pure sound
Trade: manufacturer/distributor
One issue all of this raises is that of consumer choice by proxy. I imagine, given Bub's day job, that he really doesn't have the time to spend appraising the subtle differences between tonearms, cartridges etc. I meet a good number of people in high flying, high commitment jobs who are similar. They just don't have the time or inclinatiion to go through the process and would rather delegate the choice to a friendly guru, a web forum or indeed the buying guide of a magazine. They'll do this with cars, interior decor, shoes, watches in fact all manner of consumer goods. There's nothing wrong with that. I've no great interest in photography & if I needed another camera I'd be quite happy to act on the recommendations of a knowledgeable friend or a magazine. What I wouldn't then do is to tell everyone that I'd made the best or most correct choice & insist that any other choices would have been less good. Had I been out and tried 5 or 10 of the possible cameras at my price point & chosen one based on its picture quality or facilities based on my own experiences with it & its competitors, that'd be a different story. I'd then feel more comfortable in supporting those opinions.