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To those with multiple tables/arms/cartridges

How do you 'play' your system?
For 30 years I had only one turntable, one arm and one cartridge......and it never entered my mind that there was an alternative?
After upgrading my turntable nearly 5 years ago to a Raven AC-3 which allowed easy mounting of up to four tonearms......I decided to add two arms.
RAVEN
A few years later I became interested in Direct Drive turntables and purchased a vintage 30 year old Victor/JVC TT-81 followed shortly after by the top-of-the-line TT-101 and I designed and had cast 3 solid bronze armpods which I had lacquered in gloss black.
TT-101
By this time I had over 30 cartridges (both LOMCs and MMs) all mounted in their own headshells for easy interchange.
STORAGE

Every day I listen to vinyl for 3-4 hours and might play with one cartridge on one arm on one table for this whole day or even two or three days.
I then might decide to change to a different arm and cartridge on a the same table or perhaps the other.....and listen to the last side I had just heard on the previous play.
I am invariably thrilled and excited by the small differences in presentation I am able to hear....and I perhaps listen to this combination for the next few days before again lusting after a particular arm or cartridge change?

Is this the way most of you with multiple cartridges/arms listen?......or are there other intentions involved?
128x128halcro
halcro's avatar
halcro OP
2,289 posts
 
Eye candy :-)
hesson11
233 posts
 
"Is this the way most of you with multiple cartridges/arms listen?"

Who is going to be the wise guy who says, "No. I listen to music, not equipment?" :-)

I guess I just did! Actually, for LPs that are on the cool side, I use my warmer-balanced Grado Sonata. For LPs that are on the warmer side, I use my cooler-balanced Shelter 501 Mk. II. That's about it!
-Bob
syntax's avatar
syntax
2,033 posts
 
Differences ...

I had Arms for Monday/Wednesday/Friday/Sunday
I had Arms for Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday
I had Arms for Winter/Spring/Summer/Autumn
I had Arms for Reissues/Originals
I had Arms for Direct Drive/Rim Drive/Belt Drive
I had Arms for 2k carts/5k carts/10k carts/20k carts
I had Arms for Turntables I even didn't buy
and one day... there
I heard differences
pryso
1,501 posts
 
One friend has three tables, each with arms with fixed headshells and a dedicated cartridge. That requires more space but only minimal time to change the wiring.

Anyway he uses one system to listen to instrumental jazz, another for classical, and a third for vocals.
halcro's avatar
halcro OP
2,289 posts
 
Anyway he uses one system to listen to instrumental jazz, another for classical, and a third for vocals.
I've heard this before.......and also the Hesson method of 'bright' and 'warm' cartridges balancing 'warm' and bright' LPs.

These don't seem to work that well for me as after I have decided that a 'full-bodied' cartridge like say the Fidelity Research FR-6SE is great for my 'bright' sounding LPs......when I switch to a more neutral cartridge directly after listening to this combination........I hear nuances that escaped the previous cartridge and re-listen to that 'bright' LP all over again.

I think that really good cartridges (and arms) are better than just 'tone-controls'.
They give one the ability to discover differences in presentation without changing speakers, amplification or rooms?

Then again there are folk who have different rooms, speakers and systems :-)
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