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Cartridges: Complete Scam?

I’m very new to analog, and researching my options on forums I keep coming across the same sentiment: that past the ultra low-end cartridges, there is very little gains in actual sound quality and that all you’re getting are different styles and colorations to the sound.

So, for example, if I swapped out my $200 cartridge that came with my table for a Soundsmith, Dynavector, Oracle, etc, I may notice a small improvement in detail and dynamics, but I’m mostly just going to get a different flavor. Multiple people told me they perffered thier old vintage cartridges over modern laser-cut boron-necked diamonds.

It’s possible that these people are just desperately defending thier old junk and/or have never heard high end audio. But if what they’re saying is true, than the cartridge industry is a giant SCAM. If I blow 2.5k minimum on an Air Tight I better get a significant improvement over a $200 bundler — and if just all amounts to a different coloration, than that is a straight-up scam ripoff.

So guys — are these forums just BS-ing me here? Is it really a giant scam?
madavid0
stevecham
3,340 posts
 
Exactly Todd, case in point:

(All carts set up on my table with MINT LP BEST PROTRACTOR and a digital VTF scale accurate to 3 significant figures.)

I have an Ortofon Black ~$600 and a $200 Nagaoka 150. Both are great sounding cartridges, I prefer the Nagoaka.

I have a vintage Shure V15-IV I $300 and the $200 Nagaoka. Both are great and I prefer the Shure.

I have in storage for a couple of years now a VPI Aries Black Knight/JMW 10.5 arm and a couple of Lyra Delos carts. I don’t recall what I paid for all of them new about ten years ago but let’s say ~$6500.

Does that rig sound good? Heck yeah.

Am I happier and have more fun with my dumpster dive Technics table and old fart Shures, Nagaokas, Grados, Ortofons, Stantons, Pickerings and ATs, some new, some vintage? Heck yeah.

It’s not always about $$$ and it’s NOT A SCAM!

I said I wouldn’t get sucked into this but I fell for it nonetheless.

Go figure.
tketcham
291 posts
 

Hi, madavid0,

You don't happen to hang out at the HydrogenAudio forums do you?

Regards,

Tom

geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Ouch! Very ouch!
Post removed 
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
@luizfcoimbra

I will completely disregard cart/tonearm/phono synergy and compatibility issues and give you the most honest answer that I can, having myself bought and/or experienced a variety of cartridges ranging from U$200,00 to U$10,000: YES, IT MAKES A LOT OF DIFFERENCE and the upgrades are not subtle, but rather like "I CANNOT live without this improvement". I wanted to believe that there’s no difference between a thousand dollars cartridge and a four thousand dollars cartridge

I do not agree with this rule at all. Tried a few respected (brand new) $3000-5000 MC cartridges on high value various tonearms and returned to the rare vintage MM cartridges with ease. First any MM cartridge is always much cheaper than MC, but the quality and sound is not "cheaper". This is not universal rule, but carefully selected top vintage MM cartridges ara amazing and still 5-10 times cheaper. Apart from the vintage cartridges the only vintage things in my analog rig are the nos tubes, direct-drive turntables and toneamrs. I will never spend $3000 on any cartridge again and it does not make big difference to me like it makes to you. However, the cartridge is the most important component in my opinion and it’s worth to try many of them to find the one which gives us tonal satisfaction, but it is not about the price as you described it (it's about the search). $10000 for a cartridge is a nonsense, let’s face it (and don’t tell your wife). Anyone is able to build the decent sound system without spending $10000 on a cartridge. Don’t forget the used market offers, $1500 for MC and under $700 for great and very rare  MM and that’s amazing deals for superb cartridges.

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