Thanks to Raul.

If you expect to learn, you need an open mind. So why are some folks so critical of suggestions to try vintage cartridges, moving magnet (or iron) designs, tonearms with removable headshells, headshells of varying mass or resonance, etc.?

Raul brings to the table an extensive experience with a large number of components, a passion for the joys of live music, a willingness to help with any honest question, and a true sincerity with his advice and comments. Too bad for those who refuse to admit there can be another viewpoint other than the currently favored "audio mantra". And not to suggest Raul only offers contrarian views, but from some comments I've read I think he is sometimes discounted as -- that guy that still uses MM cartridges. Such close-mindedness suggests those folks will not learn something from a gentleman who has much to teach.

Dear Pryso: +++++ " So why are some folks so critical of suggestions to try vintage cartridges, moving magnet (or iron) designs, tonearms with removable headshells, " +++++

Many times in our all today " work/live " happen that we are looking for an " answer " and we don't take in count that that answer we have just " in front of us/in our face ".

This is/was what happened to me about till my mind show me that there are some right answers to the same " question " where those answers could be the right ones at the same time but how to know which one is just " the answer ", well only trying/testing with an " open mind " like you say with out taking in count " myths/paradigms " on the subjects.

In the cartridge area/stage it is a very hard call to say ( everything the same ) which cartridge is a better one MC against other MC or against an MM cartridge, we know that are many parameters that make almost impossible to give us an answer about but the most critical one is/are our music sound reproduction priorities and this fact is the one that create a lot of controversies out there.

Anyway, I like MC and MM cartridges which one is better?: hard to say because overall the sound of the best ones are really right on target but sounds little different each other. At the end of the day I try to achieve the best of any cartridge and enjoy it, have I some preferences? yes I have it but are a very subjective ones.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

I wanted to shoot for the top. So I bought the Clearaudio Goldfinger V.2-d. And the Aesthetix IO Signature with duel power supplies (I Guess you can say no more messing around).

Roger

Raul is a great source of information. His advice lead me to try MM cartridges, one of which I hope to hear this week which is my B&O MMC 2. Raul mentions this cartridge in his threads and it happened that I found one NIB in storage that I originally purchased for an RX-2 table (which I also found in storage). I just mounted it today using the Soundsmith adapter on my Micro Seiki MA-505. Unfortunately I broke an already flimsy headshell lead so I have to wait on a replacement before I finish setting everything up. I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that the suspension hasn't rendered the cartridge unusable as it sure looks like a low rider when it hits the LP.

LPGear happens to be in Henderson, NV about 20 minutes from Las Vegas. They have a Nagaoka MP-500 and AT150MLX that I'm going to look into as well based on Raul's recommendations. Should be a fun summer.

Dear Radrog: Good move, specially the Goldfinger!!! well the IO too: congratulations for that!

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.