@chakster - I think your taking shots at the high end through this new user's thread is a little misplaced. You seem to know old MM cartridges well based on what I've seen and that's a valuable contribution.
The turntable this person bought is a good one based on my experience with it. Perhaps you should take your own advice, to the effect "that there is not such things as "best" for everyone, you can only try and compare yourself." The poster did get to hear the table and is buying the set up at what is apparently a good price. Don't begrudge him that.
I read the title of the topic and that's enough, $30k for turntable is insane even if "it's good based on your opinion".
In my opinion there are many more turntables, cartridges and tonearms at better price and with better performance.
And I don't understand why any person would like to buy 1 expensive cartridge based on other people opinions instead of trying 5 different cartridges at the same total price to make his own opinion about them.
Anyway, this is just my opinion.
P.S. Apart from the MM you have mentioned above, I own and use some of the best LOMC cartridges including Miyajima, Miyabi, Ikeda, FR, Dynavector, Shelter and others. In my opinion a cartridge with $5000+ retail price is insane too (no cartridge can justice that price tag).
