Cartridges: Complete Scam?

Wow, there are so many issues alive in this thread.  At the heart of the matter, the OP is looking for rational explanation for what makes one thing better than another; absent said explanation, the product, or class of product is a "scam" if it costs a lot.  But, things are not so easy to explain. 

First of all, there is virtually no consensus on what sounds good.  Sound reproduction is so far from perfection that the combination of strengths and weaknesses of any given product will affect listeners in so many different ways.

Secondly, there has been no comprehensive way to measure or analyze sound reproduction.  As an analogy, consider Cremonese string instruments.  Here, there is fairly strong consensus 16-18th century instruments from certain makers in Cremona are among the finest ever made.  Yet, the "secret" to why they sound so good has eluded scientists that have been studying these instruments for many years.  Compared to a speaker, a violin should be a piece of cake to analyze and to copy.  The speaker is like a violin, in that it is a resonating body, but, it is a whole lot more, has to do more and is a much more complicated mechanism.  In short, there is no simple logical or scientific analysis that can be applied to why audio gear sounds the way it does.  Just because one cannot explain why product X sounds better than Product Y does not make the purveyor of product X a charlatan for charging more than the price of Product Y.  The fact that some may not even agree that product X sounds better does not change things.

The OP quickly surmised that higher-priced cartridges are a scam because the majority opinion of the first half dozen postings was that they are a scam.  As a scientific method for determining this issue, I think most of us will agree this survey methodology is a wee bit lacking.  It is amazing that the OP demands much more rigorous support from those who disagree.
 

So researching what it takes to correctly align a cartridge — VTA, rake, tracking force, protractors, microscopes, listening tests, etc...let’s be real here. Are you guys who are proud of your dumpster recscues and vintage cartridges REALLY doing all of this? Or do you just sort of line things up by sight, fiddle a little, and call it good?

Do I seriously need this $500 protractor jig? Do I seriously need a microscope?

I didn't bother reading the long back lash you probably got on this topic..I decided to get back into vinyl about 2 years ago. .demoed 4 turntables and finally settled on a clear audio concept with concept mc cartridge. .then the long painful journey for a good phono amp,settled on a rega aria. .really good for the money. .just recently wanted to up the game so I saved up the cash got a sweet deal on a vpi clasic 3. .what a difference. Then traded my hegel h360 for a rogers pa1a. .as far as cartridges go I agree it seems you have to sell a kidney to get a really nice cart..I bought a dynavector dv20x and find it to be a solid cart ,but I also picked up a sumiko pear wood celebration used and man I love that cartridge. .so much emotion.music doesn't sound colored just honest and natural. .I guess it's all a journey and I wish you the best of luck with yours. 

Larry, Some speakers DO suck, obviously.  
Madavid, You don't HAVE to do a damn thing, if it irks you.  Among the rest of us, you will have launched yet another sidebar on what protractors are used, if any, how often one adjusts or checks adjustments, etc.  FWIW, you can download an excellent arc protractor off the internet for FREE, if you have a printer that can be set to print at a 1:1 scale.  There's no such thing as alignment "by sight".  That technique is called "misalignment".  And you certainly do not need a microscope, at all, ever.

It's obvious you are trolling, by the way.