2. analog
  3. 1303092902

CartridgeCompatability:Arm/Amp Most Important?


I'm trying to select a cartridge to match my system.

In your experience, is the tonearm-cartridge interface more important, or does the cartridge-phono stage have greater effect on compatibility?

Or is this another of the gray areas that only experience can assess? I'd rather not buy eleven cartridges, to the tune of $40,000 (that I don't have)before finding a strong and satisfying combination.

Technics SP10 MkIIa table, Acos Lustre STA-801 arm, Aurum Acoustics phono stage in Aurum CDP integrated preamp.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Best,
David
cdk84
swampwalker's avatar
swampwalker
5,132 posts
 
Dan-ed is of course correct that it all matters. I think its helpful to think of the cart/arm as a single component. It is a transducer whose function is to convert the physical characteristics of the LP groove into an electrical current which will be modified and amplified by the phono stage. Taht said, I have no experience with your arm.
stops
56 posts
 
I believe the low frequency cartridge/arm interaction is important for tracking a record that is not absolutely flat as well.
raquel
841 posts
 
The 8 Hz. - 12 Hz. resonant frequency, regardless of the cartridge/arm combo, is usually not an issue with good modern tables due to their low rumble.

Dan-ed is correct that it's the other interactions between cartridges and arms, much higher up in frequency, that are important. These issues are highly complex and still not well understood, and unfortunately, they are very difficult to predict - the only way is to try a particular combo and wish for the best.
stops
56 posts
 
Raquel: I was addressing warps not turntable rumble. The link below is very well written and worth reading.

http://www.theanalogdept.com/cartridge___arm_matching.htm
More to discover