Is there usually a dramatic difference between $5k and $10k cartridges ?

Exactly. And phono stage should be two/three times more expensive than the cartridge, assuming the prices reflect the quality relatively accurately.

In other words, $10k cartridge is for a very high end front end and the entire system.

It is just easier for most people to upgrade the cartridge than other components of the turntable based front end, and in fact less expensive, except for tonearm cable.

In my experience it is a mistake to think of cartridges as being on a one-dimensional spectrum of good > better> great based on price.

Cartridges, like anything else in hifi, are multi-dimensional based not only on parts quality but on preferences, synergy, design skill and many other factors. You can always spend a lot of money to get something you ultimately hate; and conversely it is just as possible to find something cheaper that you love.

I have owned cartridges at all levels up to the $10k range and my favourites are all at the lower (but still relatively expensive) levels - around $3k. Many super expensive cartridges are designed to suit a particular preference, and if you don't like the house sound of the manufacturer you are unlikely to find their $10k cartridge any more to your taste than their $1k cartridge.

Despite owning many cartridges costing a lot more, the one I keep coming back to is a 20+ year old design, and even at its original price was far from the top level in cartridge pricing at the time. Also, it does not suit everyone, and that is fine. It suits my tastes and I will keep having it re-built when it wears out as it gets closest to what I am looking for in a cartridge than anything else I have heard, even at 2,3 or 4 times its price.

So, to answer the OP, the difference between a $5k and $10k cartridge is usually small, and it is just as possible to dislike a $10k cartridge as it is a cheaper cartridge. It is also just as possible to find that a less expensive cartridge that sounds exactly like what you are looking for.

@rossb +1

rossb, what table/arm/phono stage do you have ?

House sound is more important. This sounds right to me.

If you don’t have the turntable, arm, phono cables and phono-stage to support a high-end cartridge you might not hear much of a difference between $5k and $10k. A $10k cartridge might just as well expose the flaws of the system as anything if you don't have the supporting gear.

OTOH: if you have a maxed out analog front end, one can take good advantage of the higher end cartridges and get pretty big bang for the buck. In that case going from $5k to $10k can produce marvelous results. That’s how I feel about where I am with mine.