Turntable versus tonearm versus cartridge: which is MOST important?

Dear @lohanimal : " after a certain stage in a turntable it’s the improvements in the arm that are the most significant. Cartridges IMHO are often very subjective..."

Take two good designed and manufactured tonearms ( everything the same including tonearm EL. ) as the one that comes in the Rega RP10 and in the other side the SAT and take the same cartridge, say Etna SL, and certainly will sounds different and maybe the sound will like more to some gentlemans in the Rega tonearm and to other audiophiles in the SAT tonearm Both cases: subjective.

What is what is happening down there? first " minute/microscopic " differences in the tonearm/cartridge alignments, both tonearms resonates/vibrates with different tone " color/frequency " due to its different builded materials, the cartridge could be well matched in both tonearms but not exactly/mimic and all those and other " things " could make those differences.

So for the ones that like it the Rega/Etna the tonearm is more important and to others that like with the SAT this tonearm BUT it’s the cartridge and its tracking abilities that pick-up the information recorded in those groove modulations and it’s the cartridge whom must convert/transduce those modulations in the electrical signal that will be processed through the Phono Stage, this is the cartridge roleand it is not subjective but facts that maybe for some of us are more important and for other gentlemans not to important.

What is the role of the tonearms down there? to hold the cartridge and to follow accurately the cartridge movements: up/down and side to side and these movements must needs to do it with out any " additional " movements by tonearm it self ( obviously needs low friction ( say no more than 25mg. ) and tight bearings that today tonearms and even vintage have. Unipivots can’t acomplish with the tonearm role. ).

Then one thing is a subjective audiophiles opinions and other different are the facts explained here.

I’m with the cartridge and I’m with out diminishing in any way its tonearm mate ( not the TT role neither. ) and maybe in that example the Etna sounds could like me the more through the Rega and this is subjective and dependent of MUSIC/sound priorities on each one of us.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

@lohanimal  : Now and using the same example take/change for a better cartridge like the Atlas Lambda SL and in both tonearms you will hear why is better. Transducer puts the " color ".

The overall issue is only about common sense.

R.

@rauliruegas , If we had common sense we wouldn't be here:-) Raul! you don't like unipivots either!! See, I told you guys I was not alone. Up and down, side to side, that is it. Nothing else. This is why the best makers of unipivots, Graham and Basis turned them into something else.

@lewm 
i think you got my point because clever/lucky buying can distort the equation. 
@chakster not sure if you got the 'tongue in cheek' nature of my joke/question. 
I bought JVC as a doorstop - sorry just kidding - i got it to listen to and as per most people on this forum - I also like my toys - in this case direct drive turntables - I also have a TTS8000 and an EMT 950.
@mijostyn I was wondering when someone would call out the 'elephant in the room' that is the unipivot - a truly lazy engineering solution

@rauliruegas 
use a trough for your tonearm (like my Rock Elite)
It takes the tone out of tonearm and it massively equalises tonearms. To that end it either puts the tonearm as the most/least important part of the equation.
Most - insofar as using the trough highlights how much 'tone' (unwanted resonances) are caused by the arm.
Least - once installed you find it a bit of a tonearm equaliser. I am pondering on a fairly cheap RB250 but with Ikeda wiring.