Best MM?

Dear @orpheus10 : """  When a person becomes an audiophile, he no longer wishes to alter the music to suit his taste, but only wants the music from the source to come through unaltered. ""

well that's the " perfect " target that all we know can't exist no matters what and that's why we have to take care how to be nearest or less far away of that " perfect " target.

There are simple/sutil " things " that could helps us additional of everything we already know or that as me are just learnit to, examples of what I'm talking about:

- seat position, that means not only the distance from the speakers but the build material and shape of that " seat. As simple the better but normally we look for a very confortable one it does not matters if that does not helps for a better listen quality.

- kind of fabrics of our clothes when listening the audio system. Syntehic fabric goes against quality.

- cleanse the ears at least twice a year with an specialist.

- try not listen over 87db at seat position SPL for hours.

- temperature issue is important too not only because cartridge suspention but because our ears and body.

- we have to remember that we hear through all our body so as less clothe we wear as better enjoyment on MUSIC.

-attend at least twice a month to listen live MUSIC.

- think and take action/changes/modifications " out of the box ".

- always make to our self these questions: " what if am I wrong and why could be? what to do?

- try to listen as many different home audio systems as we can.

To many issues to name it.

R.

It doesn't matter, one of the best MM is still Audio-Technica AT-ML180 :) 

Well Raul, to make a long story long, I will tell you a minute part of what I've done to have unaltered music.

To begin with, I have custom speakers (don't recommend it, wouldn't do it again) ; they are so neutral that the slightest change in interconnects is easily detectable.

First I engaged a "cross over design engineer" to guarantee they would have no sound of their own; then we selected the drivers; they're 3 way. (if the thought ever crosses your mind, the cross over is one part you can't leave to guess work)

While I've heard a multitude of other speakers that have personality which I've enjoyed; such as Klipsch, and JBL, I know mine deliver the musicians intentions, and the bottom line for me, is always the music.

Cartridges are throwaway items like brake pads or windshield wipers. The $300 Nagaoka 200 beat the Ortofon Black in a British group test last spring. Think about it. I replaced my Nagaoka with a MC cartridge a few months ago. The Nagaoka was more musical and I am regretting it.

Azden YMP 50 Vl, not saying it's the best.  I currently own a Soundsmith Zephyr but Azden is mounted on table now and in some ways prefer the Azden.