How does one go about buying a Phono stage/Cartridge combination?
My experience from the last few weeks has enlightened me to the dramatic differences made by Phono stages and cartridges. Even to the untrained ear, the characteristics, performance, and compatibility of phono stages/cartridge combinations can be disastrous if the wrong combination is purchased and assembled.
Financially, I am but a mere mortal so I'm unable to experiment by purchasing the different cartridges let alone the corresponding phono stages. Most are well beyond my financial capability. So when I make a purchase, it is deliberate and final.
So how does one know if a Manley sounds good with a Koetsu? Or a Linn with an Aesthetix? Does a Shelter have synergy with a Musical Fidelity or Pro-ject phono stage? The possibilities are endless.
Most audiophile grade shops don't carry analog let alone a wide range of cartridges and phono stages. So I have to rely on reviews which are subjective and relative. And my purchases would likely be from an online outlet or from the Used marketplace. Most brick & mortar shops cannot realistically invest the time or inventory to setup a deck and conduct a comparison. It just takes too much time and expense from the vendors standpoint for a potential customer who may not even purchase their wares.
And like many of you, my actual experience with hardware varies greatly from reviews I've read.
So my question is:
If you don't have the luxury of being a magazine editor to whom everything is donated--How do you audition something like cartridges and phono stages?