Cartridge replacment time

If you like the Grado save yourself some money and replace the stylus for $150.00!
https://www.needledoctor.com/Grado-Gold2-Stylus

Haven't They made some improvements on that Cartridge, or not worth the extra $$$ ? All the improvements just in the stylus ? Mine is the Gold one. Thanks.

I doubt you will hear any difference between the two. If f you want go for the newer Gold 2 and keep the older one for a spare!

IMO, it’s impossible to beat the Shure M97xe and Jico SAS combo for a MM in that price range. It's not an ideal compliance match for your arm, but if the Grado worked, so the Shure surely will (pun intended).

@helomech 

it’s impossible to beat the Shure M97xe and Jico SAS combo for a MM in that price range.

It's pretty easy to beat that cartridge even if your replacement Jico SAS. The SAS is Micro Ridge, the cnatilever is Boron for an old SAS and Ruby or Sapphire for a Neo SAS. 

There are many more original MM cartridges utilized same kind of cantilevers and diamonds like Fine Line, Stereohedron, Micro Line, Shibata, Line Contact, Parabolic etc 

One of them is Glanz MFG-610LX is on ebay from the Japanese seller who's got a NOS stock of them. They are about $420 with FREE shipping worldwide. It's a Moving Flux cartridge made by Mitachi Corporation in Japan. Everyone should grab them before it's too late! They are brand new (unused). Look at the diamond and cantilever here