thoughts on the Madrigal Carnegie One

You know, audio is a lot like an ice cream parlor. It's all about flavors where one man's trash is another man's treasure. Me? I like a lot of flavors, and I wouldn't have at any other way. :)

I was going to try one of these a couple months back. Someone (with little or no feedback) had a NOS for sale at 595. I just happened to catch the post when it was under 10 views. I sent a full price offer email and a system full price offer. I did not hear back until the next day when the seller said that he had _so many_ offers and that I could make a (much) higher offer--I guess I was the first offer- he never said.

I thought that this was not in the spirit of Audiogon so I passed. Someone else though here thinks these are good...

I heard they are dry sounding.

Comments?

Peter

I wonder if that was the same guy that offered a pair of VTL amps on Audiogon and claimed that so many people responded that he obviously priced them too low and wanted me to pay more than his original asking price. He tried to tell me that he had already received offers that were $200 over his original asking price and wanted to know what I was willing to pay. I didn't take the bait either. It did make me mad though.

I have owned both the Carnegie and the BP; and used both in the same two arms, ET2 (linear track/air bearing, and Syrinx PU3 pivoting). IMO, there is no comparison between the two; except that they are both mc's. The Carnegie is a true high-end cartridge, with a lot of refinement. It is very open sounding. I don't mean huge soundstage, but open because the sound has very little grundge, and the images are very well defined. I disagree that it is not dynamic. It is, but it is a little lean. Bass extension is good, but not particularly full. The BP, to me, has always been very overrated. I found it to be crude sounding, with an unusual sonic personality. Everything I played with it took on a strange, almost "cartoonish" sonic personality.
I did not like it at all. I believe the two are in very different sonic classes. The Carnegie would be a huge step up from the Goldring, the BP would be a step down, IMO.

You have a nice system, I would pass on the BP. If you can get a guarantee on the Carnegie from the dealer, that would be my choice between the two. Remember that the Carnegie is a low output coil, and may not have enough output for your system. Another reason to try it first. And, as has been mentioned, the condition of the suspension is a big issue. Good luck.

Frogman and I are in complete agreement. It also comes to mind that there are a number of other cartridges in the under $500 category that I would prefer over the BP, including any single one of the best vintage NOS MM/MI cartridges that have been under discussion in the "other" thread. If you are afraid of "vintage", think about the Garrott P77i or the better Nagaoka cartridges that are available as new manufactured items. But to stick to the question at hand, Madrigal is the answer.