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Do You Play Or Save Your Best Cartridges

I suspect I am like many here, I have a small collection of cartridges. Until recently I would keep a casual playing cartridge set up and I would save my "good" cartridges for evening listening sessions where I am focusing on listening to music at the listening chair. I always had a casual cartridge mounted on an arm, maybe an Audio Technica OC9 III or something along those lines. These days its either an Ortofon MC3000 II or MC5000. 

 

Earlier this year I finally decided to use the DAC in my Trinov pre amp, and this involved getting a subscription to Roon, and hardwiring the computer and preamp to the router with CAT 6 ethernet cable. The sound is remarkably good, to the point where this can easily be my casual listening format. 

I almost wonder if its necessary to have a casual cartridge. Or should I just play my best ones as often as I want and bite the bullet and know I am getting a new diamond fitted every few years. 

 

Anyone else go through this kind of decision process?

neonknight
fuzztone's avatar
fuzztone
5,629 posts
 

Ditch the PC for a "better" casual source. Remarks unnecessary. I pick my carts by sound desired, not mood.

 

 

rsf507
2,330 posts
 

I want the best sound and if I love the cartridge I'll buy it again once I retire it.

grislybutter
3,125 posts
 

this is a new level of insanity. Why don't you guys put the cartridge in a glass safe and watch it. You can play the song in your head :)

tablejockey
3,916 posts
 

You're only here ONCE.

Why not listen to the "BEST" setup you can afford ANYTIME you drop the needle?

 

mulveling's avatar
mulveling
1,916 posts
 

I have a strong tendency to hoard while saving the "best" for later. However, with cartridges and vinyl that rather defeats the purpose of having them in the first place. So in fact my best cartridge (Blue Lace) on my best arm (FR64S) gets the most play time. On the 2nd arm I rotate though many other MC cartridges, where no one cartridge (including other Koetsus) has emerged as a definitive #2. I keep looking for that other cart which will match the Blue Lace’s enjoyability factor - and that certainly is possible in the short term (a sonic flavor change is always refreshing) - but getting this to stick in the long run remains elusive.

That said if you have OOP / NOS cartridges in your collection, that would certainly increase the instinct to "save it for later".

* I don’t do "casual" listening here. ~ 4 - 7 hours of "focused" listening per week, which greatly reduces the burden on my best cart.

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