Dear @mikelavigne : I know that you do not like spec/numbers or measurements any way the cartridge specs posted here tells all the true about our hot dialogue.
Yes, I was wrong on that cantilever-less premise but was not about that what you were and are listening is only higher " distortions " and the specs confirmed that fact because that unsually FR deviation it's a kind of distortion that develops additional distortions.
Your Dartzeel peak measurements were just on " target ", it measured 95db in the Dizzy horn " blast " LP against 45db for digital that you mentioned this digital peak was " rounded ". Well those 95db peak comes from the cartridge 3db deviaTION AT hf AND A 3DB CHANGE IN THE LISTEN AMP MEANS AT LEAST THE DOUBLE OF POWER that's what showed your amp. Not desirable true energy but distortion.
I knew something was wrong down there but not exactly what was wrong and that's why I posted no less than 3 times the need for cartridge specs and now that are disclosed the ligth comes again .
Nothing comes by free, so you and your friends are listening what you listen it that's a equalized FR that certainly can't be compared against any other cartridges or any digital devices. The FR swing of 6db is a lot deviation number that affects all the whole frequency range. If you connect an equalizer in your system and boost 3db at 15khz sure you will listen more " energy " ( as you said it. ) and will like a lot as you do but it's wrong totaLLY WRONG AN IS UNFAIR TO COMPARE THAT CARTRIDGE VS ANY OTHER CARTRIDGE THAT ARE FLATNESS THAT THE ONE i'M QUESTIONING SEVERELY.
Number always count, look in a frecuency range say 20hz to 50khz a single deviation in any discrete frequency does not alters that discrete frequency only but its adjacents frequencies too and this means its whole harmonics too and that single discrete frequency deviation alters almost 2 octaves in between ! !. So and say that exist a 2db-3db deviation at 3khz that deviation distorts all the frequency range till almost 9khz. If the deviation is at 30hz then the distortions goes up to almost 90hz and everything in between.
The name of all those is DISTORTIONS that were not in the recording and that makes FIM goes way higher.
I never questioned what you was listening ( in the other thread. ) because that was what you was and are listening but now we all have a reasonable explanation.
Could I be interested in that equalizer named cartridge ? obviously NO.
Share with your audio friends where for sure there is at least one audiophile but at the same time with a little technical knowledge .
R.