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To those with multiple tables/arms/cartridges

How do you 'play' your system?
For 30 years I had only one turntable, one arm and one cartridge......and it never entered my mind that there was an alternative?
After upgrading my turntable nearly 5 years ago to a Raven AC-3 which allowed easy mounting of up to four tonearms......I decided to add two arms.
RAVEN
A few years later I became interested in Direct Drive turntables and purchased a vintage 30 year old Victor/JVC TT-81 followed shortly after by the top-of-the-line TT-101 and I designed and had cast 3 solid bronze armpods which I had lacquered in gloss black.
TT-101
By this time I had over 30 cartridges (both LOMCs and MMs) all mounted in their own headshells for easy interchange.
STORAGE

Every day I listen to vinyl for 3-4 hours and might play with one cartridge on one arm on one table for this whole day or even two or three days.
I then might decide to change to a different arm and cartridge on a the same table or perhaps the other.....and listen to the last side I had just heard on the previous play.
I am invariably thrilled and excited by the small differences in presentation I am able to hear....and I perhaps listen to this combination for the next few days before again lusting after a particular arm or cartridge change?

Is this the way most of you with multiple cartridges/arms listen?......or are there other intentions involved?
128x128halcro
nandric's avatar
nandric
4,086 posts
 
Dear Lew, There is a thread about Jasmine LP 2 with many reports reg. individual impressions. There is even the consensus about the performance- price relation. But my
upgrade with those Jantzen Z caps 'moved' the pre in a
different league. Not in the league of the Basis Exclusive but the price diference is shameless huge in my opinion. I of course know that Raul owns much more carts than I do but we both have the same 24 hours a day to our disposal. So I certainly don't envy the Mexican considering my own confusion with all those that I own. I am sure that you will recognize this time problem because you probably own even less than I but because of your lack of time you was not even able to test those that you own. However I do
envy you with those Beveridges. Glad to hear btw that you are satisfy with your 'youth work' with those Kef bass drivers.
thuchan
1,009 posts
 
Regarding carts I am usually confronted with the MC camp or the MM group, maybe some rare MI lovers. Why are we not able to use them all?
okay this again needs going for more than one table/tonarm set up. I know audio friends using one table with arms for MMs, one for MCs and one for MIs.
Should I admit that sometimes I belong to this species too? Anything wrong with this?
halcro's avatar
halcro OP
2,664 posts
 
Dear Thuchan,
Anything wrong with this?
Nothing I can see......
Go for it.
I think 'inclusive' is far more productive than 'exclusive'?
Horns, electrostatics, planars, dynamic.
SS, valves.
MM, MC, MI, strain gauge.
Why not?
thuchan
1,009 posts
 
Dear Halcro,

followed your advice. what a year can bring to us, Strain Gauge, four more arms and sopme tables 😎
playpen
161 posts
 
Last night I was running my P+E 2040 with Shure V15 type 11 going through some of my Motown LP's. The sound of some is not worth putting the time on my $1000. cartridge for.Lets face it some records just don't sound good no matter what.I use the secondary table with removable headshell to listen to lower sound quality LP's in my collection I would otherwise dismiss on my main table.There's enough of it to hold my attention with quick cartridge swaps.The Temptations greatest hits was pretty mediocre listening but had some redeeming elements.
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