So how many use MM cartridge and intend to keep it that way ?

My former comrade Don become my ''brother Don'' so since some

time now we consult each other about  new purchases. He bought

two display cases for each of us such that each cart in them has

its own headshell pre-adjusted according to the Mint tractor and

ready to be exchanged in 10 munutes time. We don't use the

expresion ''best cart'' but ''first row'' cart. My first row consits of:

Allaerts  MC 2, Magic Diamond, Benz LPmr, Urushi Blue Sky,

Ikeda 9 TT and Phoenix and the second row of the first display

case : FR-7 fz, Ikeda 9 Ciii, Miyabi standard, ZYX airy 3 and

Nakamichi 1000. (chakster my ZYX got a new cantilever/stylus

combo + new suspension by Axel for about 500 euro).

I don't know exactly how many MM carts I own but my ''darlings''

are ADC TRX 2 (beryllium) and JVC X-1, mk 2.

I own two TT's and 5 tonearms. On my Kuzma Stabi Reference

I use the Reed 3 P (12'') and Sumiko 800 (alias ''the arm'').

On my second ,Technics SL 1000 (aka SP 10,mk2 + Obsidan

plinth) I use two of my FR-64 s kinds (silver and cupper) and

Ikeda 345 .

Dear chakster, the logic of identity relation is not easy to grasp

but the rule is that the same name refer to the same object. There

are however different names which refer to the same object but

we somehow have no problem with those. Say Vienna , Wenen,

Bec, etc. refer to the same city in Austria which Austrians name

Wien. The logical rule is then that whatever is true about Vienna

is also true about Wien, Wenen (Dutch name) and Bec (Serbian

name). So your statement ''ZYX is not ZYX'' is at least confusing.

I think that your meant ''the old ZYX is no more the new ZYX''.

The old Nandric is, alas, also no more the young one.

I ever started a thread about ''irreparable'' cartridge but nobody was

interested. My reason was my Sony XL 88 D as well the ZYX.

Their body is made from ''plastic'' which is glued together so

there is no entrance to the inside parts. The Sony was probably the

first cart which was  ''potted'' so nobody was willing to mess with

this cart. Axel try for two years and give up. But he fixed my ZYX

by cutting some parts from the body in order to get access to

the generator and suspension. If your new ZYX is even more

difficult to fix or rather impossible to fix then I am sorry for you

considering the old as well the new prices for both ZYX kinds.

Even if any of those ZYX is made and delivered from Eldorado

I would not even dream to buy one (grin).