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Best Cartridges for the Money You've Experienced

I'd like to ask those of you who have tried many a cartridge over the years to nominate ones that you feel are among the very best and are available today, new or used, at a substantially lower price than most of today's reference-level cartridges. Feel free to mention great cartridges from years past that still show up now and then on Audiogon.

I currently have a Koetsu Rosewood Signature mounted on an SME-5 arm. I'd like to go up from there in sound quality without having to rob a bank.
bolson
johnnyb53
3,490 posts
 
02-18-08: Stringreen
..just for your information....I had a Grado Sonata low output. I thought it was wonderful until I replaced it with a Benz Ebony. ..no contest. The Grado was grainy, brown and colored, limited bandwith, etc. The change was a jaw dropper.
At seven times the price, let's hope so.
bobgates
535 posts
 
I'm no expert on cartridges but I really like the Ortofon X5 on my Pro-ject RM5 table.
thomasheisig
568 posts
 
Zyx 100 UNIverse
inpepinnovations
134 posts
 
Stanton 681EEE. Really, installed on a Stax UA7 arm on a Thorens 125, it was great, although considered expensive back then!

Bob P.
perditty
28 posts
 
I would have to agree with TPSONIC, I've had many carts. Koetsu rosewood, rosewood sig, Ureshi, RSP, Onyx plat. helicon, accuphase ac1,and several Clearaudio's,but just having acquired an Allaerts mc1 eco I am TOTALLY blown away. This cart. is the most musical, fullest, most spacious, least hi fi sounding device I have ever heard!!! The sound stage is canyon like, musicians appear in the room with you in three dimensions, detail is outstanding and backing vocals and chorus singers are heard as individual images not homogenized masses of sound. If this is the bottom of the line model, I can't imagine what the higher models sound like!!!!!
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