2. analog
  3. 182176-174921

Relative Importance of Analog Components

We see people struggling with what to upgrade next, or where to direct their attention if everything seems to be working fairly well. I'm probably a bit more inclined to give more importance to sources and less to speakers than most people, but in general I like to look at which component is the 'rate-limiting factor' which one holds back the rest and then concentrate on improving that.

But to look specifically at vinyl reproduction, I have the strong impression that out of the four main components, they can be ordered in importance of potential effect on sound like this:

Cartridge

Phono stage

Tonearm

Turntable

I'm sure other people would list those four in a different order. How would you rank them and why?

 

dogberry
grislybutter
2,309 posts
 

I am seriously freaking out, has he always been like this? Does he have children in the basement?

dogberry OP
571 posts
 

😁 We're all different and I'm pretty tolerant of neurodiversity, which tends to come into play on audio forums. But even I, broad-minded as I am, don't want to look in the basements belonging to any of you. I don't even like looking in my own.

grislybutter
2,309 posts
 

at least I don't have a basement - living on top of a rock :)

pindac's avatar
pindac
2,452 posts
 

@grislybutter As an observer of your contributions, I fail to see how your input is anything else, but in debasement.

You're claiming you are a Gon Member as  "here to learn", good luck with that one.

Good luck with anything else you are working on to attain as well, through your participation. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ag insider logo xs@2x
rauliruegas
12,832 posts
 

Dear @dogberry and gentlemans :Could be good that all of us make an " excersice " asking our self a hypothetical question:

All of us already sold the only one cartridge we owned and now we need to look for a new and better cartridge, so we have several choices about but before we can pull the trigger at least we have to make our self 3-4 questions to be sure the choosed cartridge will be " happy " in each one audio system. Questions for our self in no order:

 

the choosed cartridge will be a good match with the owned tonearm? no alignment issues in between ?. Btw, I’m with @mijostyn : the tonearm/cartridge is a UNITY.

In the other side we have to ask:

 

has my phono stage enough clean gain to handle the cartridge? has my phono stage a wide overload range?

 

I think we don’t need to ask about the TT because the cartridge choice depends mainly on the tonearm/phono stage but not on the TT.

If one of those question has a negative answer then we have to think in a new cartridge choice or in a new tonearm/phono stage.

 

Cartridge depends 100% of those two audfio system links for that cartridge shows at its best..

 

For me those will be my priorities .. What do you think, which is yours?

 

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,

R.

 

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