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
Dear Nikola,
We know you love to tell stories.....but can you actually answer the question about how and why you listen to which and what tonearm and cartridge?
Regards
Henry
3 tables, 4 arms, 5-6 cartridges. Now that I have 2 arms with detachable headshells, I hope I will get to hear all the cartridges in a more regular rotation. One arm has mono cartridge. The rest are all stereo MCs. I think while some set up is better than other at certain type of musics, in general they can play wide variety of music well so just a different flavor depending on my mood. Thinking about adding an MM or MI just to have something different and wider palette to choose from. 2 phono with 3 inputs available so next project is to add more phono inputs, I think.