What is the “World’s Best Cartridge”?

@lewm Soundsmith, as you may know, recommend using an MC input with 63dB gain. Loading is to be a minimum of 470Ω, as anything lower results in loss of high frequencies. 470 - 1000Ω is suggested.

I have the option of 10, 25, 50, 100, 400, 800, 1200 and 47kΩ on an MC input. I find Dame Janet Baker and the first of Elgar's Sea Pictures useful for this as she has a rich contralto for assessing the top end, and the tympani provide plenty of bass

47k leaves a high end peak that makes for a sound I call thin and scratchy. 1.2k improves on it, 800 is nicely balanced and rounded (probably the best and most accurate setting), 400 becomes a little bit lush, being biased towards the bass with the top end rolled off (I rather like it for musicality!). Going down to 100Ω goes too far in that direction, rather like playing clumsily with tone controls. And having reached that point and listened to the 'Sea Slumber Song' four times I didn't go lower. I'm rewarding myself with Jacqueline DuPré on the other side now.

I'm quite happy with the sound of the Sussurro at 400-800Ω: the place where it fails compared to the London Reference is in something mysterious. The latter makes me want to tap my toes or conduct as I listen. It's nothing to do with imaging as I have but one ear and no directional hearing, so no stereo for me. The sense that I'm listening to something 'live' is what I mean. I have to attribute it to the speed and responsiveness of the cantileverless Decca. And having had the first movement of Elgar's cello conc. on the Sussurro, I'm now repeating it on the other table with the Reference. The difference isn't just in the attack of the pizzicato, even the slow bowing on the C and G strings have a richer timbre with each little catch and slip of the rosin on the horsehair audible. That's what I'm going to miss when the Deccas die.

There’s no argument with your direct experience. I am a fan of MI but i don’t own any of the low output types. By now I’m surprised that other owners of Sussuro or other low output SS cartridges haven’t chimed in.

@lewm , No need to own any of the low output types Lew. Peter admitted to me that he only makes them due to market forces. He feels his high output cartridges are better, which is why I bought the Voice several years back. It is nothing but a high output Sussurro. He does not make a high output Hyperion because people looking for high output cartridges will not spend that much on a cartridge. Why is a Sussurro $2000 more expensive than The Voice? Only, and I mean ONLY because people looking for low output cartridges will pay that much, "because the market allows it," was Peter's direct response. Peter also feels his Strain Gauge is his best cartridge, which is certainly open for argument. I will say that The Voice is a spectacular cartridge for the money. It is balanced, tracks beautifully and is well put together. It is also far less demanding of phono stages and will make a relatively inexpensive stage sound stellar. My old PH3 SE sounded glorious with it.

At any rate I am very convinced Soundsmith cartridges are significantly better than any moving magnet design using similar styluses and cantilevers, and better many than many moving coil cartridges of similar construction. In my experience only when you get to moving coil cartridges in the $10,000 range with similarly priced phonostages are they superseded by a noticeable margin. 

The problem with moving coil cartridges is that it is pitifully easy to make one but very hard to make one at the state of the art. Since they garner a lot of money the profits can be huge, which is why there are so many cottage manufacturers and terrible cartridges.   

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Although I question the notion that the Sussuro is naught but a low output version of the Voice, and PL probably would too (because Sussuro intro post dates the Voice by several years and because there’s a big price gap between the two populated by several other models) I can see that your preference for the HO cartridges may hold water, given that my very favorite vintage MI cartridges are all HO types. Interesting to note that the recommended load R for Voice is greater than or equal to 47K ohms.

@mijostyn You must have caught Peter L. in his cups to make such damaging admissions!