Hear my Cartridges....🎶

Dear @frogman : In good shape. Don't you think that could be more appropiated to " talk "/grade not about cartridges but about two analog rigs?

In your posts and the other gentleamans ones always refered that this cartridge is better than the " other ", Denon, Shure, Sony or whatever.

If you think that it's ok to follow stating " this cartridge " and the " other cartridge " then I would like to understand how  you aisle the cartridge it self from the analog rig is surrounded when those analog rigs are way way different and where the cartridge overall set-up: alignment, VTA/SRA, AZ, VTF and the like were fixed by Halcro self music/sound priorities and even that SPL was not matched?

It has to be a coherent explanation to talk of cartridges instead analog rigs.  I know that you have a lot of fun with but I just " wonder " about because all of you are mature audiophiles and music lovers.


Thank's in advance,

R.

Raul. We know all this. We accept the experiment as it is. Let’s call it a fun and slightly illogical and maybe flawed hueristic methodology. We trust that Halcro has selected the best combination of arm/table to enable each cartridge to perform at its best. And if we come across a better combination, he invokes it and we move on from there. 

Dear @noromance  :  " come across a better combination... "
That it's: " combination " not isolated cartridge test and gradinig it.


"""   selected the best combination of arm/table to enable each cartridge to perform at its best.... """

When we own several tonearms, headshells and TTs I know by first hand experiences that " at its best " exist but because exist too almost endless combinations for each cartridge well the task needs several months to do it only for one or two cartridges and only if you have a precise accurate repeatable test overall proccess.

Anyway I really appreciated your gentle wise answers. Just  follow with the fun !

R.

Dear Raul,

**** fun is fun and this is the thread target.****

I don’t think so. To suggest that there is no other value than fun to this thread is not fair nor accurate. With respect, it appears that you did not read all that has been written here. Lewm and Noromance have done a fine job of addressing some of your concerns. Some further thoughts:

++++ see if any of you can distinguish the differences between some of my vintage (and modern) cartridges. ++++

THAT is the “thread target” as stated by our OP. Sure, it is fun. Our hobby should be fun and we should embrace that aspect of it. We should all try it some time.

^^^^ the exercise can have value as “a starting point”; especially in the absence of the availability of cartridges to actually try oneself ^^^^

^^^^ Acknowledging the limitations of listening to music this way,^^^^

I prefaced most of what I wrote with the above comment. We have acknowledged the limitations of this methodology. Moreover, and at least speaking for myself, I have never written that any one cartridge is the “best”. In comparison to another cartridge and acknowledging the limitations one cartridge shows itself to be better than the other according to MY sonic priorities and based on what I hear. Nothing more, nothing less. Trying to establish which is the Universal “best” is futile and I don’t believe that you can determine that either. Perhaps you can for yourself and in the context of your sound system which is very different from mine or someone else’s. For instance, I happen to believe, based on my experience, that good tube amplification gets closer to the sound of live music IN CERTAIN SPECIFIC SONIC AREAS that are sonic priorities for me than even the best SS gear. I know you don’t agree with this, but the point is that in the context of such different systems the “best” in one may very well not be the best in the other.

My personal experience here, in my own systems and others’ has been that there are certain and specific sonic traits inherent in each cartridge that are consistent no matter the tonearm, turntable, mat, etc. used. For instance, each and every single time that I have heard a Shure cartridge in any system, mine or otherwise, I have heard a certain sonic character that I simply don’t like. You correctly point out that those other variables may well tilt the balance in favor of a particular cartridge in the context of another turntable set-up or overall system.

I would be interested in knowing what you yourself hear in some of these comparisons. Have some fun and feel free to “go in deep”.

Regards.

Now that the RAVEN AC-2 IS SORTED.....I need to determine the best two MM Cartridges for the Victor DD.
So for Mandrake, Houdini and any other Sorcerers, Conjurers, Illusionists or Jugglers....lets start with these two 🤔

GLANZ 610LX MM Cartridge

VICTOR X-1 MM Cartridge

VICTOR X-1 MM Cartridge

GLANZ 610LX MM Cartridge