MM Cartridge or MC Cartridge

Dear Handymann: I don't know if you still use that PL-71 but if you still did then maybe it is not the best time to LOMC cartridges.

In the other side if you fulfill the specific MM/MI cartridge needs then IMHO maybe you don't need to go with LOMC cartridges .

Anyway, for less than those 600.00 you can buy two very good MM/MI quality performers here on Agon ads, these cartridges are the Azden one and the Ortofon M20FL Super, both IMHO compete easily with cartridges in the 3K price range..

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

To get back to serious business; there are conflicting notions about what is "RIGHT" in audio. Some, including my esteemed sparing partner, think that all that is necessary to lift the scales from the eyes of the erring is for them to hear THEIR system. If I ever thought this it has been so long age that I cannot recall it. My firm conviction is that if you have a panel of competent listeners [anyone who reads this is qualified] listen to MC vs MM, Tube VS SS , Godzilla vs Mothra, whatever; that there will be a range of opinions, none of which will be "wrong". I do not mean that there is no difference between good and bad gear; I am talking about preferences among good gear. Far too many engage in a protracted search for the "best" instead of looking for what THEY like. In my more active dealer days the first thing I would do was attempt to discover what the person was looking for, not what I wanted to sell him. I was not a terribly successful dealer as most people want to be told what is good; I knew many that excelled at this. All ears differ, all tastes differ, all equipment is flawed to some degree. When my friends, all of whom are longtime audiophiles,and I listen we usually agree on the character of the equipment we listen to but often differ as to which is better. Of course this extends to the music we listen to as well; they may listen to my choices with toleration and I do the same with theirs. I have my personal preferences but I don't expect them to be shared universally. I am not ego involved with my choices to the degree that I become violently upset when these are not shared. I profoundly wish this was the norm.

Readers should know that Stan forgot to include the email in which he threatened to "kick my a**" to which I responded as he indicated.

Then he wrote an email asking me to visit him and bring the "weapon of my choice". He'd probably pi** his pants and then go into cardiac arrest.

He conveniently omitted his parts in this passion play.

I saved all the emails if anybody's interested.

Yoo-hoo Handyman. You still here? Decided on what you're going to do yet?

I would send it to a cartridge retipper and IF the compliance match to your arm was appropriate (and it probably shouldn't be too far off if the Maestro was suggested to you), I would buy a used MM cartridge (like the ones Raul mentioned) here on Audiogon to tide you over until it gets back. You could sell either one on when it gets back, and you would have good music until then.