Help me improve Rega P2

Al, I intentionally linked the Hagerman article without interpreting it as I felt that most readers would be discerning enough to know that spice simulations are very rough approximations of what is happening in the real world. And that they would be able to get a sense of how capacitive loading broadly effects frequency response and the inevitable HF resonance.

But now I too feel compelled to forward my, very different, interpretation of the simulations. You see my take is that flat response and maximal bandwidth are neither desirable, nor sonically consonant with the fabric of the music.

I pretty much think that any of those curves could be the preferred one in a given system and more importantly, with given source material, since that is where the violence is oft times done to the signal. So my advice to the OP is to use capacitive loading as the tone control that it is, or ignore it completely, rather than worry about flat response and maximal bandwidth.

Funny enough, Graham Slee slogs through the maths as well and comes to the conclusion that the effects of capacitive loading are sonically inconsequential:

http://www.gspaudio.co.uk/blog/phono-cartridge-loading-capacitor_post78.html

Different perspectives all.

Thanks again for all of the thoughtful responses. At the risk of perpetuating a thread that seems to have taken on a life of it's own I'd like to be more specific about what's bothering me about my system. It's lack of solid bass. I don't have a test LP to give a precise frequency cut off but rather when compared to the same music on CD, Tidal or occaisonal high rez download. Also, my recall is that on my previous TT, an Ariston RD11s with Grace 707 and Shure cartridge, there was no shortage of low frequency info. Perhaps, looking back through rose colored glasses though. So in terms of improving bass performance, is one of the cartridges discussed above the way to go, or is this a more fundamental problem? I may end up getting a new phono stage in my Odyssey Tempest pre-amp in the next few months. I'm told this is the Symphonic Line stage with 150microfarad input capacitance.

Thanks, Jim

Not sure when you last listened to your old system... But bass...lack of or excessive...is largely room /speaker dependent...also very recording dependent...I don't think the cart is the full culprit.

Well said Phasecorrect, too many factors and definitely NOT one culprit.

It's likely been over 10 years since my previous TT bit the dust. Certainly makes sense that multiple factors are responsible for good bass response. This is why I mentioned that when the same music is played from a digital source the bass is much more impressive with the same speakers, same amp, same room. Maybe it's the recordings. These are records I purchased in the 60s, 70s and 80s. Steve miller Band, Fleetwood Mac, Yes, CSN, the Band, etc. I don't own any of the remastered versions except American Beauty. Or was bass always kind of light in recordings back then. I don't rember it that way but it was quite a while ago. This will clearly be a trial and error process.
Thanks, Jim (oh and should have picofarad not micro in my previous response.