Cartridge-- M/M or M/C

I hear you, Scott. I've only been on the 'net for a couple of months now, and since I've been tinkering for a couple of decades (I rewired my first Rega arm in '88) I don't look for advice much, just want to share my experience a bit and save others some trouble. A while ago I did sell all my high-end stuff - except my record players (source is most important) - and bought a used Pioneer Elite preamp with switchable MM/MC (reliable and remote-controlled) a couple of ASL Wave 8s amps ($200 new, and rhythm demons) and a pair of cheap but incredibly musical (best rhythm I ever heard: I grinned from ear to ear everytime I heard them) Sound Dynamics (now Athena Technologies). The system was reasonably detailed but not enough to be distracting, and it made everything sound good. I manfully resisted every temptation to upgrade my system and listened for hours every night. Then one day, a couple of months ago, I saw what I recognized as a pair of classic BBC designs in real walnut going for $20 at the Salvation Army store, and stupidly bought them. Sticking them in my system made my Sound Dynamics sound like mud, and I couldn't return to them. I've been in audio hell since, bought new amps, and am looking for a good preamp and so on... I'm finally close: join the club. The only advice I can give you as to a new 'table is this: if it doesn't do rhythm, it ain't worth a damn. If you're looking for fit n'forget, reliable, hassle-free and serious as well as close to your budget, then go Rega 25, new. Sky's the limit for cartridges, and you can add platter mats and so forth afterwards with very little trouble. Sometimes I wish I had never moved on from my Rega Planar 3 (but then I lower my Decca into the groove and groove myself...).

A stock Technics 1200 will smoke the Rega 25. No need to stay in Hi-Fi hell...

Psychicanimal may have a point: I'm an idler-wheel man myself. Both direct-drive and idler-wheel 'tables are theoretically superior to belt-drives in speed accuracy - the trick is in the execution. But I still keep a few belt-drives around for entertainment: as long as they have rhythm, I can dig'em. And my Decca absolutely needs a damped unipivot and loves the AR. Too bad the Technics doesn't come with one.

It's a no brainer to me--but here's actual testimony of someone who went through these troubles:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1069168134&read&3&4&

I know he dumped a 1200 for a Rega 25 and then had to come back to the 1200. This time fully modified.

Idler wheels can be killer TTs, like the EMTs. It akes a lot of money to come with an adequate ( "rhythmic" ) belt drive, that's for sure...

Sorry, it was a Rega P9, not a 25. Oh, well, more power to the Creature!