TESTING DIFFERENT DECKS AND ARM COMBOS


Just for discussion purposes I am posing this.

Many people that review - nay almost everyone - says that when testing a component against another you do a direct comparison without changing a thing save that component therefore same everything but the cartridge or tonearm.

 

I have wondering if this is a bad approach or not as I am contemplating a bake off at home. My EMT is optimised for an EMT 929arm and EMT cartridge; Amazon Model One Transfiguration; JVC QL10 (not sure but i reckon good mm so Pickering XSV4000); Townshend Rock (london decca - sadly not got one)

 

My rationale is that lets say you race a car rounda track you don't put Porsche 911 tyres (including the wheel and tyre) onto say a mercedes CLK - yes it will work but it is not optimised.

 

I am not a reviewer - but that said I think the whole front end optimised approach is the best. What say you and why?

lohanimal

Many cars, you can run 'normal' tires/rims or change to mag rims, low profile tires.

Superior handling with the mag/low profile; but watch out for potholes ...the rims damage easily.

@lewm its more a discussion as to what is a better form of evaluating a component or system 

If for a publication, and if you are comparing A to B, then you ought to keep everything else constant, like you said. If it’s for yourself, then there are no rules. Because you own all the gear, and you would have a sense of how each piece contributes to the total SQ. So you, better than any third party, would be able to assess the effect of a single component, by moving it from one system to another. Also, you don’t have to put your opinion into words; you can do it all in your head and with your own senses.  I have 5 turntables and two completely separate audio systems. By moving cartridges and tonearms around, I have learned a lot about interactions, how a cartridge can be mediocre in one tonearm in one system and then sound exceptional in another setting.  But I wouldn't foist my findings on anyone else, except as a casual observation.

Before covid, it was and is nearly impossible to directly compare alternates to: this TT with that arm with which cartridge.

OEM TT with OEM arm, then comparing different cartridges is far easier.

Break the rules, alternate arm, opens pandora’s box.

I say Hello Pandora. Find 3 physically compatible choices TT/ARM/CART you really want, and expect them to play very nicely. Then off to alternate cartridges in the future.

Always 'think long' if you remember to. I got lucky, bit by bit fell into place.