Cartridges: Complete Scam?

Dear @madavidO: """ I’m very new to analog """, no doubt about even if you did not posted about. Nothing wrong with be an analog roockie.

An analog roockie usually makes the wrong questions ( some one could say: stupid ones but in reality there are not stupid questions coming from a roockie. What it is is a very high ignorance level. It can’t in other way and I think you understand it. ) like you here.

In audio the word scam means different things for different audiophiles. What for me could be a scam for other gentleman can be a bargain or can be justified for what ever reason.

You made the very typical roockie mistake: bougth audio items like your MoFi rig at an audio show/fest.


""" the MoFi room was also running TAD Evolution Ones and high end electronics, so OF COURSE it was going to sound good...I was impressed with such a “modest” front end was up to it though. """

and because of what you listened you bougth what you have. You followed that post:

" The question is: ........ ", I think that before you ask what you posted there you have to ask your self: how good is the quality sound you are listening at your analog home system. Are you impressed?

Btw, MoFi does not manufacture cartridges and I think that MoFi buys from At and that your 200.00 bundler in reality is a 70.00 AT 90. Well, you are an analog rookie and you are starting in the analog learning curve, a very long long curve.

""" If I blow 2.5k minimum on an Air Tight ..... """

again wrong question/way of thinking. Two simple questions before that: have you the kind of money to buy that Air Tigth cartridge and what it needs? have you the rigth tonearm and phono stage to honor the Air Tigth cartridge?

Did you know that Air Tigth is not the manufacturer of the cartridges they has for sale?

As you for every one of us each single day in audio is a learning one.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

Oh, yes the Air Tigth overblow your blunder by a very wide margin, not only diferent colorations as you say.

jperry nailed it.  The OP clearly gets more enjoyment from trying to prove that audiophiles are relentlessly scammed as they shell out big bucks for questionable returns in sonic improvement than he derives from listening and enjoying music himself.  He obviously believes that most here are victims of the industry, getting fleeced on a regular basis.  Herein lies his true hobby and source of pleasure....all thinly veiled as a question from a fellow lover of music, faithfully reproduced ;-)  

Wow guys...wow. Allow me to sum up your replies:

randy-11: "It’s a scam"
stevecham: "It’s a scam"
knownothing: "Not a scam"
Inna: "It’s a scam"
nandric: "It’s a scam"
jmcgrogan2: "It’s a scam"
jperry: "It’s a scam"
geoffkait: "It’s a scam"

________________________
czarivey: it's NOT scam.

Scam is just a label, but in reality it's clearly YOUR choice to buy cartridge for $10k or for $250 and there are tons of sleepers in that range that will make you think HARD before going any further to upgrade.
That is to say that my AudioTechnica AT140 is one of them along with ADC type III obviously if you have original stylus on them. Many people know only expensive ones therefore going for them, but why should I care when I can have more cheaper 'supply' and let everyone else buy higher priced one? Ignorance sometimes pretty healthy and beneficial ain't that?

Why waste time with this guy ?
he clearly has no relationship with a decent dealer who in an hour or so with his table could show him what a better cartridge could do in his system
.... or not
but then it would be solved for HIM

going to be a rough planet if he never understands the joy acknowledging the law of diminishing returns and for a few hobbies like scotch, wine, fishing boats, flyrod, etc living past the break point.

imagine a consumer reports world where nobody buys a Porsche Turbo

If someone asked you: "Would I see a major improvement in sound if I upgraded from my Elac bookshelves to a pair of Magico Q3s?" You would answer, absolutely yes you would.

Not: "You have to pair them with ultra high end amps and sources."
Not: "Some people can tell the difference but not everyone..."
Not: "Wrong way of thinking..."

It's very simple: Magicos are better than Elacs. The end. Anything other than that is just useless information that doesn't serve anyone. Magicos weigh 250 lbs, can you handle them, do you have the room for them, etc and so on -- useless info, anyone can read a spec sheet and understand the possible drawbacks.

"You have to pair them with ultra high end equipment..." Why? Will they lose their superior performance capacity because they're hooked up to a more modest amp? Will the extreme engineering techniques used to eliminate resonance across the audio band turn itself off because they're running from a $5k amp as opposed to a $50k one? Will their unique drivers downgrade themselves? WHY, exactly, are you responding to a simple question with a qualifying non-answer?

So. Can someone explain WHY a $1,000 table's tonearm can't be used to mount a $2-3k cartridge? What is the technical reason? Will it fail to transmits certain frequencies, or certain voltage swings, what exactly? Do cheaper tonearms not have the capability to hold the cartridge in the right angle and apply the right amount of tracking force?

What's going on here?