Dsremer,
I agree with Nsgarch, Stanhifi and DanEd.
If we assume appropriate equipment matching, then IMO and IME a $5K TT/arm with a $1600 cartridge will nearly always outplay a $1600 TT/arm with a $5K cartridge.
I'd even state that putting a $5K cartridge on a $1600 TT/arm would be a mis-use of resources. You won't hear what that cartridge is capable of, but you will hear all the problems and shortfalls of the table and arm. I've put $300 cartridges on my $9K rig and been amazed. I've put $2-4K cartridges on my $1K second rig and been horrified.
Nrchy's source-first theory is correct, but in analog the table IS the source. The table provides the environment in which the record and the tonearm both function. The arm provides the environment in which the cartridge functions. It's like building a house, and the table is the foundation. The best roof in the world ain't worth crap if the foundation is rotten.
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I strongly disagree that an expensive phono stage should come before a good table, arm and cartridge. If you look at my system you will see it is at present heavily front end loaded. In list price terms:
- table: $5,000
- arm: $3,900
- cartridge: $7,500
- stepup trannies + phono section of preamp: approx. $1,000
I do not maintain this mix is optimal. In fact our next major upgrade will be a reference caliber preamp/phono stage. However, I do maintain that the order of our upgrades was optimal. I have demoed reference caliber phono sections/preamps in my system. None of them made as big an improvement as my latest TT upgrade, which cost me only $2K.
I've also exchanged visits with many fellow audio nuts. Most have invested heavily in their electronics, a bit less on their cartridge and much less on their table and arm. IME this mix was misguided.
Both they and I agree that my system easily outplays theirs when spinning vinyl. More than one such visitor has expressed astonishment at our sound quality, despite our admittedly modest phono/preamp. It is not a reference caliber unit, but when fed a reference caliber signal it does very little harm. Systems that send a mediocre signal into a reference caliber preamp produce only reference caliber mediocrity.
If you, like most of us, must upgrade in stages for budgetary reasons, the best order for superior sound reproduction at each stage is normally: table, arm, cartridge, phono. For the sake of practicality, choose a good table that can accomodate different arms. Then you can upgrade arms without changing tables. Choose an arm that can accommodate many cartridges, for the same reason.
