I love these discussions and most of the responses. With all things considered I gave up chasing Audio Nirvana long ago. A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link. In the world of audio sound there are countless high end and ridiculously expensive pieces and components and ways to dump hundreds of thousands of dollars in search of the very best sound reproduction money could possibly buy. I always say if you have it then smoke it!
Chances are pretty darn good your ears are the weakest link and if the truth be told you likely can't honestly hear all that much difference between a decent $200 cartridge played on the same table and arm as a $2,000 cartridge. It is all good and it is all OK because some here can hear the difference if the change the wires from their amp to the speakers while most cannot.
I will always be a staunch believer that once you put together a decent system the room acoustics have a great deal more to do with how pleasing the sound is than most of the rest. You can put a really great system in a really terrible room and I assure you, it will sound terrible. After many years of working in loud environments and loving loud music it is my Audiologist who tells me the real truth and that I can't hear for $heet any way. I am still perfectly fine with my Altec Model 19s and a Luxman PD 121 TT with SME arm and a Denon 103 MC cartridge with a step up matching transformer. Just decide what sounds good enough to you in your listening room and sit back while you spin some clean vinyl.
Chances are pretty darn good your ears are the weakest link and if the truth be told you likely can't honestly hear all that much difference between a decent $200 cartridge played on the same table and arm as a $2,000 cartridge. It is all good and it is all OK because some here can hear the difference if the change the wires from their amp to the speakers while most cannot.
I will always be a staunch believer that once you put together a decent system the room acoustics have a great deal more to do with how pleasing the sound is than most of the rest. You can put a really great system in a really terrible room and I assure you, it will sound terrible. After many years of working in loud environments and loving loud music it is my Audiologist who tells me the real truth and that I can't hear for $heet any way. I am still perfectly fine with my Altec Model 19s and a Luxman PD 121 TT with SME arm and a Denon 103 MC cartridge with a step up matching transformer. Just decide what sounds good enough to you in your listening room and sit back while you spin some clean vinyl.