You've run some pretty fancy MC's, but the _______ MM cartridge really impressed me

Another Curve Ball, I met with a guy at a all weekend event where the Public Attended to receive demonstrations of HiFi Enthusiasts exhibiting their systems.

I was introduced to a Phillips Ceramic Cart' and was so impressed with what was happening, revisited the room multiple times and had Tracks from my owned Albums played for me on a few occasions.

I learned that the Cart' user had stopped using a very expensive MC Cart' to make way for the Phillips Ceramic Cart'. I also learned that when the Ceramic Cart' has a Paratrace Styli added the Cart' owner had decided to stop using MC Cart's. 

Following the encounter, it took a few months of continuous searching, but I was to be  extremely lucky to find a exact model Phillips Cart and a spare new Stylus.

I have spoke with a Third Party Rebuild Service who are to carry out another build for me. They feel confident that the Cart' that is to have a Boron Armature removed , can have the Armature repurposed with the addition of a new Styli and exchanged with the Stylus supplied with the Phillips Cart'. I will then have a bespoke Cart', as well as a option to return to the OEM design.

 The plan is for this Cart' and other owned MM Cart's to supersede my use of MC Cart's. As an initial set up, there is the intention to run two TT's, one dedicated to the use of MC's that will at some stage no longer be replaced, the other TT will be for the Ceramic and MM Cart's.

There will be an interesting period making the time to revisit the stored selection of owned TA's to see where the Ceramic/MM's can be discovered to produce the best SQ to suit my tastes. I am working on the basis a dual TA may need to be designed for the Plinth, as there might be a need for this to get the better out of the different designs. For too many years now, all efforts made have been about discovering where there is betterment to be found for the MC Cart's used. 

A new TT acquisition has been made today, which is the same model as my preferred TT, as the initial preparation to get this experience underway. 

@lewm Just another opinion, that does not help with the encouragment of any individuals who may develop a curiosity/interest in this type of Cart'.

My follow up investigations after the demo' of the Ceramic Cart' introduced me to others who have adopted these Cart's over other readily available options and I also learnt that some have even gone to the extent of producing a modified Phonostage to suit the Cart' in use.

My experience has been to date, I was demo'd a Ceramic Cart' that had a Paratrace Styli as a exchange part. I liked what I was being presented and over the course of a day had a few revisits to the Demo' room and had some of my Albums Tracks played.

The Cart' used in the demo' system replayed my Blues Tracks just as I wanted to hear them, and was not too off putting on other genre of music, the Roger Waters Q Sound recording Bass Line, was delivering the usual system destroying presentation as recollected from any other demonstration it has been used in. 

For the experience of this Cart' to be maintained in my own system has not incurred to much outlay, and the Modified Armature and Styli has only added a small cost, as it is being carried out at the time and in conjunction with another Cart's rebuild.

I am happy to fulfill this experience yet to be created in my own system, as well as make it known it is my intention to do so, what ever the response is to such.  

I have found a Youtube Clip of the Owners set up, who introduced me to the Ceramic Cart'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxCr9tion4c

Firstly using Youtube as a means to listen will certainly not give a true insight to what a demonstration has to offer. In this case it has helped home in on what I was experiencing. The Cart' in use in that Clip has Bass Extension, I can assure you, as the Roger Waters 'Amused to Death' recorded using Q Sound has proved. There is a track that makes one believe the system is on the verge of imploding due to the Bass extension, the Track on the system with the Ceramic Cart' in use was inflected with the same assault.

To further understand what was happening, the Link will cover the bulk of what has evolved for the use of the Cart'. I have the same model, as a result of being introduced to it through 'audioflyer', following on from when it had undergone the mod's referenced from Page 8 onwards.

https://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?41517-Philips-GP390-Ceramic-cartridge-NOS-1970s

@lewm I am off the opinion it is not too many years before I hang up the gloves for the use of MC's. The design in my view will not be offering much more over an MM or others to be put to use, as my level of hearing will be deteriorating.

At present I have a range of MM's to bring back into regular use and the Ceramic Cart' has got about £50 tied up in it inclusive of the spare stylus, which will supply a very good investigation and experience for the outlays I have made. I have spent on quite a few occasions, more than £50 on unknown devices, just to see how they perform as a interface, and have kept them available for demo' and loan purposes even if not proving to be to my preference. Tube Rolling is just one experience, Platter Mats another, along with numerous Cables.  

The intention to do more to the Cart' and include a Boron Armature and Replacement Tip, will be the where the bulk of costs are to be associated. That is the cost to experience this Cart' as a bespoke design and to be produced as a build type that I would like experience.