Do you spend more on your cartridge or tone arm?

$5 is a serious table. 4 point Kuzma and an MC cart at the same price point will do. If you like invest more time and money into carts at this point to discover exactly what you like. Who knows what happens at this level. You could find some Goldring Elite wins out. At this level carts will give us all the difference. Upgrading after this won't get all that much more and the downstream equipment to extract it would be insane.

I don’t think there is a rule of thumb. It’s more about finding a synergistic balance, and I’m sure that distribution of cost varies as one goes up the range towards higher end gear (or down towards less costly gear).

FWIW: I have a Clearaudio Innovation turntable ($15k), two Clearaudio Universal 12" arms ($6700 each) and two Lyra Atlas Lambda cartridges ($14k each). So my cartridges are double the cost of my tonearms. It’s an excellent balance of gear for this particular case, but I wouldn’t generalize on it at all. One also has to take the phono-stage into account. That matters as much.

Yes, it is complicated. And you didn't mention phono stage.

Very generally, for $5k table I would consider $2k-$2.5k tonearm. As for the cartridge, assuming new and full retail, I would definitely stay below $2k.

@inna it depends...

For example, the Clearaudio Concept Signature turntable with Tracer tonearm is in the $5k range or so. It’s the real deal. I wouldn’t hesitate to put a $4k cartridge on it, like a Hanna Umami Red, Dynavector Te Kaitora Rua or a Lyra Kleos. The table and arm are that good they can take advantage of it (and I already know Clearaudio arms work really well with DV and Lyra).

Synergy trumps trying to generalize about cost balance. I just think trying to do the latter is futile and can lead to sub-optimal or unhappy combinations.

dwette, I don't disagree with you, but I would do it, say, more conservative way. And in any case, phono stage must be real good for $4k cartridge, even for $2k cartridge for that matter. In my view, generally speaking, two/three times more expensive than cartridge.

It can easily go either way. For me, I happily spend more on cartridges. I’ve got a few of my favorite old arms (Fidelity Research). I’ve had newer and more expensive arms, and still went back. Rolling cartridges is a lot more fun, especially when the arm uses headshells.

I am using the phono stage in a Bel Canto Black EX Controller/Preamp.  Retails around $13K.

Mine is close to evenly split between tone arm and cartridge. With about $5K arm and $6.5K cartridge. You can do well with quite a bit of variability. I have heard some great systems with 2 x or more on the cartridge... or 2x on tone arm. I think with the dedicated isolation platform and tt... Have another $10K in the table, and $20K in the phonostage.

@inna

phono stage must be real good for $4k cartridge, even for $2k cartridge for that matter. In my view, generally speaking, two/three times more expensive than cartridge

Hah....there you are generalizing again. Again, I say it depends. :)

I have Boulder 1108 phono-stage, retails for $21K. It supports two phono inputs, and I have two Lyra Atlas Lambda (which are now $14k, each). My setup doesn’t satisfy your generalization about it but I can’t think of a better balance for high quality. I would need a $28k-42k phono-stage by your approach.

Some time ago I had a bare Naim Superline (i.e. no PSU) for $4600 and used a Dynavector XV-1s ($5850). That was a most wonderful combination and the Superline really did the DV justice. I would recommend it and know from the Naim community forums that others do the same.

I wish I could afford one Lyra Atlas Lambda cartridge. I am going to use a Cardas Myrtle Heart (retipped thanks to house keeper).  

dwette, if one could experiment freely, surprises of a sort may happen, but one would have to try a lot of arm/cartridge/phono stage combinations. $15k cartridge might sound just excellent in $1k arm but it's not the point, the point is to bring out everything this cartridge is capable of and you won't be able to do it with $1k tonearm and probably with $5k tonearm either.

I don’t know. It depends on the $5K tonearm. My tonearm is $6700. I’m sure I could get more out of the Lyra with a $20K tonearm, but I assure you I am getting my money’s worth with the one I have. It's the real deal.

Like I said, it’s about balance, but generalizing on cost alone isn’t useful to me. I agree with you putting a $15k cartridge on a $1K arm isn’t optimal and poor use of funds, but that’s more extreme and not something I would consider a balanced system.

On the other end of it I see people putting $1K MM cartridges on $30K Linn LP12 Klimax turntables with $800 phono-stages and I just don’t get that.

@markalarsen 

I wish I could afford one Lyra Atlas Lambda cartridge. 

Understand. I'm not trying to rub it in or make anyone envious, but it's a reasonable part of the discussion. I got lucky with a windfall, and I have the system to take advantage of them.

Synergy of 5 almost impossible to isolate components; Cartridge, Arm, TT, Mechanical / acoustic isolation and finally the phono stage… infinite number of combinations.near anyway…

I would in the case of the OP… try to have an exchange with George Cardas… he seems like about as close to source as you might get given your choice of cartridge…

Im somewhat out of balance w a $6,700 Koetsu, $10 ish K Triplaner Ultimate, $15 K Brinkmann Bardo, $4K HRS isolation and $15K REF Phono 2SE… retail.. not what i paid….

A lot of guys are operating under the principle that vinyl playback is like a math or computer optimization problem - there is some objective, absolute "best" result to be had, and once setup has been mastered, it’s generally to be attained by throwing more expensive hardware at the problem. This is where "weakest link" theories find favor.

But past a certain point, I think it starts to be like an ice cream parlor. What combination of base flavor(s) and toppings do you like best? Cone or bowl? Dipped or nah? I’ve liked most combinations, but loved few (huh, maybe it’s more like girls). If someone else doesn’t like your favorite sundae - who cares.

If top-level cartidges were converging towards a similar kind of sound, I’d believe it was more the former than the latter. But they don’t, not really.

Synergy of 5 almost impossible to isolate components; Cartridge, Arm, TT, Mechanical / acoustic isolation and finally the phono stage… infinite number of combinations.near anyway…

@tomic601  Yep, this too - synergy is key!!