importance of phono cartridge


Is a cartridge more important to total system sonics than a turntable/tonearm, will a $1600 TT/tonearm with a high end cartridge sound better than a $5000 TT/tonearm with a average cartridge
dsremer
reading this thread makes me believe that the STAND is the most important part of analog playback! Surely if everything said here regarding the turntable as being the platform that supports the arm/cart to do their job, then the stand must be even MORE crucial...
Dear Doug: +++++ " If these were your only choices, which would you choose and why?
" +++++

My experience and common sense tell me:....., Come on !!!!

+++++ " I have a very good idea how much more phono stage performance is available..... " " To date, no solid state device of any kind that we've heard has been satisfying ... " +++++

I think that you have to hear the phonopreamps from FM Acoustics, Boulder or CTC . When you do it then you really " have a very good idea .. ", not before. You can't imagine that performance level. Nothing come close.

+++++ " You are especially bothered by frequency response variations. " +++++

Yes and No. No because I'm bothered about the music quality reproduction and that means ( between other issues ): accuracy.
Yes, because the music generator/perception are variations on the frecuency response.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
>>yeah, judy is an anti jmw-9 person<<

You betcha'I am. The Scout and Scoutmaster are very nice tables but the JMW-9 arm is awful.