Holly #x$& Madavid0,
I can't believe some of the replies you're getting for a pertinent
question. Some of these Files have got theirs heads right up there. Stevecham,
" I choose to save my input for a more enlightened and deserving
poster".
I ask you
Madavid0
.... how does this guy breath?
I've used various cartridges, on various tables, using various arms &
cables since the mid-70's.
I also have a life; house, cars, skis, taxes, electricity, water, add a few
more & what's left is the audio fund.
I've owned various Audio Technica's, a Nagaoka, a Grace, a Grado
Sonata, spun a Benz Glider, and listened to many a Low-MC's in the $3500 dollar
range.
Out of my own personal stuff my fave was the Grace. It cost me $300 dollars in
1980 .... about $945 in today's money - - - + arm board + set-up + tax .... say
$1200 bucks out the door.
Right now I'm setting money aside for a Dynavector-DV20X2-H, which will put
me out about $1200 bucks out the door. So dollar wise things are about the same.
What about the Grado? Well it's like several guys have posted, " it has to be set up correctly & there's got to be a synergy with your gear ".
I like the Grado, it was priced right, (new arm-board, set-up & taxes) $800 CDN out the door. It's warm, lush, quick, lovely sound stage, neutral, but it's the wrong set-up.
With my Pre-amp the 0.5 output voltage
is too weak, I should have chosen the 5.0 Sonata, which is what the Grace was.
Another stain on me was not doing enough
research concerning a Rega RB-300 arm, matched to a Grado Sonata MI
cartridge. Add an Oracle TT & we have the infamous Grado hum. (BTW) Grado
refused to assist.
To answer your question, are high-end cartridge purchases a scam? Well that depends. You're spinning records here, you're not making Ben Hurr, so what is the sound of music worth to you?
For me, Hi-Fi is one of my great joys in life, my table cost me $1800 CDN in
1980, the arm $350 & the cartridge another $300. Since then I've bought one
tone-arm (Discovery phono cable Incl) and the Grado $800, and now another grand
for the DV Dynavector. Not including the Pre-amps I've purchased, that's well
over $4 grand to spin records for 37 years. Some say that's nuts, some say
that's small potatoes.
I think you should be able to get a good starter kit (used) to spin your
records, with a new cartridge for $2500.
Will esoteric low-MC cartridges costing $3500 & up
sound leaps & bounds better than a properly set-up $1000 dollar unit? Well
.... if you have an outstanding recording to start with, a room with proper
proportions, a room with properly placed acoustic treatments, a well matched
Pre-amp and aptly matched phono cable, I'm sure a difference will be auditable.
If you work within the limitations of your resources .... I don't think so.
Enjoy your obsessions.