Best MM?

Dear @lewm : The real subject down there is MARKETING where the very high price of items as in this case cartridges makes that the hiogher the price more desirable for gentlemans/audiophiles that in reality has ( not all of them. ) poor knowledge level in MUSIC/Audio and even don't know what are looking for paying those high prices other than show it to their friends that are with poor knowledge levels but always impressed by the high price of his friend cartridge.

What could happens if that Coral stone or the Blue Lace or the Goldfinger goes for 5K: something easy no one of those gentlemans buy it because are not so expensive.

We have here in Agon and other internet forums really whealthy gentlemans as could be downunder,syntax and several others and they prefers and sometimes even laughs about cartridges  at 1K-2K dollars.

Dop you think that any of these gentlemans can buy from me the ADC 26/27 cartridge of the 60's that outperforms the EPC100CMK4 and even any today top LOMC cartridge?, no way.

That kind of ADC cartridge is not to humble for them but not something they can be proud to show to their audio friends.

The relation-ship between price and quality level ratio really disappeared many years ago and disappeared mainly by our each one ignorance and that's why manufacturers takes advantage of  each one of us and this trend will follows and seems to me that's nothing that could styop it.

In other thread some one ask if the high price of tonearms is a rip-off and some one posted that maybe it's and told the OP that in cartridges is even worst.

Am I saying that cartridges must stay in a 1K-2K price range?, no not really could go a little higher but not to that 15K-28K that is totally unjustified no matter what.

The other issue is that the gentlemans that bougth those cartridges at those very high prices are really satisfied with even proudly of it and the question to all of them could be: why are you satisfied with, compared against what?

R.

@orpheus10 

The Pickering and Stanton cartridges I saw on the jukeboxes were Mono, just like the music on those 45's. Some people claim it's better than stereo.

  
As i said earlier in this post High-End cartridges does not comes with a Jukebox, but it would be nice to have analog jukebox for free. Also Jukeboxes does not comes with High-End cartridges from Stanton/Pickering. In my opinion stereo is better than mono, 99% of my vintage 45s are stereo. I like stereo better than mono. 

Sorry i've never tried a Koetsu, but if you will check the link below you will find comparison between Fidelity-Research FR-7 series versus Koetsu Coralstone. The price for FR-7f and even for FR-7fz (the best one) is still much cheaper than Koetsu.  

Old thread: https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/mc-cartridge-mini-shootout-spu-koetsu-fr-ikeda 

And updates: https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/fidelity-research-cartridges?highlight=fidelity-research%2Bcartridges 

Ckakster, jukeboxes in the city were the only high end; maybe you're thinking of jukeboxes in "podunk". Gangsters fought wars over whose jukebox would be where.

I would not have fed those jukeboxes with quarters for jive time music; they were composed of state of the art parts, like custom tube amps, beside the best cartridges and 45 turntable.

Jukeboxes were the only high end in the 60's for the ordinary person.

Chakster, the cartridges on jukeboxes were quite visible, and that brush on the end of the Pickering cartridge was unforgettable.

The jukeboxes I'm talking about were in sophisticated lounges that also featured live entertainment. The same professionals that installed sound systems in high end salons, also installed them in these lounges. Evidently you have no idea how important the sound system and music was to a lounge.

    These were among the cartridges they used;


        https://www.google.com/search?q=pickering+xv-15+625e&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=6...:

Among those of us on this thread, only a few who have taken the mega-expensive leap are qualified to dispute the proposition.

You actually don't need to own these 'uber-cartridges' to 'hear' them Lew.....
Fremer has been uploading high-res digital rips of various cartridge tests on his Analogue Planet Website for a while now, and not one of them has ever had the expensive LOMC (like the Anna and Atlas SL) as the winner (voted by the readers) against cheap current MM cartridges....
Why does this fact not resonate with wealthy audiophiles....?
See Raul's answer 🤥
Here is a Link to WTBF where you can actually hear YouTube uploads of uber-priced cartridges like VdH Colibri Master Signature ($12,000), Air Tight Opus 1 ($15,000), Clearaudio Goldfinger Statement ($16,000), Lyra Atlas SL ($13,000).
https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/hear-it-yourself.26355/

Be aware that these cartridges are playing on a new $200,000 turntable  through $300,000 horn speakers.
The music is unfortunately undemanding.....but listen carefully and tell me that you haven't heard equivalent sound from cheaper cartridges in your systems.....?!