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Turntable versus tonearm versus cartridge: which is MOST important?

Before someone chimes in with the obvious "everything is important" retort, what I'm really wondering about is the relative significance of each.

So, which would sound better:

A state of the art $10K cartridge on a $500 table/arm or a good $500 cartridge on a $10K table/arm?

Assume good enough amplification to maximize either set up.

My hunch is cartridge is most critical, but not sure to what extent.

Thanks.


bobbydd

Showing 3 responses by kennyc

kennyc
1,182 posts
 
+1 lewm
Like asking tires vs steering wheel vs gas
kennyc
1,182 posts
 
We can make evaluations based on relative $ costs, but again the OP didn’t make it clear whether $ costs differences should be considered.  The OP still hasn’t clarified what his point is, what is he trying to achieve, or is just curiosity question without any benefit.
kennyc
1,182 posts
 
@bobbydd
Has your question in your OP been satisfactory answered, or are there further concerns?

In essence, all three (turntable, tonearm, cartridge) contributes to one systems sonics. To emphasize one while ignoring the others is a mistake - the entire audio chain matters. Usually, addressing/upgrading the weakest links (components) in one’s audio chain yields the best price/performance uptick.  
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