Cartridge-- M/M or M/C

Yikes! I don't want to overthrow anybody! Besides, Twl has a much better understanding of the physics involved than I do. I'll be looking forward to knowing more about his designs. You sure like to stir it up, don't you Psychicanimal?

Johnnantais,
Your posts are very informative. I enjoy them. Thanks for the commentary. The old AR has a special place in the heart as well. I went from it to the Linnie route and then heard a Merrill Heirloom that simply did everything right. The Merrill has had an honored place in my system for about 10 yrs and is still going strong w/a ET 2.5. About a month ago I picked up a Music Maker II, a MM that is blowing my socks off. Check out the reviews on 6moons and TNT. It seems to combine the best of the MCs w/the best of the MMs for an extraordinary listening experience.

Thanks, Rlxl, maybe you could give some details on the Heirloom, which I have heard referred to often over the years, but which I haven't had the pleasure of seeing or hearing. I believe it is a modified AR, or am I totally off the mark?

Me--stir things? Nah...

Since the conversation had went towards decks,
I'd say my understanding on that issue:

Collector DC motors have the largest chaotic electro-magnetic noise. Under chaotic I assume freequencies of a different spectrum with no exempt to transients. Please note, MC cartridges are less affected by such noise thus perform more quiet and more accurate.

AC motors have significantly smaller noise but fully or mostly depend on power-line freequency stability.

Quartz digital motors have even less noise than AC motors thus the most suitable IMO in analogue turntable applications. Yes, DD tables could sound better depending on its construction since the quartz motor influence factors out compared to DC collector motors.

What about belt-driven tables with quartz-digital motors? Probably VPI does that so-far...?