Choices: Nagaoka MP-50, MP-300, or Garrott P77i?

Dear Vinyladdict: I own all the cartridges you name it but the 77i, I own the P77.

If you really want something better IMHO these are better options than the ones you ask:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Azden-YM-P50VL-Brand-New-in-the-box-Never-used_W0QQitemZ260551502693QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3caa146b65#ht_500wt_975

http://cgi.ebay.com/YM-P50E-Brand-new-in-the-box-never-used_W0QQitemZ260551507298QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3caa147d62#ht_500wt_975

http://cgi.ebay.com/Ortofon-M20E-Super-MM-cartridge-M-20-E-Super-NOS_W0QQitemZ400085013949QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item5d26ecd5bd

http://cgi.ebay.com/Empire-1080-LT-1080LT-T4P-cartridge-NOS_W0QQitemZ400101138353QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item5d27e2dfb1

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Dear Vinyladdict: The Empire and the Azden are P-mount type
designs and comes with its dedicated universal adaptor, both
are very good and the P-mount design IMHO is no drawback in
anyway

The Azden YM-P50VL IMHO is superior to any other cartridge (
either LOMC or MM/MI at any price. ) I
own/owned/borrowed/heard in all my audio life. Nothing I
know come close to its high quality performance. In the last
three days I was testing my sample against other top MM/MI's
and against the Dynavector XV-1s and Ortofon A-90 LOMC
cartridges and either can cope with the Azden performance
level.

Btw, don't worry about that high compliance figure on the
Ortofon M20E Super, please read here ( my last post on the
thread ) about:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1265682199

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Dear vinyladdict: You don't have to worry anymore, that Azden top of the line samples already sold.

Today the persons that bought it can be proud to own IMHO the best quality performance cartridge ever made!!!!!

Please share with us your near future experiences with the 77i.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Dear Vinyladdict: Absolutely, what do you report when you are testing several/many cartridges and find something better than the last one?

Think what will be your opinion if you test these cartridges one next the other for weeks or months? ( and you don't know if exist better cartridges that the one under test ):

103, Celebration, Helikon, Titan, Xv-1s, Colibri,Supreme, Allaerts, Olympos, A-90, Coral, etc, etc

We are in the start/beguin discovery of the MM/MI cartridges where almost no one of us had an in deep knowledge on its quality performance not only that but where we really don't know and have no reference about, no reviews, no cartridge sources, almost no-nothing.

We are building from the beguin and fortunately many of us that are searching and testing on the MM/MI alternative have very good knowledge with the LOMC alternative, with live music and with what means " quality performance " levels.

If you test the AKG P-100LE there is no single doubt that you will think is the better cartridge out there, then after you test the Technics EPC-P100CMK4 you can think the same, after this you test the Audio technica ATML 180-OCC and can think in the same way, after that the Azden YM P50VL and you can say the same and we can go on because the Azden is not the last cartridge we will test in the near future but here and now is the " best ever ".

We already made a preliminar cartridge ranking ( LOMC and MM/MI ) and all the cartridges named here has a very top level over the Garrot that you choose and for a lot less money.

This is not something that I'm the only one that support the great MM/MI alternative, people that I respect like: Halcro, Lewm, Axelwhal, Dgob, Phaser, Downunder, Dougdeacon, Dgarretson, Timeltel, Pryso, Driveman, Lavigne, Porter,Vetterone, Royj, and many other with very good know-how and very good audio systems.

So, today our opinions about are no more a " lightly " one but an " experienced " one.

That you prefer to expense more money for a lesser product only means your preference and nothing more.

I always say that every single day is a learning one that help to improve/grow up on our each one audio learning curve, even our each one mistakes are learning.

No, I'm not offended by your post because ( with all respect ) comes from a person with out the right and precise knowledge on the specific subject: ignorance always is controversial.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Dear Vinyladdict: I don't know why you are so angry with the word " ignorant ". Here in my country if I unknow on some subject any one can tell me " ignorant " in that specific subject and I accept because I don't have the konwledge about.

If you tell me for example that I'm ignorant on the Clearaudio Titanium performance I accept it because I'm ignorant in that precise subject, what's wrong to call with its name something we don't have the knowledge?, fortunately I'm ignorant on many audio subjects because this tell me that I have a lot to learn and learning for me is always a exitement subject.

In the specific Azden subject you don't have the knowledge so: how do you name this unknowledge?, I'm accustom to name it: ignorance because is something that we don't know.

Seems to me that with that word you think I'm trying to insult you and that was not my attitude in any way with you or any other person, I don't have any single reason to do it.

This is what the ignorant word means in an english dicctoniary:

+++ " lacking knowledge or education in general or in a specific subject " ++++++

Is something wrong with that?

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Dear Vinyladdict: Now that Hesson11 ( thank you, could you give me the right word? even out of the thread. ) put things in prerspective I only want to confirm that that USA means was not my intention.

Btw, many times my form to post/write made/makes think the people that my opinion is and " absolute/universal " opinion but no it is not either my intention, my opinion is only that an opinion like the opinion of any one else.

Normally through my posts I try to help people and that's why I suggest to you the Azden cartridge over the Garrot and not because the Garrot was not a good cartridge ( because is a good one. ) but because the Azden IMHO is way better.

In the last two and a half years many people were testing/trying several vintage MM/MI cartridges ( including the Garrot ), today we know due to those experiences where belongs almost any of these vintage cartridges and the Azden is a newcomer with very high " credentials ". Unfortunately all of these great vintage cartridges are out of productioso when I test one of them and saw it on the net I share/give the great opportunity to other persons to own it because maybe that was the last time we have to do it and this was what I try to share with you.

Why do you have to belieave in one person like me?, you don't. In this regard I want to add that through all these last years on the MM/MI alternative my " sole " recomendation ( normaly the first person that try a cartridge in that thread was(is me. ) almost always was precise and fullfill the expectations on other people. Please I'm not saying that always I'm right or that I'm the " Bible ", no because there are many other opinions on that cartridge subject.
What I can say you is that I'm extremely caress of what recommended to any person on any audio item, my target on any recomendation is that the person lower at minimum his mistake risk that always exist when we add any audio item on the audio system.

Almost always my opinions had/has foundation on facts, I don't like to post based on " imagination " or ignorance,

Certainly I don't compare with Mr. Fremer in anyway.

regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Dear Halcro: As I always say: every single day is a learning one.

I remember that you posted some of the Garrot history in the MM/MI thread but I can't remember about Original P77 against the " other " P77.
Things are that I own(ed) two P77 samples and I sold one of them. I can't say if mine is Original or not, how can I confirm? only through listening?, for what you posted the real Garrot ( I mean the ones where Garrot brothers put their hands. ) must be better: how much better?

Anyway I like my P77 but as you know there are other cartridges than the P77 ( original or not ) that are great performers too.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.