How good does a TT have to be for a good cartridge


I have often wondered would you get good sound from a really good cartridge on a decent but not super good table. I am not an analog fanatic. I do own two fairly basic modern tables. One is a plain VPI Scout and the other a Music Hall MMF 5. Could I expect great sound from either one with a very high caliber cartridge that might cost lets say $3-5K . Is this an example of not being able to put lipstick on a pig?
mechans

Showing 1 response by lewm

I actually think it's the other way around. With a cartridge that is just "good", low- to middle-priced, plus a really good tonearm well matched to the cartridge and and an excellent tt, you can get better results than using a very expensive cartridge with mediocre tonearm/tt. So, first get the best tt and tonearm you can afford. Then play with cartridges to your heart's delight (and your ears too).

I hope I accurately figured out what you wanted to know and responded to it.