Cartridge Recommendations

Dear Hatari: I heard on my system and other people systems all the cartridges name it here but the own DaVinci and the Silver Spirit and IMHO an " all around " great alternative is this one that not only competes at that high level but in many ways outperform some of those named models:

http://www.lpgear.com/product/BOMMC2.html

it has an additional advantage over those very fine LOMC cartridges: the cartridge signal has not to pass through your Kondo SUT. Less stages where the recording signal must pass IMHO means less distortions/colorations and means more MUSIC.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Dear Hatari: You could take my B&O advise taking the alternative as a cartridge " spare alternative ", is so unexpensive that you could test it and enjoy it till the Kondo arrive and decide about the LOMC one. You have almost nothing to lose.

Btw, it is not only that the B&O has the advantage that its signal pass on the phono stage for less " stages " it is too that needing less gain means less/lower noise and distortions and you have two add two other factors: first is a lot better tracker that any LOMC I know and this means less and lower traking distortions. Second its B&O cares on its design, build quality and excecution of that cartridge design.

To be nearest to the recording with the MMC2 is certainly not at random, there are strong reasons on that subject.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Dear Thuchan: IMHO the KOndo IO makes it better trhough an active high gain phono stage, I know this cartridge that I runned with the own AN SUT and with out SUT. Obviously that this is only an additional opinion.

On the other side affirm that " a well adjusted IO in the right chain " never be reached by a MM/MI cartridge is IMHO only a misunderstood ( for say the least. ) by your part.

In the " right chain " the right MM/MI cartridge IMHO competes and in some ways surpass the IO quality performance, but remember that I'm talking of levels of Excellence: nothing less. The humble and " ridiculous " looking B&O MMC2/1 are examples of those MM/MI cartridges I was refering.

Thuchan why if you always refute " absolutes " on the IO/MM_MI subject you speak on " absolutes " terms ?.

Anyway, as I said only an additional opinion.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Dear Thuchan: I readed the RG review but he does not compare with nothing near a MM/MI alternative.

In the other side, I think that you did not heard in the last six months a top MM/MI cartridge in the right overall set-up and this is IMHO what makes you post what you post because with out a fresh experiences on the best of the best on MM/MI cartridges ( not the ones you own. ) in the right audio system how could you attest that this alternative can't reach the Kondo one?. IMHO makes no sense to me that you states something with out heard it and taking reviews as to confirm what you heard on the Kondo one.

Anyway, I'm only trying to help Hatari. Enough on this subject, it is useless to go on.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Dear Thuchan: Not really, I'm an audio analog and digital source afficionado that learned to enjoy what the " market " has to offer with performance levels of excellence.

Btw, ++++ " other audio friends assessing my units as their favourites. " +++++

because IMHO they not own yet the other higher performance cartridges that some ( as me ) already owns. It is not a matter of taste IMHO it is a matter of be aware what really does means " levels of excellence " where those distortions that you and your friends like it has no room. Why always want you to put everything in audio on the subjective approach?, I know that you as many of us are a " result "/created through the AHEE ( on audio through the years. ) and this fact is a very limited one and a very convenient too because that: " It's wrong but I like it " is the norm of AHEE mediocrity.

I fro my self am trying to be away on that precise regard.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.