Is There An "Absolute" Best Cartridge?

Dear Halcro: What I discern through that process is not only the obvious but more important what is not obvious even by you that are the ornwer system.

My method/process is the one that ( between other things and one way or the other ) permit that many people now are enjoying other analog source alternative like you with your great Empire 1000 ZE/x.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Dear Danwkw: I can't agree more with you on your post.

Btw, maybe could be interesting that you can test/try some time in the near future the MM/MI vintage analog source alternative, these humble items are so good that through them you can discover a new " audio world " that the AHEE had hidden for you.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

OK. Now I think I can place the Azden cartridge. It is a great one for sure. Now I have to go listen to more different cartridges and also try the Azden in different set-ups, before I could ever give it a rating on a 1 to 10 scale. (But surely is up there at between 8 and 10 based on my past.

Raul, you have to realize that until I "took the plunge" about 2-3 years ago, I never before owned more than one turntable/tonearm/cartridge at any one time. And turntables lived in my system for a very long time between "upgrades" from one to the next. I never would have believed that tonearms (once one limits oneself to "good" ones) and turntables of a similar cost and quality could sound so different and affect one's impression of a cartridge so greatly. For stimulating me to embark upon this learning experience, I do thank you, Raul, and I also have to thank the Lenco users for first provoking me to think outside the belt-drive box. That odyssey led to this one.

Thanks for the clarification Raul.
What I gather you are saying......is that your 'test' tracks are really used for a system 'diagnosis'. In other words, to assure yourself that the turntable/arm/cartridge combination is setup to its optimum capabilities?

I'm not sure exactly how you can 'nullify' the characteristics of the various speaker systems which can project differently, those sonic clues you are listening for?
And yes Raul, I am still enjoying the fabulous Empire ZE/X thanks to you.

Dear Halcro: Yes.

+++++ " I'm not sure exactly how you can 'nullify' the characteristics of the various speaker systems " +++++

examples: looking for system/item resolution I take the PB track and the first step is try to hear/heard how many Patricia breaths you can discern in the first three minutes of that track: here I don't care about speakers or my preferences, I only have to count.
In the same track ( somewhere ) I have to discern how the system/item perform when the battery/drum player hit ( several fast hitting. ) the big cymbal in the outer cymbal place/side: some items only can give you a shshshshsh sound when in other with better resolution you can hear the initial stick hit ( each one ) followed for the shshshshsh: again I don't care about preferences or the like, it has the resolution or not.
There is other part on that same cymbal where the player hits in the inside cymbal part where different items give you different resolution level.

In the Hotel California track between other things I use it for azymuth where I/you either don't care about preferences or system signature.

That's why is very difficult that a process of this kind can fail, certainly is not perfect but IMHO and due to my experience on it is 90%-95% secure.

You can " design " your own process and over the time with practice you can attain that same 90%-95% of confidence with.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.