Do not jump straight to a $3,000 cartridge

Do not jump straight to a $3,000 cartridge. I say this as a man who plays one every day. I got there one step at a time, and I would not let anyone skip a step.

Start with a good moving magnet: an Audio-Technica VM95SH or an Ortofon 2M Blue at $200 to $300. Replaceable stylus, fantastic sound and almost zero drama. Live with it, build your collection and learn what you like.

Move to moving coil only when you are already spending real money on pressings, listening critically and certain of your phono stage. Then start in the $500 to $900 range, with a Hana or a Sumiko Songbird low output. Why? Because you will not appreciate the difference yet, and if you break it, and trust me you might, you will hate yourself.

My own path went from the Amethyst to the Songbird at about $1,000, then to the Starling, and each step was earned. After my accident with the cleaning cloth I refused to borrow cartridges for testing; I bought every one I compared. When it is your own money on the cantilever, you learn to respect the gear.

Climb the ladder one rung at a time. The top rung is fragile, and it is a long way down.