TheDecameron
Unicorns fart glitter.
Cartridges wear out, so to have a fine one veiled by a mediocre phono stage is a lost opportunity. I ran an expensive vdH through a lousy phono stage for a year and it was a complete waste. I'd much rather get the best phono stage I could afford first, even if it meant having a cheaper cart initially. Phono stages are the greatest bottle neck I have experienced in a system.