I wonder how the Blackbird stacks up against the Glider M2 I currently use, because its price point and graphics (plus the 'nude' design, although the original Blue Point had that first) indicate to me that it's clearly intended to compete head-on in the marketplace. BTW, the Glider is certainly worthy of consideration - in no way hyped, but robustly full-bodied and 'liquid' with sufficient 'air' and 'depth', if not necessarily quite all the startling dynamics or imaging available in some (older) designs I've heard that might not be as tonally and harmonically truthful as the B-M. But I had to buy mine without benefit of being able to audition it against the current comparable leading contenders - sadly, too often the case with everything phono.
BTW, I have always found it odd (though unfortunately not atypically so) that Stereophile persists in rating this cart as 'Class C' in 'Recommended Components', despite Fremer's review of the updated Mk.2 version clearly stating it was superior to the original in every way and fully competitive at its price (in fact he hardly seemed to find fault with it), which is somewhat higher than other carts they've since classed as 'B' and even 'A'. As an owner and a subscriber, I don't know whether I ought to be glad or mad that their perniciously pervasive 'grade creep' seems not to be retroactive...
