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
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?
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?
Dear Halcro,

followed your advice. what a year can bring to us, Strain Gauge, four more arms and sopme tables 😎
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.
For me, a two arm table allows for casual/"other room" listening (Ortofon VMS30 mkii on Signet XK50), saving wear on the main arm and costlier cartridge. With 5 spare VMS styli, it's quite cost-effective. The vintage cart/arm performs well enough to be the mainstay if circumstances required.