davey and tangramca, You guys may agree that lending expensive cartridges for demo is, what? A good idea? It would be a good idea if we all were not so human. You agree that most or many dealers would not know how to demo a cartridge properly. What do you think is the skill level of many/most audiophiles when it comes to mounting and aligning a cartridge? So, at best, the potential buyer's judgement would be affected by his own skill at mounting and aligning. However, I am sure that if you are deemed to be a major purchaser, the very few remaining dealers who cater to such persons would visit your home, do the set up themselves, and then wait around for your opinion, preferably if you were also a possible buyer for other very expensive gear to complement the cartridge. Most of us are not in that category.
What you propose is not crazy or even novel; back in the day when we actually had high end dealerships in most major or even mid-major cities, it was common to be able to audition cartridges in the store. But theft was a major problem. Browsers would remove the headshell from the tonearm en bloc and walk off with both the cartridge and the headshell. And back then, an "expensive" cartridge would have cost the dealer only hundreds of dollars, as compared to the current situation with pricing. The theft of a few Koetsu Urushi's would dampen the dealer's enthusiasm for demonstrations, in a hurry. Alternatively, cartridges were damaged by ham-handed customers passing by.
I don't argue that the current state of affairs for persons who want to buy an expensive cartridge is ideal, but it has evolved over decades to be what it is now. The best we can do is read reviews, listen to others' systems, and take the leap. (Or deal with Robin Wyatt, per Chakster. He is a great guy with an impeccable reputation, and Miyajima are excellent cartridges.)
What you propose is not crazy or even novel; back in the day when we actually had high end dealerships in most major or even mid-major cities, it was common to be able to audition cartridges in the store. But theft was a major problem. Browsers would remove the headshell from the tonearm en bloc and walk off with both the cartridge and the headshell. And back then, an "expensive" cartridge would have cost the dealer only hundreds of dollars, as compared to the current situation with pricing. The theft of a few Koetsu Urushi's would dampen the dealer's enthusiasm for demonstrations, in a hurry. Alternatively, cartridges were damaged by ham-handed customers passing by.
I don't argue that the current state of affairs for persons who want to buy an expensive cartridge is ideal, but it has evolved over decades to be what it is now. The best we can do is read reviews, listen to others' systems, and take the leap. (Or deal with Robin Wyatt, per Chakster. He is a great guy with an impeccable reputation, and Miyajima are excellent cartridges.)