if you can hear the difference and can afford it, they sure do. Some people's entire system cost less than your cartridge
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?
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@grislybutter Absolutely. I am fortunate that I have a decent job, no kids and a wife that is reasonably understanding about my obsession. Some folks here have speakers that cost way more than my entire system so I guess it's all relative:) |
@macg19 of course it is. Although diminishing returns must play a role. Our ears can only do so much for us. I tend to think that there is a price point where you get the best return for a given media and room size ("normal people's" room) |
Yes, but our own auditory equipment is deteriorating daily. I'm with @mulveling on this - use your best until you discover something better. |
As many others in this thread have said, you should just pick the best one you have and play it. Then if you like it and it wears out then just get a new stylus or get a new one. The only reason I might need more than one cartridge is if I spent a lot of time listening to old mono recordings, then I might want a stereo one and a mono one. I would tend to keep one tonearm though and just have a different head with the cart on it. That's probably a moot point though as stereo listening is 99% of what I do. Pick one, sell off the others, and listen away. |
- 75 posts total