Phono Cartridges - Your favorites and least favorites?

[ngower]

Unless you can get a Grade II or Grade II Prime then your ML will likely best anything else they send. And it still may best even those two. I still vote Event.

Still, he has a Technics now and half the fun of owning one is swapping carts around. My XML is objectively better than my XEN, but the XEN often presents a more pleasing sound profile to me. Sometimes you want a quick change and a cart give you that.

 

[ngower]

Oh dear, now I'm right back where I started. This is also hilarious because in my actual house I have no wine glasses but I frequently buy wine...

Straight from the bottle? Bold.

 

[Angsty]

Straight from the bottle? Bold.

I was thinking beer mugs.

 

[ngower]

I was thinking beer mugs.

I think until I was like 25 I drank wine from coffee mugs and ball jars almost exclusively

 

[Mather]

Still, he has a Technics now and half the fun of owning one is swapping carts around. My XML is objectively better than my XEN, but the XEN often presents a more pleasing sound profile to me. Sometimes you want a quick change and a cart give you that.

CABLES CABLES CABLES CABLES CABLES CABLES CABLES

 

[dansomeone]

@Ghost just tell them straight up you already have cables comparable to their Missions but you'd be interested in hearing the Events as some people have been asking you about them...

@Ghost plus your Supremes have Event internal cable harnesses. SYNERGY!

 

[displayname]

I'm so curious how much $1000+ cables take to actually make? Do you think the margins on them are just insane?

Being a big cable guy, I'll be fully honest - cables do make a difference but not the massive difference you read about in reviews. And certainly not when you're just changing one cable.

HOWEVER, cables might help you squeeze out the last bit of performance in a system you already enjoy. And they can still benefit your system if you upgrade other components.

Like your current gear and want to max it out - try cables.
Like your current gear but can't afford the next level up - cables can potentially max out what you have.
Want a new sound, equipment is going to do more. Full stop.

I like cables because the next level up in my line of speakers is over $10K.

I also say to avoid paying full retail for cables. They don't really wear out, they are pretty durable, and they lose value faster than other gear. So in the situation we're discussing - it's the green light to try the cable(s).

*This is all my personal opinion based on my experience in my system as well as others. This is not based on science and I fully understand people have different experiences and different opinions.