Is There An "Absolute" Best Cartridge?

I applaud Raul's work, enthusiasm and sharing nature.
There is nothing wrong with the bold statement he has made, if anything it shows he has cojones de acero and demonstrates how good that cartridge is!
Those that detract or refuse to accept are not of the spirit of making this hobby fun enlightening and progressive. If Raul is wrong, he'll probably be the first to recognize it and will come forth and make a new announcement.
That link I posted a few threads back was for real and can help explain present society, do not take it for a joke.

I picked up a NOS Technics EPC-P100C-MK4 and have been playing it for about a week now. I might disagree with some of Raul's rants, but this cartridge is absolutely wonderful.
Just looking at the straight frequency response is very impressive. It lookes like someone has used a ruler!

This cartridge has amazing transparency and see thru nature all the way from the mids and upper frequencies. There is zero brightness or any tendancy for edge. The bass is different in that it does not have the weight of say my Ortofon A90. This has got better over time so will no doubt get better.

It is quite amazing how good my 30 year old Exclusive P3 DD table with 28 year old EPC-P100C-MK4 is sounding. You do begin to wonder how far analog front ends have come in 30 years if at all.

BTW, I prefer tubes over any SS amps & phono stages I have heard in my system. Not there is anything wrong with SS, if it floats your boat.

cheers

Nandric,

"Kantian apriory truths... I don't believe in any a priori truth"? I think, the Kant of the Critiques is a little more complex and useful than this. I refer to the fact that the notions regarding the "best" obviously drags up questions of "truth", "opinion" and "certainty" and these are key aspects of the radical investigations that Kant undertakes in the Critiques. Strangely, I feel that the problems that are being touched upon in this thread only reinforce that real complexity and demand an agreed and identifiably limited field of reference when we/anyone begins to make claims about 'what is the best'.

Maybe Raul would agree that his use of the term is limited to something like: "that which is most able to accurately reproduce a prerecorded event." Of course, the noted surrounding "conditions" would still leave room for variables, although these might be insignificant in a given and controlled set of circumstances.

Remember Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars III ?
"Only a Sith deals in absolutes...."......

Why has noone stated the obvious? Raul has let out his inner "Valley Girl" (or Valley Girl Sith) and the Technics 100CMk4 is just.. like... well you know, like, just the best!