What is the “World’s Best Cartridge”?

“There is this thing called listening” - mikelavigne

So simple, so basic and so true.

How ironic (and absurd) the notion that the final judgment of what equipment is best in the context of a given system, in a given room, should be made by anything other than LISTENING. Last time I checked the purpose of an audio system is listening (to music). The idea that lowest possible measured (measurable) distortion necessarily makes a piece of equipment sonically superior is equally absurd. How many examples of equipment with great measurements that sounded mediocre, even poor, have we all experienced?

Just what is it about those who rely so much on measurements that drives them to denigrate the experience of those who base their final judgment on listening? I have to think that the reason is simply insecurity in their own ability to listen critically. So, those who claim to hear what they themselves can’t hear must be deluded “golden ears”; or, are “biased” and just “used to” a certain (distorted) sound.

As is the case with many issues outside of audiophilia, those who make the most noise are often the least reliable source of truth.

Anyone remember Justin Wilson?  He was an old Cajun that had an entertaining cooking show on TV some years ago. 
 

After preparing an elaborate Cajun dish, he was asked…”Justin, what kind of wine would you recommend with that?”  
 

His infamous answer…”the kind you like”.

@mikelavigne , I hate to tell you this but you never owned an MC Diamond.  They were just released. I have one of the very first ones in the country and it isn't even in my hands yet. 

With the availability of rare earth magnets, strangling a cartridge with field coils is a silly proposition and as I said before, what you think it sounds like means absolutely zero to me. I would never buy one or even look at it because it is a Rube Goldberg device. You are absolutely entitled to enjoy yours.

@rsf507 , You bet. The Platinum Signature is a little Jewel. It has the tiniest stylus I have ever seen. It is typical of the best cartridges. Nothing stands out immediately. You have to listen to a few albums you know to get the lay of the land. It is balanced, detailed, dynamic and the bass in transimpedance mode is the best I have ever heard. ( I have not listened to the Lyra or the Ortofon yet. They are payed for but not yet in my hands.) The tracking has been flawless. When I have all three cartridges I will make digital files of them playing the same material and put them on line. I expect they will sound very similar. 

@dover , I auditioned the strain gauge at Peter's listening room. He spent two hours with me. I really wanted to like the strain gauge but it was just too sharp on female voices and violins for my taste. The Hyperion is more to my liking. From the Voice upwards Peter makes a great cartridges. You can't go wrong with any of them. The Strain gauge is a unique outlier but it is not an easy nut to crack. My sense is that Peter like's the challenge. He also admits and will tell you that the Hyperion can handle over twice the velocity the strain gauge can tolerate. 

I listen at 95 dB to material that warrants it. That is quite a bit softer than 100 dB.

My hearing, like anyone my age is slightly rolled off on top. I compensate by boosting the treble from 12 kHz up at 6 dB/oct.  

Well, then that should make the Dava, with its purported 6db HF rise, the perfect cartridge for you 😊.

((Sorry, couldn’t resist.)