Anybody with an expensive TT try this????

Winn, I don't disagree with you either. So there!

Swampwalker's mantra:

And I'll repeat my mantra- high resolution transducers at either end of the chain (for analog, cart and speakers) will spotlight deficiencies up or downstream as the case may be) like you wouldn't believe.

Truer words...

Our first truly high end component, just by chance not by design, was our B&W N803 speakers (since upgraded to 803D's). The N803's were an upgrade directly from Bose 901's, so the increase in resolution was enormous - not your typical upgrade. We now had studio quality transducers playing whatever (crappy) signal we fed them.

This gave us the ability and drove the necessity to investigate weaknesses and limitations of every downstream component, from wiring in the wall and resonances in the floor to power cords and conditioning to source components to everything in the amplification chain and signal path.

It's a slippery slope. We started out looking for a $3-4K HT setup. Five years later we had a $60K+ two channel monster. Be careful what you wish for.

I have a Triplanar Mk7 on the Atma-Sphere 208 'table. My regular cartridge lost a channel, and for about 2 weeks the only thing I had was a Grado Green, which is not expensive at all.

It tracked fine in the Triplanar- so I tortured it with a few tracks and it held up well. It didn't sound as good- things were a bit more forward and tilted to the highs (although there was plenty of bass energy). So I experimented with loading and it calmed down a lot! In fact I was able to enjoy the music without dealing with a lot of artifact once it was loaded (about 12,000 ohms on my system BTW).

I still like my regular cartridge better, but really, the difference was not as profound as I had expected. I think that a lot of people think less of cheap cartridges simply because they never hear them with top end arm/table/preamp/etc.

Dear Atmasphere: +++++" I think that a lot of people think less of cheap cartridges simply because they never hear them with top end arm/table/preamp/etc. " +++++

I can't say and agree more that what you posted.

Normally top end analog rig comes along very high price LOMC cartridges, no one with these kind of systems ever think on a " cheap " cartridge even less if is MM/MI ones.

All we know that $$$$ not tell the whole history on item quality performance, there are many factors that thorugh its complex relationship tell the true history.

I consider fortunate the day ( around three years ago ) that I decide to test/try cheap MM/MI cartridge to see what happen and to my surprise happen unexpected things where I find that many of those cheap cartridges are great performers.

I already try very cheap cartridges but come to my mind a 50.00 one the Andante P-76 that IMHO can compete with cartridges in the 3k-5k price range.

I think that we have to take advantage that our each one audio system is a lot better than " yesterday " and this give a fair opportunity to cheap cartridges.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Thanks for all your responses. I will try a cheap one if my Benz L2 ever fails. Mike

Mike, in order to get away with that, the same rules of compatibility with your arm apply- effective mass, mechanical resonance, that sort of thing. IOW you have to apply the same care in selection for your arm like you do with an expensive cartridge, or the results will not be so good.