Also out for delivery today is --
finally, the thing you have all been waiting for! -- my new phono cartridge. I discussed "my needs" with a couple of retailers and did considerable followup research, and of course ended up spending more than intended. But I can't wait to start hearing my records on a much improved system. I just need a quiet hour or two to dedicate to the task of taking the turntable down, giving it a good cleaning and going over, slowly and carefully installing the cartridge, doing the balancing and alignment, and setting everything back up. Due to other priorities, this will happen on Monday or Tuesday.
The prices are crazy if you want something good. The one I'd been using probably added $100 to the cost of the turntable and tonearm way back when, and it was considered very good -- on the "low end of the high end" scale, which is where you get some real bang for your buck and where I've always liked to be. Well, this one is $450, and is still "low end of the high end", but it's a whole new ball game in quality and has gotten nothing but rave reviews.
$450 for a "needle" probably sounds outrageous, but that's 10% of those you'd put into a much more sophisticated turntable, and but 3% of the ultimate high end. Yes, my fellow DRs, there are a few out there topping out at $15,000. But would you put anything less into your $150,000 turntable? Or even the $28,000 one in the rec room? What would the neighbors say??
http://goo.gl/fbRnw5
