Cartridges: Complete Scam?

Holly #x$& Madavid0,

I can't believe some of the replies you're getting for a pertinent question. Some of these Files have got theirs heads right up there. Stevecham, " I choose to save my input for a more enlightened and deserving poster".

I ask you Madavid0 .... how does this guy breath?

I've used various cartridges, on various tables, using various arms & cables since the mid-70's.

I also have a life; house, cars, skis, taxes, electricity, water, add a few more & what's left is the audio fund.

I've owned various Audio Technica's, a Nagaoka, a Grace, a Grado Sonata, spun a Benz Glider, and listened to many a Low-MC's in the $3500 dollar range.
Out of my own personal stuff my fave was the Grace. It cost me $300 dollars in 1980 .... about $945 in today's money - - - + arm board + set-up + tax .... say $1200 bucks out the door.

Right now I'm setting money aside for a Dynavector-DV20X2-H, which will put me out about $1200 bucks out the door. So dollar wise things are about the same.

What about the Grado? Well it's like several guys have posted, " it has to be set up correctly & there's got to be a synergy with your gear ".

I like the Grado, it was priced right, (new arm-board, set-up & taxes) $800 CDN out the door. It's warm, lush, quick, lovely sound stage, neutral, but it's the wrong set-up.

With my Pre-amp the 0.5 output voltage is too weak, I should have chosen the 5.0 Sonata, which is what the Grace was.

Another stain on me was not doing enough research concerning a Rega RB-300 arm, matched to a Grado Sonata MI cartridge. Add an Oracle TT & we have the infamous Grado hum. (BTW) Grado refused to assist.

 To answer your question, are high-end cartridge purchases a scam? Well that depends. You're spinning records here, you're not making Ben Hurr, so what is the sound of music worth to you?

For me, Hi-Fi is one of my great joys in life, my table cost me $1800 CDN in 1980, the arm $350 & the cartridge another $300. Since then I've bought one tone-arm (Discovery phono cable Incl) and the Grado $800, and now another grand for the DV Dynavector. Not including the Pre-amps I've purchased, that's well over $4 grand to spin records for 37 years. Some say that's nuts, some say that's small potatoes.

I think you should be able to get a good starter kit (used) to spin your records, with a new cartridge for $2500.

Will esoteric low-MC cartridges costing $3500 & up sound leaps & bounds better than a properly set-up $1000 dollar unit? Well .... if you have an outstanding recording to start with, a room with proper proportions, a room with properly placed acoustic treatments, a well matched Pre-amp and aptly matched phono cable, I'm sure a difference will be auditable.