Yet another wacko 'Help Me Decide' thread...

Heh heh - I hear you - it is hard to keep track of all the bits. The Airy is a moving coil cartridge and the Loricraft is a very good record cleaner. Both bring their own value to analog - I'm having a hard time deciding.

I'm still really torn.

The playback source is the *record*. Cartridges come and go - but one's vinyl collection is the fundament, the ding an sich that warrants great care and preservation. A clean record is a happy record. The absence of noise, grunge, clicks is the joy of a clean record. But yeah you can clean 'em by hand - though having a Loricraft (one of the v best) invites you to clean, making it quicker and less of a chore.

On the other hand...

Some aver the transducers as the heart a system. The record cleaner removes unpleasentry, while the cartridge unleashes beauty.

oh what to do what to do

Thanks for the sifting and winnowing ... I kinda went through some of that to arrive at my current state.

Currently I use a 12 yr old RCM from Audio Advisor - the entry level model made by Nitty Gritty and sold by AA - which Nitty Gritty admits was intended to be 'disposable'. Yes it still works, and I use it. But the number of records going into the NBC (need to be cleaned) pile continues to grow.

Current cart is a Shelter 901 on an SME V on a Teres 255 feeding into an Xono phonostage, which has plenty of gain. (see system for other details).

Its not a zero sum answer, but funds are limited...

Thanks!

Thanks Doug. Your reasoning reflects my own to a large degree. Every year I tell myself the RCM needs to become a priority and every year I put it off in favor of the reproduction chain. (And yes, the records stil get cleaned.) It has taken me a while to realize my front end is being held back by the 901 - or put differently, nicely capable of going beyond it. Damn hobby and its siren's call - next I'll be looking at a 320! Or maybe I should thank the likes of Sibelius, Heifetz, Barbirolli, and Layton. (smile)

If you go for any ZYX get the SB option.

Thanks for answering one of the *next* questions.