Cartridges: Complete Scam?

It's true but not a scam - it's called the Law of Diminishing Returns and applies to all sorts of things: wines, Scotch, sports cars, etc.

Just do a log transform on the $$ spent and it will all look linear

I’m amused by the rush-to-judgment-into-the-red-zone-sky-is-falling sentiment of the title of this thread. Why do you call it a Complete Scam instead of asking an intelligent question? Is it to attract readers who will respond?

This is a phishing exepdition that doesn’t deserve educated comment from readers who know about, and have experience with a variety of cartridges, including their relative value at certain price points, regardless of type and build. I’m not biting and I have a TON of experience here. I choose to save my input for a more enlightened and deserving poster.

Madavid: the whole audio industry is one giant rip-off so please, please stay far away and take up another pastime.

Are any of us getting as tired of the abject cynicism reflected in our time as I am?

Madavid0, I suggest you attend a music matters demo or one of the big audio trade shows where gear makers, sellers and reviewers have set up high end analog systems including state of the art cartridges in front of other outstanding equipment and hear for yourself if you think it sounds “colored” or only just as good as a “$200 bundler”.

My opinion, a decent $200 cartridge well set up and matched with arm in an excellent turntable can sound very, very good, and will allow you to hear why so many people get hooked on vinyl.  But a well set up and matched say, Lyra Etna, will place you at the original performance.  If you care about good audio reproduction, its kind of like trying to describe with words what its like to stand on the edge and look over the Grand Canyon.  You just need to go listen.  

And whatever you end up with, take time to set it up properly.

I wouldn't be so harsh and I have an advice - if your tuntable/tonearm/phono are good enough "blow $2.5k minimum on an Air Tight I" and see for yourself. Or do you want us to "blow" this kind of money and give you a free decision-making advice? What do you offer to contribute to this forum?
But yes, some do prefer some vintage cartridges to most or all modern ones, for whatever reasons, others don't and yet others have a more complex nuanced case by case opinion. Prices are high, true,
but we pay far more in taxes to our caring government to keep watch over us, so why not pay a little more ?

According to my mom I was not only the most handsome but
also the most smart kid in the whole world. Well our carts are
our babe's. But we all know the difference between objective
and subjectieve part of the game. So in order to give objective appearance to our subjective preferences we use technical arguments and talk about materials , styli shapes, exotic cantilevers and even exotic magnets.
Sometime the expression '''art''  was used instead but never elaborated. I would say ''painting '' is available to everyone but there is only one Michelangelo, etc. Consider the following list: Sugano, Takeda , Ikeda, Van den Hul, Allaerts , Andreoli (Magic Diamond),      Carr and Lukatschek (Benz).                                                                 I think that chakster mentioned in one of his latest post the ''case''       ''Fuuga''. The whole group of Takeda admirers who wanted to    
''copy'' his Miyabi standard. This was ,alas, not possible so they produced their own ''Fuuga'' asking + $ 8000 for their ''baby''.              There is this, uh, biological fact about man. They seem to want            to produce as many kids as they can. So among my babies
  there are Ikeda's, Takeda's , Andreoli's , Allaerts , Lukatschek           and Sugano.