It was suggested to me that I begin by trying to understand (when I asked how one could possibly make one's own determination as to what is and is not worth buying), so I have decided to follow that advice.However, what I did not realise when I happened on this site is how out of my depth I was going to be, not just in terms of knowledge but also in terms of capacity to acquire knowledge. I thought I would start with one thing - the cartridge, since I have been told that changing this component can make the biggest difference to the sound.
I found an explanation or two, and now know that the magnet or coil on the end of the stylus cantilever moves in direct correspondence to the vibration of the tip of the stylus in the record groove. It is this movement that generates the signal which then moves down a wire to the phono stage. However, what I cannot find is an explanation of the underlying process, only that this is what happens. I don't know how the movement of a magnet or coil generates the electrical signal. If there are two coils positioned either side of a moving magnet is it that the two things - the magnet and the coil - generate an electro-magnetic field just by virtue of being in proximity to each other and that the movement of one or the other traces a pattern in the field which is then registered at the far end in the phono stage? Ie, is it wrong to think of a signal being transmitted like a letter being posted and right to think of a brain (receiver in phono amp) seeing a hand signal. That's not a good analogy I know, but I am struggling to understand how a signal can be developed, gathered up, and then sent in its way.
It could be that this is really not something that is wanted as a question on this site, so please feel free to ignore it - I will not take it personally. There is no reason anyone should spend time on answering a question like this, and since my level of knowledge is virtually non existent in comparison to what I now understand is the average level of knowledge among members, I fully expect the above to be a wrong, and therefore meaningless, question.
I found an explanation or two, and now know that the magnet or coil on the end of the stylus cantilever moves in direct correspondence to the vibration of the tip of the stylus in the record groove. It is this movement that generates the signal which then moves down a wire to the phono stage. However, what I cannot find is an explanation of the underlying process, only that this is what happens. I don't know how the movement of a magnet or coil generates the electrical signal. If there are two coils positioned either side of a moving magnet is it that the two things - the magnet and the coil - generate an electro-magnetic field just by virtue of being in proximity to each other and that the movement of one or the other traces a pattern in the field which is then registered at the far end in the phono stage? Ie, is it wrong to think of a signal being transmitted like a letter being posted and right to think of a brain (receiver in phono amp) seeing a hand signal. That's not a good analogy I know, but I am struggling to understand how a signal can be developed, gathered up, and then sent in its way.
It could be that this is really not something that is wanted as a question on this site, so please feel free to ignore it - I will not take it personally. There is no reason anyone should spend time on answering a question like this, and since my level of knowledge is virtually non existent in comparison to what I now understand is the average level of knowledge among members, I fully expect the above to be a wrong, and therefore meaningless, question.