To those with multiple tables/arms/cartridges


How do you 'play' your system?
For 30 years I had only one turntable, one arm and one cartridge......and it never entered my mind that there was an alternative?
After upgrading my turntable nearly 5 years ago to a Raven AC-3 which allowed easy mounting of up to four tonearms......I decided to add two arms.
RAVEN
A few years later I became interested in Direct Drive turntables and purchased a vintage 30 year old Victor/JVC TT-81 followed shortly after by the top-of-the-line TT-101 and I designed and had cast 3 solid bronze armpods which I had lacquered in gloss black.
TT-101
By this time I had over 30 cartridges (both LOMCs and MMs) all mounted in their own headshells for easy interchange.
STORAGE

Every day I listen to vinyl for 3-4 hours and might play with one cartridge on one arm on one table for this whole day or even two or three days.
I then might decide to change to a different arm and cartridge on a the same table or perhaps the other.....and listen to the last side I had just heard on the previous play.
I am invariably thrilled and excited by the small differences in presentation I am able to hear....and I perhaps listen to this combination for the next few days before again lusting after a particular arm or cartridge change?

Is this the way most of you with multiple cartridges/arms listen?......or are there other intentions involved?
128x128halcro
He only has to sell 2 of his 3 turntables, 2 of his 3 phono-stages, 2 of his 3 amps, 2 of his 3 arms plus his 2 extra armwands and 7 of his 8 cartridges?

Yes, right. For about 8 months now I am down to 1 Table, more or less 1 Arm (FR-66s, I don't want sell the 64s, that Arm beat all others incl. the last survivor, Graham Phantom supreme which is sold now), more or less to 2 cartridges (Ikeda & Helikon mono), Omnigon Pre (but that was a custom made order, can't be compared to regular units) and modified ML2.1.
The other stuff is in boxes, in a way I am too lazy to sell, but who knows, sooner or later I will start some ads...
Dear Raul, I supposed one day when I find a combination of cartridge/tonearm/table that is superior to everything else that listening to other combination does not derive any pleasure anymore, I will be down to one setup only as well.
At this moment, I would say Lyra Atlas is overall the best cartridge I have so far but not much better than Air Tight or Koetsu in every way and I still enjoy listening to those 2 cartridges very much as well. Could I live with just the Lyra, sure but why should I deprive myself of Air Tight or Koetsu when logistically it is still easy to keep both of them around. I made a compromised when I bought my piano. I only have one, a Grotrian. If I have a big house and a lot more money, I would not mind having a Steingraeber, Fazioli or Bosendorfer as well since they all sound different, very different feel and touch when you play them but since I only have room for one, Grotrian it is. I would not mind having a Maggie 20.7 or Martin Logan CLX just for variety but logistically I cannot have them so I settle for one pair of speakers only.

Luckily I have enough room for a few turntables, arms and cartridges so until I find the ONE, I'll settle for the few that I have :)
the world of an audiophile with many tables/arms/carts/SUTs/phono PREs looks a bit confusing on a first glance. Looking at one's own audiophile history it is an up and down, looking for special combinations - like I did when searching the right partner for my Neumann DST 62 (from the cart to the tonearm...), enlarging the collection to 18 tonearms for a while and also "Reducing to the Max" to now 12 really necessary tonearms! It will change in a week when a new design will arrive at my house.

Most of my designs are vintage or old school designs, some are Mono only with really good pure (old, not recycled copper with perfect isolations - which makes a difference when you are offered some), four arms are rewired by Ikeda silver litz.

Is it worth doing so? I think YES! I am enjoying, also testing many combinations in situ, not listening at many different occasions with different systems. I prefer testing units in my own world but also exchanging ideas with some well experienced friends, also in front of my system. It provides me with some insights. I have learned you need to exchange with good personalities, not with the many big bang guys who have listened everywhere telling stories from their memories. Neverheless everyone should find his way and enjoy multiple combinations.

The biggest problem is space. And you need it for using many tables etc. The next problem is you need dedicated lines. If a system becomes too complex you may loose quality. I am using now two lines with two special preamps running to my amps. Also the different phono stages should be integrated properly. This is quite a unique adventure and you don't need them all at one time. I for myself could not live with one phono pre only.

In the end one may raise the question whether the testing will come to an end one day? I guess not. Maybe some of the favourites may survive. And for sure the units will become less one day. I just decided separating from one of my most dedicated tables as well as of a very rare R2R.

Testing doesn't mean listening to one record all the time. I know people who are running around with a set of three test records looking for the least distorted place on earth. This is not my world. I am enjoying quite a good collection of Jazz and Rock vinyl pressings. Multiple analogue tools do support my listening experience. That's all...
I only have one, a Grotrian.
I had the legendary Grotrian Model 120 in matt black.
A fine choice of piano Suteetat.....if you are 'limited' to one? :-)