If it sounds 'great', everything is ok?

I know that if I took my car to a service center,paid good money for a service and was told that they did it by ’feel’. When they ’felt good’ about the intervention, that was all the car needed. I would feel ripped off.

If I went to catch a commercial jetliner and they said that the pilot didn’t learn how to fly. The new policy is that they abandon the instruments and do it by ’feel’. No training neccessary. I would never fly again.

If you aren’t serious about cartridge set up and want to do it by ’feel’. Go ahead. It is your property. Do what you wish.

clearthinker

everything's relative.

your example: .4g extra on 2.5g is +16% 

1. 2M Black specs say track at 1.4 to 1.7g.

2.9 g is +1.2g, which is +71% of OEM's max tracking force.

Something else is wrong if this extra 71% is needed. 

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Not only more wear on it's expensive Shibata tip, and more wear on the grooves: it must be restricting the proper movement without and within.

the suspension/compliance/magnet movement within the body are in no way close to their design parameters.

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Cantilever Material? Ortofon info does not mention it. I found a 2M LVB 250 upgrade that has Boron. I therefore 'presume' 2M Black is Aluminum.

It won't take much time for that aluminum cantilever to deflect from the extra weight, becoming a 'low rider', WRONG VTA will result.

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His entire TT setup needs to be re-evaluated. TT Deck level? Platter Level to Deck; Arm properly mounted: proper Spindle to Pivot, parallel/perpendicular to the deck/platter.

Cartridge: overhang, two null points alignment, proper cartridge tightening; Arm height (parallel to LP when in the groove. Azimuth from Front, VTA from side when in he groove. Now factory tracking force; now anti-skate.

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This is exactly why I recommend everybody acquire the simple tools, and practice setup until they find it is not as hard as anticipated. Or make friends with someone nearby; or pay someone to set it up in your home.

Where does your friend live? Perhaps a member here lives nearby. Anywhere near Plainfield, NJ?

If it sounds good to him, that’s all that matters.  I have a friend from collage who still has the receiver and speakers he bought in the seventies, and he still is very happy with the sound. I’ll never tell him he’s wrong.

though I also know people who were "happy" with their system's sound until they heard something they actually liked a lot more, and wasn't expensive...,so it's also very relative to knowing what your options actually are...so maybe it sounds great, but might sound "greater" if properly set up - either way, no worries...

Cracks me up.  Troll post if I ever saw one.  All these armchair quarterbacks convinced that if it sounds great, something must be wrong!