To those with multiple tables/arms/cartridges

2 tables, 2 arms and 3 carts. Just joined the party.
Cheers

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.

I use a Manley Steelhead which has 3 phono inputs and one line input that I run a Simaudio LP5.3 into, all running into a Musical Fidelity M3 Nuvista which also has a phono input to get 5 phono inputs available through my system. My custom Lenco has 2 arms, my Transrotor Fat Bob has 2 arms and my Sony PS-x65 runs into the M3 phono input. the Steelhead has switchable loading on the front panel, so its easy to load each cartridge without opening the box. And 3 or my arms have replaceable headshells, so its pretty easy to get a large combination of cartridges playing with little down time between. Which one I use is random.

Dear Henry, First thing first. Seneca said that man is a rational animal. Since the Greek we use ,uh, 'metalic analogy' to describe 'man': iron strong, honest as gold,etc. So when John whom we described as 'honest as gold' robs a bank or seduces the wife of his best friend we feel ashamed for our judgment and state something like:'who would believe such a thing of John?' So either our analogy is wrong or we overlook the function of time.
I, for example, was 'iron strong' but some time ago. At present I get serious problems with my back every time I need to adjust my tonearm/cart combo. So, I think, we need
to correct Seneca slightly:' being rational is fine but not all the time.' How much time one wants to be, uh, 'not rational' will depend...similary to our system composition.
Bulding blocks is a different philosophy than 'synergy'. Because of you I installed an second system in my bedroom with SP-10 + FR-64 + 12 headshells in order to be able to
change and test carts in an easy way. The whole 'composition' is on my (former)writing desk but the importand thing is that there is also a chair in front.My intention was to select carts in my second system for my main system. But playing with carts and headshells become also a kind of sickness such that I spend day and night in my bedroom. I could rent my living room with my main system and earn some extra money for my hobby. So to speak , that is. In my main system I have Kuzma Stabi Reference with the Triplanar on its own (Kuzma 'base'=700 euro) and the Reed 2A , 12'' on its own arm pod. This arm pod btw was installed before the 'Copernican revolution' (sorry). I have no idea why the (MC) carts with low compliance are produced but for those I use my Reed 2a with 27 g eff. mass. 'All' other carts I use with the Triplanar. Now I would never state that I am as 'honest as gold' but to be honest I need to confess that the only carts which are 'promoted' from the bedroom to the living room are LOMC's. I hope you can forgive me such a kind of deviation ? Those are are at present: Miyabi Standard, Magic Diamond, Benz LP s(mr) and Kiseki Goldspot. Kiseki I use for the string instruments, Miyabi for the vocals, the LP s and Magic Diamond for the rest. My tastes (remember?)are classical- and folk music.

To Halcro, arms and cartridges outnumber the turntables. Yet it boils down to only using 2 cartridges on 2 identical arms on my favorite turntable: a stereo and mono version of the same cart. That cartridge was chosen as it the most linear (I measure and nearly all mc carts have rises in the top end) and most natural sounding to me, while still retaining real detail.