From Benz to?

"I went from the Benz LP to a Dynavector Te Kaitora Rua."

I’m definitely interested in Dynavector, was thinking either Te Kaitora , or stretching a bit for the DRT XV-1s. Funky looking cartridges! I’ve never read anyone describe anything negative about upper level Dynavector.

"No one has mentioned the Koetsu line. Their Urushi line and up would be a nice replacement for the LPS MR."

I’ve lusted after the stone body Koetsus for years, mostly because of the way they look. Just gorgeous. Admittedly, I’ve never heard one in person. Do they sound and perform as good as they look, or is it all show?

"I wanted more resolution when i went from a Benz, so the Lyra Kleos was the answer"

I had the Delos for about a year before I went the Benz route. I suppose I didn’t have the Delos set up 100% correctly, cause I found its treble fatiguing. If I were to revisit Lyra, I’d probably just pony up and go for the Etna, and take the time tp properly set it up. The Delos definitely did track better than my Benz. That said, with the Benz LPS I forget its there and I just listen to music. My ideal cartridge would embody the balanced, effortless nature of the Benz, albeit with more detail retrieval. Thanks all for your suggestions, I’m actively looking at my next cartridge. Of course my dealer has suggested upper level Clearaudio MCs, I only have experience with the Concept MC. It was just OK.

@gakerty The Delos ( like all newer Lyra’s with the new angle technology) will sound bright and fatiguing in the treble if the set up is not 100% spot on. This is why we hear of folks leaving the Lyra line and naysaying their experience. IME, the Lyra’s are the most complex to set up, because loading also needs to be considered and will again off-set the performance if it is wrong. While i respect what JCarr has done with the designs, I would surmise that the precision required in set up has led a number of owners away from his brand.

The Koetsu's ( at least the one's i have heard) are not as resolving as the Lyra's, but they are very nice if you want a cartridge for the long term and just want their midrange beauty. I have NOT heard the very top models like the Coralstone, but I suspect they would have a family resemblance...like the Tiger Eye, which i have heard.

The new Etna Lambda, if in budget, would be a big step up over the LPS MR, again IME.

The Lyras are a pain to set up however once they are set up correctly, they sound great.  I had the same problem a few years back.

Lexus

Maybe you consider miyajima Kansui sweet & natural .

Have Gullwing SLR then kansui and now Rua . Pair well with my 3D VPI arm .