Fremer's review of the Anna cartridge

Judyasblues, Did you notice that that bit of slander from Romy the Cat was written in 2006? Mike himself has admitted that he was a bit naive in those days in his choice of audio gear, and by all accounts including his, he has come a long way since then, even assuming that Romy really did the extensive investigation that he claims, to back up his colorful insults. Can you give Mike a break, or do you think this is brain surgery with life or death consequences? In any case, dredging up that sludge from seven years ago is bad taste and mean-spirited on your part. I for one am happy to have the opinion of one of the few people who has actually heard the Anna against many comparably priced and highly touted cartridges, in his own system.

The best Cartridge is always

- the more expensive one
or
- the next

Somewhere out there is a $100 cartridge that beats all. I'm convinced. Just haven't found it yet. OK, maybe $500.

There is a fine line to walk. One may not "like" the fact that there are cartridges that cost more than $10K, but one should keep an open mind that such expensive trifles might actually sound really good. In someone else's house.

My Sumiko Pearl cost $125...so it's not that one.

Why is that no one questions the person who buys and loves a $500K Ferrari, yet the person who buys and loves an audio component costing more than [insert critic's preferred standard] is vilified?

There are no websites dedicated to the proposition that all cars are created equal, that a well tuned Fiat is as good as a Lamborghini, that the Mercedes E-class owner is misguided and foolish. Yet we find reasonably popular audio websites (e.g., Audioholics) which fervently promote cheap as not just a viable way, which it is, but as the only right and justifiable way. Something about audio (more than other hobbies) attracts or generates "my way or the highway" defensiveness that approaches religious fervor. I've been guilty of that attitude myself - it's a peculiar institution.

***
As for Romy, a cautionary tale...

I once visited a new vinylphile who lived near him. The newbie was having trouble with his TT, which Romy had set it up for him just a few days before. I agreed to stop by and take a look.

The rig could barely track anything and sounded terrible. Worse, it was only by cautious practices that I avoided destroying the newbie's $5K LOMC, since the end stub literally fell off in my hand the instant I touched it. Yikes!! I nearly jumped through the ceiling. If I hadn't locked the arm down before touching it the cartridge would have smashed down onto the platter.

Romy's setup had included installing the end stub so that it was just hanging by a thread, with the VTF counterweights adjusted to suit. No one could set up a tonearm this way by chance. The end stub was so wobbly that adjusting the counterweights would have been impossible. The only way to achieve such a setup would be to pre-set the counterweights, then carefully screw the assembly into the arm by less than a turn. This was no mis-adjustment, it was a mal-adjustment.

The newbie was quite wealthy and freely admitted knowing very little about his fancy gear. He'd dumped a large pile of money into a system and expected it to work with little hands-on input. Naive? Certainly. Laughable? If you're that way inclined. Deserving of being booby-trapped to prove him undeserving? Only if you're without conscience, bordering on psychopathic.

There's a reason Romy was kicked off of this and other forums. I hope he's happy talking to the shadow puppets in his little cave.