The posts do seem to be leaning towards the notion it is Ok to have more than one methodology in place for an ancillary to be used for experiencing a vinyl album being replayed.
Mechanical Interface ancillaries are the Cartridge, Tonearm, and Turntable.
Electronic Interface ancillaries are a SUT, Head Amp, MM Input Phonostage and a MC Input Phonostage with Cabling to connect the Tonearm and connect other listed ancillaries.
Is it the real estate required by the TT that is the reason why most feel there are too many and a cull needs to be considered?
Is it the knowing that a TT from a certain vintage is a risky method? Such TT's are questionable for their being optimised in function. Performance from such a TT from an era that makes it vintage raises questions not able to be answered unless invasive investigation occurs. To satisfy the user with a concern, invasive investigation and work need to be undertaken both within the TT and externally for creating a TT that is being used and not creating any concerns for its function.
Not having to adopt the added work does have its attraction, which does make the notion of fewer TTs from a certain era of production being an acceptable option.
Cartridges are known to be quite common not kept as a Sole Item, but as an item within a collection. Some collections are with Cart's from different eras of production and are maintained to a very high quality, to ensure that there is maintained an optimisation for their performance. Other collections can be Cart's believed to be optimal for their performance, Cart's not with certainty they are optimised for their performance, and Cart's noticeably with a defect.
When it comes to Cart's I am not too confident from recollection that I am witnessing from a Cart' collector their seeking guidance to scale down, or seeing suggestions to scale down a Cart' collection. To be able to experience an end sound from a Vinyl replay using a selection of Cart's is noticeably endorsed as a method.
In relation to Cart's. The common info witnessed alongside ownership reports is advice given on methods that can be used to keep a Cart' in use for extended periods. This suggests Cart's are typically accepted as being keepers, and there is no guidance on what is an acceptable quantity to have available for use.
Much the same said about Cart's can be said about Tonearms, and like a Cart'are recognised for requiring specialist attention periodically to ensure they are returned to an optimised function.
Both Tonearm and Cart' are able to undergo changes to an original design for a Mechanical Interface, but the Tonearm is typically the one to undergo changes to the design for an electrical interface.
This suggests Tonearms are typically accepted as being keepers, and there is no guidance on what is an acceptable quantity to have available for use, seeing four different model Tonearms attached to one TT is not a strange phenomenon when witnessed, certainly not extraordinary.
Options on Cables to be introduced have no limitation; it is totally acceptable to have more than one cable readily available to produce the extension of the Signal Path, and if a user of an analogue system was to inform they were with one cable only, this would be the unusual side of the interest.
I have bags full of Cables and have no recollection of making a decision about scaling down on what is collected.
When it comes to Phon's, I am a little less stacked up in the cache.
Phonostages and ancillaries to enable their function are either an experience that generates attraction or generates repulsion, when it comes to how the end sound is creating an impression. I am not one to hang onto any device that creates repulsion when the end sound is heard. That does not mean I have not lived with devices that, in final analysis, have been determined as being repulsive.
I own four Phonostages, one that is SS and commission built in the 90's and one that is SS and is a design produced for me and built across the past eighteen months. Added to these are a Valve and Valve Hybrid design, of which the Three Models are able to create the perception of being extremely attractive and end sound when my own unique preferences are the consideration.
Can a person have experienced too many phonostages in a wide variety of audio systems? Can a person have retained within their own audio system too many phonostages?
It really does seem the TT is the item that is assessed for being excessive when the quantity owned extends beyond one for any one system.
