Regards, Bydso: "Lacta alex est" - The die is cast, forgive me I can't resist.
Out of water, an octopus is an ungainly, flaccid, pulpy mass with stringy tentacles, knobby suckers and bulging eyes. In the water, it is a thing of grace, endowed with fluidity of movement, a mesmerizing blending of coloration and undoubtedly attractive to the eye, to that of a lady octopus at least. As there is no accounting for taste, there are those (barbarians) who eat the innocent cephalopod while reclining in their bowers, an octopus' garden of a different sort. The octopus comes in a variety of "flavors", there is the common, the giant, even a Croatian common. Cartridges, like the octopus, do best in an environment best suited to their requirements.
Cartridges offered to the audiophile come in a variety of configurations Which is preferred is a matter of set and setting. Palate and place give direction to the synthesis encountered in a knowledgable listeners' system, there are those who think the act of (musical) reproduction should bring satisfaction to the participant, B. F Skinner quote: A piece of music is an experience to be taken by itself. And: Going out of style isn't a natural process, but a manipulated change which destroys the beauty of last year's dress in order to make it worthless. I believe MC carts are currently in vogue?
Carts, blind men & the religious experience. The three blind men raised their hands & felt an elephant. One the trunk, another a leg, the third the pachyderm's side. "The elephant is like a snake", said one. "A log" said the second. "Like a wall", opined the third. I heard a cart that rolled off at 18kHz, a veritable festival of resonance, it was a MC with a conical stylus/aluminum cantilever. This is my proof that a MC cart has a limited hf response. I heard a MM cart that, measured, makes 45k without breaking a sweat.
I now have "faith" in the superior capability of MM carts to reproduce hf signals, it is my postulate that MCs are inferior in this capacity. The difficulty is in that postulates defy reason, those who are interested in verification seek broader confirmation. Those who would verify through measurement or are limited by an impression derived from an inadequate sampling or optimization forget that purity and perfection is not to be described in terms of either generalities or universals. Context and point of apprehension are relative.
Although some are willing to sacrifice MM carts on the alter of MC religion, others are more eclectic in their devotions. If you've not considered an MM alternative and open to the suggestion, you might visit Raul's review of the AT20SS.
Peace,
