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.

madavid0- the easiest way to enjoy turntable madness is to simply allow YOUR OWN EARS to dictate where your wallet follows.

You are  clearly not going to join the ranks of owners of $10K+users, and perhaps your system doesn't justify such extravagance.

Your threads just polarize and encourage tired,re-run debate.
Sticking with digital may be your path.

I apologize for chiming in on this topic so late in the conversation.  IMO the phono cartridge is a major component in how a system sounds.  BUT, the cartridge must be compatible with the tonearm , step up transformer/phono stage and (to a much lesser degree) the turntable.  Finding the "right" combination of these components will make or break an analog system.

I have found that the biggest changes to the the sound of an audio system are driven from both ends in.  In an analog system that would be the first and second transducers.  So the order of how an individual component affects the end result (sound), from most to least.  Again, this is my opinion and YMMV:
1- speakers
2- Analog front end (cartridge, tonearm, phono stage and/or SUT, turntable)
3- Preamp
4- Digital front end
5- Speaker cables
6- Amp
7- I/O cables
8- Digital cables

OP isn't asking a serious question.
He likes to create controversy and then yank everyone's chain.
Pity to see all the effort wasted trying to give him a serious response.

@thehorn: breathing just fine, thank you!

I also notice that we share some common choices in our MM collection.

I’ve learned something important about the title of this thread: include the word Scam and, focused only on the the ball with pentagons and hexagons, we all become first grade soccer players.

Next time I want attention I’ll just yell out "SCAM"

And yes madavid, you have absolutely no clue how good a properly set up cartridge from the 70s and 80s, using all those tools that make a difference and that you cynically besmirch, can sound. And I can tell you are a newbie to vinyl and equipment because you dismiss anything that isn't the newest, greatest and most expensive.  Exactly why the heck are you listening to stone age vinyl in 2017 for Jupiter's sake?

And yes madavid, you have absolutely no clue how good a properly set up cartridge from the 70s and 80s, using all those tools that make a difference and that you cynically besmirch, can sound. And I can tell you are a newbie to vinyl and equipment because you dismiss anything that isn't the newest, greatest and most expensive. Exactly why the heck are you listening to stone age vinyl in 2017 for Jupiter's sake?

If these cartridges are so great -- why are they long out of production and can only be found in the backs of old record stores? Why hasn't someone cloned them? Those "giant killer" Denons are all over the place -- are they really giant killers? Someone on another forum claimed that they had laser-drilled boron cartridges in the 70s, too -- so, where are they all?

The $500 protractor that is heavily recommended:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B1YAlputIvk/WC1xrdPR6aI/AAAAAAABw3Q/VSluQrIUb_04i8BywRaYZXCM28bzr80NgCK4B/...

Is it your contention than that $5k and definitely $10K+ cartridges are nothing but a scam? Is that protractor a scam -- will a paper cut-out really provide the same results?

If expensive cartridges are a scam, what's not a scam -- ie, what's effective? Tonearms? Is a $15k Basis Superarm 9 a scam? Let's just deal with something real -- that thing is DEFINITELY not even remotely close to $15k to build. Even if it took a week for a master craftsman to piece one together from the finest parts, it would be worth a few thousand dollars at most. Or is it SO ASTOUNDING in terms of sound quality that it deserves to cost hugely more than the world's best tonearms?  

I would like to add this about the cartridge scam,_______ and then the thread in general________. Thanks for your interest.

  Yeah. He's just baiting people. Nobody can be that ignorant. madavid0 you're the scam.

HERE'S THE ANSWER THE OP WANTS

Any cartridge over £200 is a total scam - because above £200 there are no economies of scale, MC's are a waste of time and money and are just there like a hook for over-wealthy audiophiles. 
For those with MC's or indeed any cartridge you are far better off downloading a piece of cardboard to align your precision made cartridge. This is whether or not you find a turntable from a dumpster or have an AirForce One.
All said and done please use super expensive speakers such as YG, Magicos or Martin Logans - with any ancillary equipment so long as they aren't wired up with Anti Cable - much better off using the stuff from Radio Shack. BTW don't ever buy a class D amp even one made by Rowland as they are inherently rubbish no matter what...

Dear @madavid0: """  Being honest, your input has had zero value, not only to me but to anyone. "Are you happy with your sound" is a meaningless question; what difference at all does it make if I'm happy or not happy with it? """

it's clear to me and almost any one that you not only do not make the rigth questions or that you just don't understand what differents posts or questions to you its real meaning. It is clear that the analog experience does not exist in your world. Your stupid questions because there is the rigth word for it says you are not even an analog roockie.

" A re you happy with your sound? " is nothing more nothing less the clue of audio the clue for a digital or analog alternative the clue for a good or bad room/audio system the more important clue to evaluate or compare anything in audio.

Obviously that you don't/can't understand it and less the why's.

First step to understand the importance of that clue is to be sure know for sure what to look for in the quality level performance in any room/system. According to your statements in reference to my questions to you you have no idea what to look for in your own system, even I don't know why you have it if can't understand it.

For you can know for sure what to look you must have " thousands " of first hand experiences with live MUSIC at near field seating positions. With out those " thousands " experiences you can't help your self but no one can gives you any kind of help.

Secon step is to have an attitude that's totally willing to learn and this means, because you are below an analog roockie level, that if a experienced audiophile tells you: stand up you will stand up in silence and if he tells you cross your fingers then you cross your fingers in silence. 
Willing to learn means that you have to live you have to experienced in your system the advises that true audiophile gave you before ask nothing about, this is the way to learn in the analog experience.

With out these two steps you are " dead " before you can pull/touch the trigger.

No one can learn something really usefull only reading what other people say with out knowing the other people audio knowledge levels and certainly not true attendance to audio shows or trusting at 100% on audio distributors but you can learn how to improve your sound if you listen as many room/system you can rigth at other audiophiles places and learning for them what to do and what not to do, then comeback home and live the experiences.

As you will learn step by step with patience, time and money ( for all the mistakes you will do. Any of us already pass for.  ) you step by step will enjoy more and more your room/system and your questions will left to be stupid ones and converts clever ones to continue the learning proccess.

A third step for you could be to check by your self if the tonearm/cartridge in your analog rig set up is accurated and you have to do this with out help of any one, with out ask no one but learning for your self.

So, why don't makes your self a favor and makes that set up check-out? and then come back here and share your findings instead to add more stupid questions.

About scam in general/normally there are no scams as a true scam. Audio is a special world and a way of different living that you have to understand before put any names.
Of course that exist real scams made it by fraudulents persons that takes advantage of the ignorance of audio people but normally it's not. Why exist the " scams " you name it: because ignorance level of the people whom bougth it. A clear example is the potractors.

Btw, do you really understand what you posted?

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

madavid0,

I can answer your question about the $500 SmarTractor.  You, or anyone else certainly do not NEED this item.  One can do a a reasonably good job correctly aligning a cartridge using one of the many available tools for the job.  It is a tool, and like any tool, there are those who can employ the simplest and most primitive tool and still do a great job, while others will need a tool that makes the job easier and better assures success.  The SmarTractor is in the latter category.  Good tools, like this are expensive not only because of their tight tolerance in manufacture, but because a lot of thought went into the design.  The designer of the SmarTractor has designed something that addresses virtually all of the factors involved in both easy and accurate alignment, e.g., the different size of turntable spindles, difficultly in finding the exact center of the arm spindle (necessary for one-point alignment), and difficulty in seeing the cantilever and precise placement of the stylus tip (built in magnifier located at the precise point for proper focus).  The designer even offers its own unique alignment (dubbed UNI-DIN).  It can do ultra-precise measurements of spindle to pivot distance by employing a vernier scale (it can accurately measure to 1/20 of a millimeter).  All of this allows for very accurate alignment.  Is that kind of accuracy audible, or otherwise necessary?  I don't know, but, it couldn't hurt.

More than the accuracy of alignment, to me, the strongest attribute is how easy it is to do the alignment with this tool.  Between taking it out of the box and finishing my alignment (change to UNI DIN) took about 15 minutes, and that includes reading the instructions.  My not-so-great eyesight was not really an issue with this tool.  I bet it would be a very helpful tool for a shop that has to do many alignments where time is money.

Dear @larryi : Reading your post I can see why the audio industry just can't grow up.

The ones in the audio industry/manufacturers have a non-renunciable obligation/responsabilirty with all we customers/audiophiles and this responsability is to give the customer all what he need to operate their audio items.

In the case of tonearms it's just ridiculous that exist " hundreds " of after market protractors because almost no one tonearm manufacturer gives the accurate and user friendly protractor.

The whole responsability is the manufacturer NOT YOU OR ME or any one else.

If the manufacturer can't do it then we customers have to forget that manufacturer and buy the tonearms with the one that has the knowledge level to understand how to build the rigth protractor for his design.

The best busine$$ in audio are not what the audio industry offers but all the after market audio items that exist because the irresponsability of the manufacturers and for audiophiles like you |that are poor demanding about.

For the OP and because what I'm telling here the best option is the MINTLP protractor that is dedicated/custom made for its analog rig and that have all the advantages you name it for a hundred buks.

Well, even those 100.00 should not be a necessity for we audiophiles.

That's happens because we audiophiles have the culprit, we are less and less demanding and other of us have high ignorance levels.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

Dear @larryi : I understand your last post statements, even that the issue is that no one should need anykind of protractor not even a shop. Problem is the same: responsability of tonearm/TT manufacturers.

In the other side seems to me that you are proud of the alignment you choosed:

"""  my alignment (change to UNI DIN)  """

That is nothing special. Here you can read about:

https://www.analogplanet.com/content/uni-din-versus-l%C3%B6fgren-b-just-clarify

in those times even MF did not understand in deep the whole critical tonearm/cartridge/TT alignment set up. Read the thread and pay attention to the last 3 posts in that MF thread.

You can have your own special alignment and call it: USA-IEC or USADIN, to do that you only have to change the input data in the calculations. The real differences in between any kind of alingments is where we have the distortions levels and I means higher or lower levels and where: in between null points and out of those two null points. That it's.

I said that in protractors could be something as a " scam " taking advantage of we customers ignorance levels. No one knows everything about everything in audio. In that thread MF did not understan it in full and this confirm my statement.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

@rauliruegas I have to quibble a little with your assertion that it is the responsibility of tonearm manufacturers to provide universal mounting templates. While I absolutely agree that a tonearm manufacturer must provide a very precise mounting jig (i.e. to allow drilling of the mounting holes and correcty P2S -- which is btw somewhere many fall down) I question if we can expect them to provide tools to mount any cartridge. Given the vagaries in cartridge design and geometry tools such as the UNI Protractor I own (the more specialized precursor to the SMARTractor) allow one to get a much better view of the cantilever and stylus alignment -- yes you could get your own lens and set up and use it with the Mint but the UNI makes it so easy and precise it should better anything you expect from a tonearm manufacturer, and is priced accordingly.

As an aside I remember seeing one of the online retailers (maybe Music Direct) offering to give you a deluxe turntable setup using the SMARTractor (along with USB microscope for VTA, Foz for azimuth and so on) for $500 on top of the cost of a new table -- gives you a sense of what they think this service is worth

Anyway I accept that we should expect more from our arm manufacturers but there's still room for the top end tools some of us like to use

"For the OP and because what I’m telling here the best option is the MINTLP protractor that is dedicated/custom made for its analog rig and that have all the advantages you name it for a hundred buks."

IMO Raul nailed it direcly on the head. I was using a dB protractor for years and decided, based on many positive reviews of the MINT, to order one custom made for my SL1200II. Readjusting every cartridge about 2-3 mm back in the headshell, relative to where they had been previously with the dB, resulted in a MAJOR improvement in focus and coherency. To me, the device is indispensable for accurate and easy, quick overhang and alignment adjustment. WELL worth the $100 or so bux I paid for it. No scam here.

I thought you cartridge guys would align by ear. It might take a lot of time, true. When using alignment tools, any tools, how can you be sure that they give you the best result ? Very uncool of you. And incorrect.

I use Dr. Feickert Analogue Protractor (Next Generation) to choose between Baerwald, Loefgren or Stevenson on different tonearm and this is a great tool compared to others i have used before. Not necessary to buy new to pay full price, they are much better priced on second hand market. For example another one that comes with HiFi Test LP is free. 

Dear @folkfreak : Yes, to mount any cartridge in his tonearm design. @folkfreak , this is not " rocket science ".

I own over 10 diferent protractors and as every one I spend money with and I spend money first because my ignorance levels on the whole tonearm/cartridge/TT alignment set up and second because almost all the manufacturers just were and are irresposables for say the least.

The real issue is not if you are satisfied with the protractor you use and that posted you like. The main and critical subject is that if the tonearm manufacturer makes what's is total responsability about you, me and every analog audiophiles do not need to buy any single after market protractor. It does not matters if the price is 100 or 600 or whatever.

That is the subject and we must not support any tonearm irresponsability or say: " I like my after market protractor. "

When  customers that are the ones that support the whole audio industry will say/shout to the all irresponsable manufacturers that are totally wrong?  when will be the day when we customers really be totally satisfied with an audio item where there were the necessity to buy an after market item to fulfill your needs?

Do you know when?  when we left to buy those manufacturers audio items. Is the only way, because they are seated in his comfort zone and very happy taking our money, because it's our MONEY.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

Dear @inna : """ I thought you cartridge guys would align by ear. ............ When using alignment tools, any tools, how can you be sure that they give you the best result ? Very uncool of you. And incorrect. """

Do you have idea what we are talking here?, seems to me you have not and if you think you know what we are talking here then whom is totally incorrect is no one but you.

If you think your statement is correct please tell us how did/do you ( by ears. ) makes the cartridge/tonearm overhang and offset angle set up?, because that’s what we are talking about and what mainly protractors does.

Enligth our day ! .

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

@rauliruegas surely then by this logic the tonearm manufacturer should also provide the following in the box with their arm
1) A fozgometer (or other azimuth setting tool)
2) A test record
3) A USB microscope (or at least an alignment block with a VTA grid)
4) An accurate tracking force gauge

Each of the above is as critical to setup as is alignment so why do you only expect the tonearm makers to provide the templates for alignment?

Most manufactures provide either the tools or the measurements or both needed for proper set up. Jelco, for instance, give you both and a nifty plastic gauge. Rega give you both, but alas, their gauge is made of paper.

Dear @folkfreak : You are rigth/correct. All those set up parameters/tools are important.

Now, what I'm refering here is in specific: overhang, P2S distance and offset angle.
This is the tonearm manufacturer own responsability. No one else.

AZ and  VTA/SRA:   normally you make it by ears. What I mean is that the tools you mentioned about can help but the final/fine tunning of those two parameters you make by ears according/following to your own room/system evaluation tests proccess.

In reference to test record I almost do not use any more even that I own no less than 20 different test records.

As you know as more and more experience and learning job we have as more easy the whole set up but those set up parameters that are handled by a tonearm protractor.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

Dear @raymonda : The tonearm manufacturer protractor has to have 100% accuracy and that you can use it " thousands " of times if necessary. Paper just does not works as protrcator.

R.

Inna: hahahahahahahahaha, "you cartridge guys," you're killing me.

Viridian: interesting idea, and budget worthy too, but, something must be wrong because none of my catridges has sucked my blood, at least yet.

Madavid: You should have all the answers to your important questions by now and can make informed and rational decisions regarding vinyl playback, and, you're welcome.

Everyone else: KUDOS! 

Cartridge alignment is like cleaning records. Whatever you do it will never be perfect. No wonder people always upgrade cartridges instead of aligning the old ones properly. Many report that Mint protractor is currently the most accurate tool. So whatever you used before it gave you misalighned cartridges. Mint also gives you cartidges that are off the alignment, you simply don't know it yet and maybe even cannot accept that it might be the case. Good luck, anyway. 

I owned many different cartridges from Madrigal Carnegie (by Mark Levinson), Linn "Troika" to my latest Lyra Etna and Dynavector TE Kaitora Rua. The newer ones are much better sounding cartridges. It's like you'll compare old amps to a newer ones, or old speakers to a todays technology, i.e. IMHO new (same class) Naim or McIntosh Amps sound much better than the old ones, or the latest Sonus Faber Amati speakers sounds much better that the 10-15 years old ones. I believe it's all about what people can afford these days and partially nostalgia is to be blaimed.

@arkanya Thanks for real info.

Okay guys, I ended up hedging my bets with a AT-OC9ML/II which appears to be a very well-regarded, and also not cheap, cartridge with a boron and Micro-Line stylus. I used a $10 mirrored protractor to dial it in and a $10 scale to set the tracking force. I have a magnified visor with LED headlamp that was invaluable for doing this -- it's almost impossible to to see the stylus tip without the aid of magnification.

Guys, it doesn't sound good. Lean, congested, and basically rolled off -- for example, missing trailing "T"s in vocals. But honestly not that much different from my Studio Tracker bundler. I've read people say that MCs take a lot of break-in -- is that true? Or are cartridges really are a scam? Can I expect the AT to eventually open up, stop rolling off mid-range vocals, and actually pull out more detail and texture?

This thread hasn’t progressed/evolved from the 1st page...yawn.

It’s been reading material while eating dinner and listening to music with my over $200 SCAM cartridge, hooked up to my SCAM system exceeding $500.

Amps? Speakers?...lets guess what the next thread that madavido starts.

".....?" is a scam!

How about..Listening to music through a stereo is a SCAM!
SCAM! SCAM! SCAM! SCAM! Its just a good through my IPhone/laptop and Beats!

These type of threads accomplish nothing.

madavid0, just can’t resist a little ribbing. You’ve set it up

EDIT-the AT OC9II is a decent cart.But it will only be heard on a more capable table,phono amp. The fact you have to spend more money however, is a SCAM!

Okay guys, I'm a little confused here...the instructions for the AT-OC9ML/II say that if I'm using a MM/MC head amp that 100-Ohms resistance should be set...my Musical Fidelity supports this. But it ALSO says the recommended load is 20-Ohms and to use 20-Ohms in a step-up transformer? So, wait a second...how is it that a head amp is fine for 100-Ohms but if using a SUT you should use 20-Ohms? Does that mean I really need a SUT or a preamp with a 20-Ohm input? What does 20 vs 100 Ohms sound like anyway? I seem to be getting enough gain, so I don't understand what this means?

"how is it that a head amp is fine for 100-Ohms but if using a SUT you should use 20-Ohms? "

Head amp is active and SUT is passive. The mfr specifies different loads for active devices and passive devices. Follow their instructions.

Head amps and SUT's are a scam!

Life is a total SCAM
I mean really, you are born then you die?
What a rip off........

@madavid0 perhaps you can spend some more time doing research and reading before bugging us again

here are two good starting points on this topic
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/stepup/primer.html
http://www.rothwellaudioproducts.co.uk/html/mc_step-up_transformers_explai.html

When confronted with life's dilemma, one can always do the "uberwaltz" and forgeddaboudit, at least for a while.

FWIW, I wouldn't go as low as 20 ohms, even WITH a SUT.  But (Madavid) keep in mind that the "20 ohms" is the reflected load, in the case where you use a SUT, not the value of the load resistor.  When you use a SUT, the net load seen by the cartridge is equal to the value of the load resistor on the secondary side of the SUT, divided by the square of the turns ratio of the SUT.  For a 1:10 SUT, use "100" as your divisor, etc.

Dear @madavid0: I don’t know how or why you decided to go with this AT LOMC cartridge.

Anyway, yes it needs at least 40-50 hours before settle down completely. After those playing hours you need to make a complete and new cartridge/tonearm parameters set up/fine tunning it.

In this link you can go to " reviews " and you will read what owners of this cartridge said about.:

http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/cartridges/8e67b15a2a48de4e/index.html

Btw, LOMC cartridges are not sensitive to load impedance changes. That 100 ohms choice in your MS is fine. Don’t worry about yet till the fine tunning time and then you will know what to do. If after the time of playing the cartridge you still do not likes then follow the  what one gentleman just posted to you on that AT carrtridge

"""  But it will only be heard on a more capable table,phono amp. """

or learn why does not like you.


Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

 I think you chose very good cartridge. In my opinion I have always liked much less loading then the manufacturers recommendations. Loading is very much personal preference.   If I were you I would try it without any loading at all just run directly into your preamp. That usually gives it a 47K load.  47K as compared to 100 will give you a much livelier open sound but the downside is that it has the possibility to distort more on the upper end 

Has it not been demonstrated numerous times that cartridge performance (tracking) depends upon the arm in which its placed? The arm in turn depends upon the turntable on which it sits.

A low quality turntable (resonance and speed issues) with a high quality cartridge is always outperformed by a good turntable with a low quality cartridge.

This suggests that there is greater difference in performance in turntables than arms and then cartridges. 

@cd318 

A low quality turntable (resonance and speed issues) with a high quality cartridge is always outperformed by a good turntable with a low quality cartridge.

Are you sure? Tracking is not the main factor, if your low quality cartridge does not reproduce the frequency range that a good quality cartridge can do with ease then your turntable can not help it even with top notch speed stability. If you can not extract what's on the record how come your turntable can help it? 

Dear @cd318 @chakster : Tonearm always is important and TT a little " less important " but the main cartridge characteristic ( other than the cartridge " motor ", the transducer it self. ) is the cartridge tracking abilities.

That’s what define the information that the cartridge pick-up, after this main characteristic then the motor define the quality of is reproduced on that information that the cartridge pick-up.

Cartridge tracking abilities has no substitute. Any decent cartridge can pick-up the information but its own abilities defines how much information will pick.up. The other main parameter is the audiophile knowledge level and skills to make a " perfect " cartridge/tonearm/TT set up.

Btw, tracking abilities in a cartridge is not defined by a price range. There are expensive ones that are poor trackers and the other way around too.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

I agree with cd318....assuming that we are in agreement re what “low quality” means. For me, most low quality turntables have speed stability issues. Some very expensive turntables regarded by some as “high quality” also have speed stability issues. For me, that also puts them in the “low quality” category no matter how massive, and impressive looking they may be. No matter how good the cartridge or arm mounted on one of these turntables the resulting sound, for me, will be “low quality”.  Conversely, a humble cartridge on a decent arm mounted on a turntable that has very good pitch stability (“high quality”) will always outperform the other....in the performance areas that matter most to me. Solid pitch stability is the number one consideration in a turntable system. That is what has the greatest impact on the rhythm and expression in the music in the grooves; even more so than tracking ability...up to a point of course.