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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 4 responses by terry9

terry9
2,236 posts
 
Cartridges wear out. Tables and arms don't. Do the arithmetic.
terry9
2,236 posts
 

Let's just forget about argument by analogy. This question has three components: physics, psychology (perception and taste), and economics (bang for the buck). Only the last is easy, because cartridges wear out. Psychology is obviously personal.

That leaves physics, which is plenty complicated enough to defy analysis in a thread.

 

terry9
2,236 posts
 

Agree with most of what you say, but the increment from a 10K turntable to a 3D air bearing was huge. Same tonearm, same cartridge.

terry9
2,236 posts
 

Don’t quite understand, Raul. What parameters, other than the physical, do you mean?

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