Is There An "Absolute" Best Cartridge?

Dear Lewm: You already had and has to much time with the Azden and seems to me that you are less than satisfied with.

It is hard with out heard your cartridge sample what's going on because the Azden quality performance is first rate after 20 hours.

There are many factors that could affect its performance and mainly how the cartridge is surrounded to play ( your system. ) that I don't want to analyze this time.
What I want to put on the table is that due that these cartridges are really vintage ones ( 25-35+ years old. ) even if like the Azden are NOS items it is for sure that thre is differences between samples on the same model and maybe your sample is not right on specs against other Azden cartridges like mine or the other people that love it.
You own different tonearms and have wide experience on cartridge set up and fine tunning, my advise is that you try it not only in different headshells but different tonearms.

+++++ " But then I have to ask myself whether it was just fortuitous that there is a particular affinity between the Azden and those tracks that I like to use as standards, because on some less familiar material, the Azden does not always crush the competition. " +++++

different cartridges different distortions, maybe and just maybe you and the Azden are out of " synergy ".

Anyway, try to find the Acutex.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Hello Raul,

I love reading your posts because your excitiment and enthusiam is contagious. I'd love to be able to get my hands on Acutex or Techniques to hear what you feel is the best.....but where do you find these?

They seem to be unobtainable.

Can anybody advise the differences between the Acutex 312, 315 and 320 III bodies - are they the same and it is only the stylus-cantilever that differs between the models, or is each body manufactured to different specifications?

Pardon my ignorance of this detail but any help would be gratefully appreciated in the search for low cost MM nirvana.

Cheers,

Alex L

Dear Alexl7333: LPM 315 and 320 share same cartridge body/motor but not the 312.

regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Dear No_regrest: The source is the net, you have to convert in a " hunting man " on MM/MI cartridges.

It is a patience work but the rewards are very often great ones.

Our time ( today ) IMHO is the best time to try to find and test these vintage and humble MM/MI cartridges. We can find it at " ridiculous " low prices and enjoy it with our current audio system that is a lot lot better than the one we owned 30-40 years ago that is the time where all those cartridges " belong ".

I really think that the people that already give ( and give him self ) an opportunity ( where no one has nothing to loose. ) to this analog source MM/MI alternative have the privilege a unique privilege to hear/heard a " new " audio experience with notable differences on the LOMC alternative.

Yes, IMHO this is the time and maybe never come back because this analog source alternative is not part of the AHEE.

I have to say that the MM/MI alternative is so good that even cartridge owners with system limitations on a better set up : load impedance/capacitance/direct connection on P-mount ones or samples with integrated headshell, etc. are enjoying it even that are not on optimum circumstances!!!

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.