Best Cartridge for my system, MC or MM ??

I would check the specs on your phono pre.If your using the stock McIntosh you will most likely only be able to use MM or high output MC. 4.0 mv or better ,if I recall correctly.So if needed you can always purchase a external phono preamp so you can use a wider range of cartridges.Also, matching the arm with the cartridge compliance is paramount.

Bad info on the 10X5 being worlds apart from the Virtuoso.
It is not.
Give consideration to an Audio Technica AT-150MLX. It plays far beyond its' price and both of the cartridges mentioned here.

You can also consider an Audio-Technica AT-160ML or even AT170-ML/OCC, probably not cheap second hand but you don´t have to regret ;
Also SHURE ML-140HE won´t be disappointing.
Anyway, a high compliant & high out put voltage cartridge.

I would advise for the Ortofon 2m Black for live reproduction.
For about the third price: the JVC Z1S together with the amazing "Grey JICO SAS" suspension-cantilever-stylus.
Do not care about MCs.
Only if you have the will to buy a great step-up & a top quality LOMC.
Only cartridges like the VDH Colibri, Clearaudio Titanium and few others of top $$$ range can go beyond the MM limits!

Blacknoise ... I've touched many of the cartridges mentioned above, including the Clearaudio Virtuoso and Maestro, and the Ortofon 2M Black.

My recollection is that some of the cartridges are high compliance and others low compliance. Don't know much about your TT (particularly the effective mass of the arm), but whatever you decide, I suggest that you get your arms around the compliance situation before investing bucks in a cartridge.

Also, I seem to recall that the Ortofon has high'ish output voltage (> 5 mV), which was a little hot for my set-up. ARC thinks it might have clipped my linestage, which was the Ref 3 at the time. Be sure the MACs can handle the Ortofon's output voltage.

Another factor that you may want to keep under your hat is retip/exchange costs. Most people in the know who I've spoken with think 2000 hours stylus life is about it. The usage cost on a per minute basis gets expensive as cartridge and stylus retip costs go up.

I believe the Ortofon 2M series has a replaceable stylus set-up, which is good. The Clearaudios do not. Having said that, Soundsmith and Andy Chong have very good repuations re their retip services.

FWIW, I settled on a Lyra Kleos (.5 mV MC) (primary) and the Soundsmith Zephyr (2.3 mV MI) (back-up). Soundsmith has retipped my Zephyr 2 or 3 times already for about $200 a-pop. I plan to ask Andy to inspect and retip if needed my Kleos in the next week or so.


Happy Holidays,

Bruce