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Review of the 'Quest 20' Ortofon/Digitrac

Somewhere in one of the threads related to the Digitrac, there were pics of where someone had filed their cart. Apparently the 200ne doesn't fit onto a p-mount OMP 10 the same as it does a normal OM 10 cart body.

Thanks though!
 
Well the 4 that I ordered on Feb 17th arrived today - here's the breakdown:

2 carts work, 2 don't - one cart was loose in the shipping box (as in it fell right out of the digitrac box, and lost it's stylus protector to boot) - not happy that one banged around in there, but it looks ok....they did pay $21.75 to ship to me in Canada without charging extra on top of the cost of the carts.

2 carts have the round diamond, 2 have the much slimmer square one. It looks like the square ones have a green blob of paint on the cantilever, and the round ones have blue.

2 carts came with the p-mount adapters, 2 did not. Seems like the round diamond ones had the adapter, the others didn't.

I have the square needle version breaking in right now, sounds pretty nice right out of the box - the fine stylus tip looks similar to my DL-160. Really wish these weren't sold out or I'd order a few more each month :(
 
I installed one of these on my Technics SL-DL5. It has never sounded so good, and gettting better as it breaks in. I was lucky enough to order and recieve two additional units after trying the first two. I hope these four can last me for years to come. I haven't tested the second batch.
 
I just heard a report in a similar thread on these forums that the suppliers seem to be out of the "Quest 20s?"
 
Pio1980 reported it first, and it seems they are gone from the jettsales website.

It figures the deal dries up 1 week after I catch on, story of my life...
For example - "this was a cool place to work until the guy before you screwed it up." - I've heard that so many times that I figure I'm cursed.
 
The back story;
My intent was to lay in as much a lifetime's supply as finances and other practical considerations allow with small monthly orders, I stepped it up with the final order on a phone enquiry of availability when they disappeared for good from the website.
I retire stylii based on sound rather than time/hours and used to get less than 100 hrs out of them on that basis. I am therefore by necessity a stylus cheapskate with an appreciation of what High-End performance can produce, an irreconcilable situation re costly carts. This is/was the one best acceptable cost-per-play compromise opportunity for less than I paid to re-tip my M-A 2002e and Signet TK-7 in the mid-late '70s ca 30 years ago.

The data, tally of the 15 Digitrack 200 NE carts on hand;
1 arrived loose but otherwise good in the last shipment of the last 8 of the entire lot. All 8 bodies were good in this batch, 5 tips were roundshank nudies, the rest tombstone nudies. Of the 1st 7 already on hand all were tombstone nudies, making 10 such of the 15 total. Of the 15 bodies 2 had one open coil and 2 both open, rendering 11 fully functional carts out of the group with 4 spare stylii. All came with the accessory kit.

If I don't live long enuff to use them all then it is indeed overkill. If I do, a good investment and a remarkable opportunity for a near give-away cache of pick-ups that sound more like an MC than a typical MM.
 
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Got one of mine from an alternate eBay seller. Playing it right now. It was real obvious what needed to be clipped once I got it in my hands. I'm impressed so far!

Not impressed with the seller though. (I didn't purchase from Jett.) Bad experience all around...still waiting for the second cart to show up (I ordered two at once).
 
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There seems to be less stylus mass visible with the tombstone shaped example than the round shank. I wonder if the round is equiv to OM-20 and the rectangular tombstone version the OM-30.
BTW, anyone sampled the other $20 Digitrack yet?
 
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Yes noticeably less mass but no the OM20 has a square cut shank and looks like the pics posted of the later square shank 200NE. Earlier in the thread I noted physical and audible difference I found when comparing the OM20 and 200NE. I'd equate the round shank 200NE closer to an OM10 only difference being the nude mount.
 
Although it's not 100% resolved (at least as far as I am concerned), after being told they'd set aside replacements for my defective ones - as in I specifically called before sending them back to verify this - the package arrives today and they decided to substitute ATU4000s!!! I specifically told Frances - I can use the styli, hardware, etc. and if they ended up not having any replacements to ship mine back to me.

No communication from them before they decided to do this. I e-mailed them and they answered the 200NE's are all gone. They said to return the ATU4000s for full credit. I wrote back, because now I don't trust these people, that if they really can't replace mine, that I want a REFUND, because credit can mean credit for more merchandise from them.

I am really not happy. I'm waiting for one more response, but if they really have none to give me, I want my shipping refunded for the first return and this return. I resent having to even bother with shipping them again, but they've got the upper hand - they can just not offer a refund...

GRRRRR!
 
How did you pay? You might have some recourse via cc company or PayPal. I've never had good luck with the later.

On a different note, I wonder what the percentage of the Digitrac's we AKer's bought? I should have stocked up on more, darn divorce expenses:sigh:
 
ChairSpud said:
Yes noticeably less mass but no the OM20 has a square cut shank and looks like the pics posted of the later square shank 200NE. Earlier in the thread I noted physical and audible difference I found when comparing the OM20 and 200NE. I'd equate the round shank 200NE closer to an OM10 only difference being the nude mount.
Click to expand...

I thought the OM20 was round shanked? My digitrac 200NE looks better cut than a normal elliptical.
 
SBEEZ said:
Got one of mine from an alternate eBay seller. Playing it right now. It was real obvious what needed to be clipped once I got it in my hands. I'm impressed so far!

Not impressed with the seller though. (I didn't purchase from Jett.) Bad experience all around...still waiting for the second cart to show up (I ordered two at once).
Click to expand...

What alternate seller?
The one guy on eBay and the guy on jett that sale them for $20 are the same person.
 
I paid with PayPal, and I agree that any kind of dispute with eBay or PayPal takes stamina and possibly heavy sedation.

I suspect they will refund the cost of the carts, but this Marcos Gindic (who is not the woman I spoke with) is sending me these brief Blackberry messages. The most recent is: Please ship them back and your account will be credited in full.

That's his response to my request for additional details, including asking him to assure me they will also refund the cost of the shipping. Tried calling and the call won't go through. twice. I'm guessing that is just a coincidence, but still frrrrrustrrrating!!!!!

I hope to reach Frances, the woman I spoke to, to at least understand what happened in this car wreck of a transaction. I'd just like to know what got screwed up, because she was pleasant and seemed competent.

Although these recent posts are partially just me venting, I also want other AK'ers to know how this place is doing (or not doing) business. And the thing is, she told me someone bought out their stock paying almost full price for the defective ones, so how did they benefit? If they refund me the full price and they only get part of that from whomever bought them out, even if they don't refund my shipping costs they end up with less $ than they started with!
 
It appears we got a 2& 1/2 year ride out of Jettsales on this Digi 200 NE thing, not bad. I have to wonder how many total they handled.
 
rito25 said:
I thought the OM20 was round shanked? My digitrac 200NE looks better cut than a normal elliptical.
Click to expand...

Nope.

First pointed that out more than a year ago in this thread. Yikes just realized this thread has been going on since Nov 2008!!!
 
ChairSpud said:
Nope.

First pointed that out more than a year ago in this thread. Yikes just realized this thread has been going on since Nov 2008!!!
Click to expand...

On what page? I am very curious now.
Found it. Hmmm, Any chance you can post a picture of the OM20 stylus so we can compair?
 
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