Cart Recommendations

Yes, there are many good options which is good and bad.  Apparently I am so overwhelmed that I could not even complete my response above!

Anyway, I wish there were more places where I could audition the carts mentioned above.  I'll audition the Benz Gullwing and LPS as well as the Ortofon Cadenza Black and Bronze next week.  The Paua is interesting, too, so will see if I can find a place to audition that.

I can't find a place that has the ART 9, but may pick one up since the cost of entry is very reasonable so the risk in trying one is very low.

IMHO, demoing anything, even cables, in an unfamiliar room/setup can be challenging at best. I have purchased speakers that sounded entirely different when I've gotten them setup in my room. Even if the dealer is using the same gear and cables as you, his room may be different.

I'm not saying that you can't get some kind of idea. However, for me, when demoing, I only know whether I like the sound or I don't like the sound. In either event, I don't know that I could pick out which component to praise or blame for the overall sound. Good luck with that though.

I own a VPI Prime and use a Allnic H1201 phono stage, though I'm sure that is where the similarities between our systems ends. I have owned the Dynavector XX-2 mk II, and that is a good cartridge that mates well with VPI tables. I am currently running a Transfiguration Phoenix S cartridge, which while not as dynamic as the Dynavector, sounds a bit more natural to me. I also own a Ortofon Cadenza Bronze, which is a bit warmer than either of the above.

I have not heard either the Soundsmith Paua or ART 9 carts, but I did own a couple of ZYX carts a few years back. The UNIverse II, or a 4D would also make some great music (X version). 

There are many great choices, and it can be overwhelming. I don't know that there is one clear cut answer. You may even find that different carts strengths and weakness', may mean that some work better or worse with different types of music. One that has a pure mid-range, and work wonderful on female vocals, may not have the dynamics of another cartridge that may work better for rock or orchestral music.

Sometimes the more research you do, the more difficult/confusing the choice becomes.

Happy hunting,
John

Demoing is going to be really hard.  This is why I bought the Paua from my dealer, knowing I'd sell it in a week.  i wanted to hear the sound in my system, which is all that really matters.  My dealer actually put the Paua up for sale on audiogon if you want to take a look.


Transfiguration is a lot more natural, and may get you more of what you want moving from the Dynavector.  The dealer I work with sells all the carts above, so may be a good resource (and he is a VPI dealer) for picking his brain on what will be best for your needs.  Let me know if you want to get in touch with him down the road.  Happy demoing!

A local dealer sells VPI and Graham, so can construct a similar system to mine, but I know that auditioning will not provide a complete impression on how the cart will perform in my room.  I just want to get a general feel for the cart's signature sound to see if it's appealing to me.

I want to couple that with opinions from folks here for some direction based on your experiences, too.  I'm not chasing the "perfect" sound (whatever that may be), but I'm just hoping that all of this information can get me down to a few options to make it a little less of a crap shoot in finding something that makes me happy (for now).

Audio Technica ART-9 is a bargain and hard to beat. Period.