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Do You Play Or Save Your Best Cartridges

I suspect I am like many here, I have a small collection of cartridges. Until recently I would keep a casual playing cartridge set up and I would save my "good" cartridges for evening listening sessions where I am focusing on listening to music at the listening chair. I always had a casual cartridge mounted on an arm, maybe an Audio Technica OC9 III or something along those lines. These days its either an Ortofon MC3000 II or MC5000. 

 

Earlier this year I finally decided to use the DAC in my Trinov pre amp, and this involved getting a subscription to Roon, and hardwiring the computer and preamp to the router with CAT 6 ethernet cable. The sound is remarkably good, to the point where this can easily be my casual listening format. 

I almost wonder if its necessary to have a casual cartridge. Or should I just play my best ones as often as I want and bite the bullet and know I am getting a new diamond fitted every few years. 

 

Anyone else go through this kind of decision process?

neonknight

Showing 2 responses by dogberry

dogberry
554 posts
 

I am sparing when it comes to enjoying my London Decca Reference and Jubilee. John Wright has retired, and the new owner of his business is an unknown quantity. I got essentially nowhere asking if the Jubilee could be converted to mono (something John did all the time). However, reports of rebuilt cartridges are beginning to come out and the owners are happy.

All the same, I enjoy my mounted Reference once a day. The Jubilee is waiting as a backup. After the first LP of the day, the rest get played on other cartridges.

dogberry
554 posts
 

It seems I am in a minority by using my best cartridge sparingly. But don't worry, I don't have to change cartridges several times a day, I have two turntables, and if only the courier would get a move on I would have two tonearms on each. So I can have my best moving iron mounted (and used sparingly, as it is not at all clear that the new owner of londondecca.com will be there when it next needs a rebuild), and my next best moving iron, plus my best MC and finally a mono version of it. Being spoilt for choice isn't such a bad thing!

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