Is There An "Absolute" Best Cartridge?

What about the Munich hifi show in May?

I have the "magical" Technics EPC-P100C-MK4 & Ortofon A90.

Raul can bring his vdh aligned Technics EPC-P100C-MK4

Dertonarm - you can bring a miyabe and your secret cartridge.

Lewm can bring his Ortofon M20FL super as the overachieving low cost cart.

Syntax, what are you going to bring?

Now, lets spend the next month debating about what gear to put with these wonderful cartridges.

Then we can debate what music we each want to play.

with so many variables, there will be many different results one would guess :-)

It may still go back to individual taste

Dertonarm,

There must be a way that you could both select your preferred set up (the one in which you feel your best cartridge performs to its optimum)and let others judge the merits of each. If you were then both free to issue personal invitations, surely there would be some mileage in such a comparison.

I suspect this would move many forward in their pursuit of audio excellence and it would certainly demonstrate the merits of many significant claims. Of course, this would depend on you and Raul demonstrating your commitment to advancing the world of audio, which must be a key part of a site such as Audiogon and related claims?

Hi Downunder, great suggestion!
I'll be there.
Let's make the shoot-out at TW's room.
Bet he will be delighted to see a few of us.........;^) .....

Dear Downunder, Munich is an splendid idea . For me a piece of cake to get there from Holland. There is however a
problem. This Dertonarm guy seems to be very strong and he
is,besides, an descendant from very dengerous German warriors. Ie I would like to come back to Holland a live.
I have no horses for the competioon but intend to bring my
ears with me. But my proviso is twofold:
1. the winning horse should be decided by secret vote,
2. Dertonarm should promise in advance not to cause eny harm to me .
Ragrds,

Follow-up to Downunder's proposal:
how about everyone can name 3-5 records and one tonearm to work with and demonstrate the respective cartridge(s).
Maybe we will find a distributor/exhibitor who is interested in working with us and use the shoot-out as special promotional event.
Syntax - if interested at all - can join with his Miyabi and an Olympos.
I can even bring a small TT with me - equipped with my tonearm of choice.

Furthermore we could set-up a listening session at my private home - which is only a 45 minute drive from the show and situated at a lovely lakeside with great beer-garden and outstanding panorama view of the northern alps.

Meeting in person could get the egos and the posing out of the way and this could really be fun and refreshing to all.
And it would finally give real impressions - first hand ones - to everyone about the individual listening preferences of the other.
I know at least - off hand - 8 other Audiogoners who will certainly not wanna miss that.

And yes Downunder - in the very end each and everyone of us will always return to his individual taste.
Its natural - and frankly, would anyone prefer it any different?