Is There An "Absolute" Best Cartridge?

Dear Halcro: When you start with this kind of process " things " could be frustrated till you learn the relationship of those track you choose and learn to discern what is happening but when you have the right practice ( this could be take it months or years depend on each person. I take months but the " refinement " in the process take me years. What am I saying with " process refinement "?, that I now achieve that 90%/95% of confidence ( no fails. )) you can make the whole precise process in less than a hour, sometimes more time that depend on the item/system performance.

This " fast track " process is the one that permit that I can test so many cartridges in a short time with IMHO :success or any other audio item or audio system even if I'm hearing it for the first time.

I hope that Downunder now could understand why the " cartridge of the week/month " like he say.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Sorry about the above post. I thought I was on the MM/MI thread at the time. I do not claim that the Azden YM-P50VL is the "absolute" best cartridge, by any means. The rest of that post was OT, too.

Dear Downunder: +++++ " I have had it on my P3 for a couple of months now - and it passes the long term satisfaction test easily, not just the short term WOW factor.
This is the only way to judge a cartridge, or any piece of equipment - not just a few hours or a day or so of joy. " +++++

certainly that was not " the only way to judge a cartridge " because through my " fast track " process I achieve and know in precise way what take you two months.
Different " roads " to get the same target. IMHO there is NO " the only way " in this matter.

Another " only ":
+++++ " It is the only MM cartridge I have heard that is truely world class. the others are just nice and a bit of fun to play with. " +++++

Well the Technics is so good tha's IMHO is almost impossible that could performs in poor way. There are many reasons why other cartridges you own does not performs as " world class " ones:

- wrong tonearm matching
- wrong cartridge set up
- wrong impedance/capacitance loads.
- no direct connection in a 4P-mount cartridge model.
- not fully broken.
- due to its aged: cartridge out of specs.
- does not makes synergy with your " ears ".
- even phono stages not up to the task.
- or maybe your syste$$$$ has no " world class " performance.

these and other factors has a definitive influence in any cartridge quality performance level.

I don't know for sure what is happenning on your system than with other MM/MI cartridges you can't achieve a better quality performance when many people with the same cartridges already did.
Maybe you have to try again and hard on the subject.

regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Dear Lewm: Thank's to clarify about.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Dear friends: A new " The Best " member:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?ranlg&1275323834

highly recommended and not to dificult to find like the Technics or the Acutex " The Best " members.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.