards, so far more than a refurb like Soundsmith et al would undertake. If done by AN here it won't be a Kondo any more, but my Io2 is a damn fine cartridge anyway so food for thought.

Edit: looking at the pic it looks like the suspension is sagging - the cantilever looks rather low in the body. This might be the problem. And its an early serial number so likely built by Kondo himself. Re. Cost of Kondo its Kondo! The other consideration is how long it will take if you send it back, several months at least I expect.


Sent from my BLA-L09 using Tapatalk

[Jw67]

Thanks for that. I don’t like the idea of anyone taking the guts out of it really-kondo included. I quite like the original work to be preserved as much as possible. I found a 5/6 year old post this morning with someone in the same situation with a battered looking kondo. Apparently they stopped being made in 1989. Restarted in 2005. ?? Anyhow he sent it to David Giffin who was able to sympathetically bring it back into shape. Additionally re plating is not a good idea either apparently . .. I don’t really care about that.

So I’m going to send it to him for evaluation.

Thanks again for your input.

[Jazid]

A pleasure. Please let us know how it goes? It'll take a while to settle in whatever he does so I won't hold my breath, but sooner or later my Io2 will need a helping hand as well, perish the thought [emoji102]

Sent from my BLA-L09 using Tapatalk

[DiveDeepDog]

I've got ex Tom's ANJ IO2. He had it rebuilt by ANUK.

I've had Koetsu rebuilt by David (Goldring) and would wholeheartedly recommend his services, however the Kondo Massive frown on this sort of thing. IO's demand dedication with choice of SUT/phono stage, oddly mines working straight into Paradise phono stage which suggests original IO2 innards (0.14mV vs 0.04mV)

Much would depend on what you intend to do with it, I wouldn't buy anything touched by NWA, but I would buy a Goldring /ANUK rebuilt one.

[Jw67]

That’s good to know re David Giffin. I’ll definitely keep you all in the loop to see if I made the right choice. I’m using unusual electronics, misho myranov is a Ukrainian living in Bulgaria and he built pre,power and phono stage with sut. I have no variation on the sut but it seems to work ok together. I have the volume a few more clicks that’s all.

I have the intention of keeping this as long as it works out...I’m hopeful.
Thanks again.

[Chivas]

A pleasure. Please let us know how it goes? It'll take a while to settle in whatever he does so I won't hold my breath, but sooner or later my Io2 will need a helping hand as well, perish the thought [emoji102]

Sent from my BLA-L09 using Tapatalk

Why would you want to service your IO2 anywhere else but AN UK? I believe a complete rebuild is around £800 which is very reasonable in my opinion, and it will hold its value much better


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DiveDeepDog]

Why would you want to service your IO2 anywhere else but AN UK? I believe a complete rebuild is around £800 which is very reasonable in my opinion, and it will hold its value much better




Its near double the cost of Goldring rebuild, and manufacturer rebuilds usually replace the whole innards . I chose Goldring for my Koetsu to retain as much Sugano San as possible. IO will get me scratching my head when its time...

Choice as always is good.

[Jazid]

Why would you want to service your IO2 anywhere else but AN UK? I believe a complete rebuild is around £800 which is very reasonable in my opinion, and it will hold its value much better


Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkI wouldn't but retirement inches closer and bills get larger. I can't think how I could justify AN pricing when crunch comes and SWMBO becomes the main earner.

The Io2 however sounds fantastic, keeps walloping the few alternatives I throw at it. I don't listen to huge amounts of records, and it got a clean bill of health from AN when I bought it a few years back, so maybe it'll see me out?

Sent from my BLA-L09 using Tapatalk