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Well, my Grace Level II BR/MR arrived back from needlestein in the US last week with it's repaired tip. This repair job has been covered in other threads but basically the cart went to him with the stylus tip looking like this: Joseph (needlestein) has successfully realigned the diamond back into the correct position and epoxied it, pretty much maintaining it's original sound signature. His test report was glowing in it's effusive praise of the sound quality of this cart ("Will compete with anything", "one of the finest cartridges I have ever heard" and in his return note, "It was hard to give this one back!"). It sounded like he had done an effective repair job and I was getting very excited! In readiness for it's return and first audition, I have been listening to my Level II RC (w/rare ceramic cantilever/HE tip) for about a week after about four months now of my Grace F8C (and happy listening that was!). The expected (and already established) SQ improvement with the Level II RC was immediately noticeable with it's superior detail extraction, smoother bass, and overall refinement . After a week of the RC it was time to dive into the world of 'Micro-ridge' with the BR/MR...... this morning I accurately set it up on a genuine Technics headshell with standard 'no frills' OFC leads (atm) and am tracking it at 1.2g to start with. I run the RC at 1.25g but needlestein tested this at 1.0g. I had just previously listened to 'Forever Now' by The Psychedelic Furs with the RC so I started with a few songs off that once I set up the BR/MR. It was a bit hard to tell with the musical style this one offers and although it is well recorded, is one of my favourite albums and it did sound better, it is not what I would call an SQ favourite.....! So I followed with some that IMO are (in order): FGTH - 'Welcome To The Pleasure Dome' (sides 1 & 2) MJ - 'Thriller' (selected songs; Billie Jean, PYT's, Wanna Be Startin' Somethin', Baby Be Mine, Thriller) Supertramp - 'Brother Where You Bound' (always great but now? Read on....) Donald Fagen - 'The Nightfly' (.....of course!) Yes - 90125 (a beauty!) Grace Jones - Nightclubbing (side one.....oh, the bass) Grace Jones - Inside Story (great recording normally a tad on the 'bright' side..... a test for the HF refinement) To start with, I am extremely, extremely happy with what I am hearing. The BR/MR obviously has a similar sound signature to the RC but improves in the areas of high frequency extension and detail and low end refinement and reach and it is quite noticeable. So far, I'd say the mid's are on par with the RC. One area the old F8C has it a little over the Level II RC is bass extension, albeit not quite as refined but the Level II BR/MR possesses this extension but with superb refinement....it is a joy to hear. In regard to the high's, the BR/MR is rated 5kHz higher than the RC at 35kHz and it shows but the micro-ridge profile adds a level of detail to it that is truly wonderful. Soundstage is more layered than the RC and F8C, which are both impressive in their own right and gives me access to individual instruments like never before. It's now a bit later (had some tea) so obviously I have been writing this progressively but I was up to 'Brother Where You Bound' when I began writing earlier and in answer to the question above.....it is now a revelation! Every LP up to this point was fantastic and improved in SQ but it was during this album that I was really becoming aware of this cart's capabilities. Since then, I have been truly blown away. The Nightfly, could it possibly sound better? .......yes.....and as for Yes 90125, it was absolutely stunning.....I have never heard it with so much detail and punch.....Grace Jones Nightclubbing, bass taken to another level and the slight brightness of Inside Story, smoothed out nicely......every LP has a level of detail and refinement I've never heard before. It's a truly pleasing result.? Who could have thought that a boron cantilever and a micro-ridge stylus could make so much difference to what was already a stunner in the Level II RC? I was certainly hoping for results such as these with the BR/MR and it has truly delivered. To purchase it and to have it repaired has set me back a total of $203 which is ridiculously cheap for a cart of this quality and leads me to categorically say...... this is my greatest analogue purchase ever.? Closely followed by the Level II RC, which cost me $280. I've done well with those two carts.....? Cheers......and long live Grace vintage cartridges!? PS: I will put up some pic's of it in action and a USB microscope pic of tip repair soon but here is needlesteins pic of it during 'testing'..... It's a beautiful thing.......?