What is the chain of importance in analog system ?


i seem to hear different opinions on this matter.
An old audiophile chap told me that the most important is the cart, arm, table, phono stage (in that order).
On the other hand, some analog guru said, that the most important is the phono stage, then the table, arm, cart.
One friend, even said, all is important!
I tend to agree that all is important but we don't have deep pockets to afford an all out assault on a tt system.
Perhaps some people here can share their views.
thanks in advance.
nolitan

Showing 2 responses by rauliruegas

Dear Nolitan: IMHO the whole subject is to understand the individual role of each analog link and its relationship between them more that the $$$$ for each one ( of course that money always is important. ) like your last post.

I agree with Syntax and Dertonarm that the most critical link is the phono stage for MM and MC cartridges. Is here in this phono stage where the cartridge signal must pass for a complex and " heavy " process to be amplified ( gain up. ) to a level that can be handle for the line stage and then to the amplifier, this is one of the important jobs of the phono stage. The other important one is that in that phono stage the cartridge signal has to be re-equalized through a inverse RIAA eq. stage to attain that the cartridge signal that goes to the line stage be with a flat frequency response.
In both of these phono stage process the cartridge signal ( always ) " suffer " a degradation ( different degradation forms: noise, distortions, colorations,etc, etc ) during the signal phono stage " manipulation " .
The main target on a phono stage is that the cartridge signal comes out with minimum lose/add whole distortions trying to preserve the cartridge signal original integrity.
But this is more easy to say that to attain that's why always is desirable to own the best quality performance phono stage we can.

In second place IMHO the tonearm/cartridge match is a crucial audio link ( together not separate or tonearm+TT like you post. ) because the same cartidge perform different in different tonearms ( everything the same. ) and we have to match the cartridge and find the tonearm that can make that the cartridge show its best quality performance.

Then the TT and tonearm internal wiring/headshell wires and tonearm IC cables as the TT/tonearm/cartridge set-up.

It is obvious that all analog links are important ( any ) and we can assess this through our each audio system experiences that when we " touch ", making tiny changes, in one analog link the whole analog quality performance change too.

As Dopogue post: +++++ " different folks, different chains. " +++++

IMHO there are and exist opinions just opinions but no absolute rules or only one " road ".

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.
Dear friens: I would like to add something on the subject.

What is what we have on the market/commercialy in each analog audio link? which is its overall quality performance? how that real quality performance affect the cartridge signal reproduction?

These are my experiences on the whole subject through the last 3-4 years and what I think about:

if we take the TT analog audio link and if we separate by at least one characteristic like the suspension type and two-three price ranges we can assess that the quality performance differences of each TT in its price range/characteristic are minimal and makes ( everything the same ) small differences on the cartridge signal quality sound reproduction.

if we take tonearms and separate for at least one characteristic like pivoted and linear tracking and two-three price ranges we can assess that each tonearm in its price range place has almost the same quality but when we mount the cartridge then the quality cartridge signal sound reproduction change not in tiny proportion but with big differences that many times does not have any relationship with the price each tonearm range place/position.
Almost everyone one of us can assess this when we change the cartridge to other tonearm and souns better and many times we say: " Hey this tonearm is better ", when what is better is not the tonearm by it self but a better cartridge/tonearm match, that's all.

if we take phono stages we have to take at least one characteristic: stand alone and integrated ( phono stage + line stage. ) with 2-3 price ranges too.
Here is where IMHO we have more or in high grade quality performance differences ( as always everything the same. ) in each price range due to an average/mediocre designs and differences between those designs.
Gregm posted: +++++ " BUT, few of us really have a good phono..... " +++++

and I agree because there are only a few first rate designs that along our not in deep know how about makes that the Phono Stage is the weak link in almost any of the analog audio chain in our audio systems.
I hope that in a near future the phono stage link can lower ( by a wide margin ) its differences for the better.

if we take cartridges the " stage " is similar to the tonearm one and only when we match in perfect way the cartridge with the right tonearm we can really heard the cartridge real quality performance ( everything the same. ) and its real differences.

As almost everyone posted: each link is important and no doubt about but for me and due to its today real contribution I have to stay with: Phono stage, tonearm/cartridge and TT in that order. Things can change over the time or system by system due to our overall knowledge on music/sound reproduction and our own priorities.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.