"HELP" tired Koetsu

TWL said: "And Clearaudio and VDH are ridiculous. The Shelter 501 will beat the VDH $5k Black Beauty, and I don't like any of the Clearaudios."

Well since I own and love my VDH black beauty, let me speak up on its behalf. In my prior setup (LP12, EkosII, Cirkus bearing, Lingo power), I was using a Monster Cable Sigma Genesis cartridge (the last model I think). I loved it. After it got old, I replaced it with a Koetsu Rosewood Signature and had it for a couple of years. I liked that warm and musical sound, very involving. I then tried the VDH black beauty and loved it. To my ears, while not as warm as the Koetsu, it is plenty warm enough, very musical and is MUCH better in transparency, resolution and sounstaging. It just creates the illusion of a performance in front of me in all its variety and detail (I listen only to classical music) in a way the Koetsu never did. It also tracks better than any other MC I have ever had. After hearing the BB, the Koetsu sounded obviously colored, as if it was imparting its own characteristic euphonic sound on every recording.

I now have my VDH BB running on a VPI TNT MkV with JMW 12.5 arm. It's an absolutely killer combo, that has me listening more than I have in years.

Sorry Jack. I thought that I might ruffle a feather or two with that comment. Just my opinion. I'm sure your rig sounds great. Different people like different things. Not everyone would like what I have.

I probably should have worded my comment a little more diplomatically. :^)

I'm glad you're listening more and enjoying it. That's what it's all about.

Jackcob, I wasn't trying to start anything, as it was my question to Twl that brought out the strong opinion. I was trying to qualify some of the information he is giving me and that gives me some frame of reference. An opinion was what I was after. I am in the throws of an analoge mid life crisis, and Twl is trying to help me out. I know that cartridges are very system dependant and as subject to taste as speakers. I have a friend that I have not seen in many years who I know for a fact is a good listener. We communicate some via e-mail now. I do trust his judgment on things of an audio nature. This friend of mine used an expensive ClearAudio MC and likes it very much. I have to assume that his system is voiced to work well with it. His system is very different than Twl's. I am sure that they both get good sound from their systems as I am confident that you do as well using the Black Beauty. In no way was I trying to stir up any bad feelings with my question. As experienced audiophiles we know that how you set up your system can be just as important, if not more so in some cases, than what gear you own. Thanks for all the info.

Twl, the McDonald's seat thing is an urban legend. Seat turnover is not an issue in your typical McDonald's. 55% of their business only uses the drive-thru and never enters the building. The number of seats in a restaurant is actually set by local building codes which usually specifies more seats than McDonald's own studies indicate are necessary. What most people see as a lack of seats is usually a problem of seat grouping and layout.

I don't have any bad feelings at all and was not upset in the least by TWL's strong opinion. I just wanted to put in a good word for my beloved black beauty. lol