Technics Turntable question

Grado.

I used an empire 2000 III in the 60's. It was OK, but I upgraded to a Shure V 15 and enjoyed much more of the sound. You might consider a Shure or a Grado at your price level. I think either of them would beat what you have and be very enjoyable.

Shure M97xe is a good budget choice (MM). <$100. Try Amazon.com.

The M97xE and inexpensive Grados are excellent choices if you like a bit of a rich sound. If you crave something faster and leaner, I would recommend the Ortofon OM-10, priced at $60.00. The nice thing about the Ortofon is that it can be upgraded to the much better sounding OM-20 or OM-30 for only the price of the replacement stylus. If you crave faster and leaner yet (I do) the Audio Technica AT-440ML is an excellent choice. Unlike the other recommended cartridges, it has a line contact stylus and unlike all but the Shure, it is nude mounted. It is priced at the top of your range at $89.00 to $99.00, but has quite a different sound than any of the other recommendations. The Shure and Ortofons can be purchased at www.jacksmusicfactory.com and the Grado and AT cartridges from Needle Doctor.