New TT, Arm and MC Cartridge


Today is my birthday. I am seventy-two today. I have been lower than the mud under a snake's belly since my wife of fifty-one years and committed lover of fifty-four years passed away last month. I am going to buy myself a present.
That present is going to be a new turntable, tonearm and MC cartridge. I probably won't buy it for another week or two. What I presently have in mind is a Clearaudio Performance DC table or perhaps the Performance DC Wood table, the Satisfy carbon or perhaps the Tracer tone arm and a Clearaudio Talisman V2 Gold MC cartridge. Part of the reason for this choice is I have had good history with the dealer who sells them.
I would love to hear from any respondents who think this is a good choice or a bad choice.

kingharold
Reminds me to go hug my lovely of just 31 years. Do it ! God bless you man and my prayers for oeace grace and her smiling down on ya spinning records…
Sorry for your loss, but I think that your response is splendid.

I use the TransFi Terminator tonearm, a hybrid air bearing / mechanical pivot linear tracker. At $1000 or so it's the best value in high end - I don't think you can buy a better one for less than the price of a new car. The best thing about it is its adjustability, which is the only way to get the best out of any cartridge.

Actually, I use two of them - one on a Nottingham Analogue upgraded to Dais specification for Mono (Mayajima Zero), and a DIY air bearing monster (Koetsu Patinum).

Good luck!
The key to a successful life is learning how to have fun in spite of it and that is exactly what you are doing and I am sure your wife would be proud. 

Good choice as long as you have a good sturdy place to plant it. Stick with the Satisfy Kardan arm. I owned a Talisman V2. It is a bit on the bright side especially when new but it is an excellent tracker. It will smooth out after a few hours but will always sound a little thin. If you have high frequency hearing loss this may be an advantage. This is a good cartridge for classical and acoustic music. The cantilever hanging out in the breeze always makes me a little nervous. If you are a Rock and/or Jazz fan the Charisma is a better choice. It has the detail of a moving coil cartridge with unmatched bass and slam. This cartridge's dynamic performance is awe inspiring. It is also high output so you get a better signal to noise ratio. The cantilever is also nicely tucked away where clumsy fingers can't get to it:-)