Ortofon Super OM10 or Sumiko Pearl cartridge?

03-15-08: Patrick_odonnell
What about the DL-160 vs. the AT440MLa?

I personally have no direct comparison experience, but Ed Kobesky, who wrote the A'gone review of the Denon DL-160, had this to say:

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve liked other cartridges, too. The Audio-Technica 440ML is the greatest $99 cartridge in analog today, with a natural sound, sophisticated dual-moving magnet design and a competition-crushing MicroLine stylus. The Benz Micro MC20E2 is another bargain at $175, with effortless musicality but without the Denon’s fine stylus. And the Grado Green, at just $60, has probably opened more minds to quality analog than any other cartridge. But of all the cartridges I’ve tried, the Denon is the one that packs the most musical punch for the buck.

That settles it, I think my next cartridge will be the DL-160. Now I just need to finish my taxes and wait for my rebate to come in.

After listening to what everyone has said, I have ruled out going back to the Ortofon OM10. As for the Denon or the Benz Micro cartridges, I am limited to moving magnet types because of my Bellari preamp. I play rock on my turntable; so it would be nice to find a cartridge that empasizes more base. After looking at the specs on the Pearl, it appears like it should do well in the base department.

Someone else also suggested the Goldring Elektra and after reading a couple of reviews I think I have narrowed it down to these two cartridges.

03-16-08: Marntz4me
...As for the Denon or the Benz Micro cartridges, I am limited to moving magnet types because of my Bellari preamp. I play rock on my turntable; so it would be nice to find a cartridge that empasizes more bass....

The new Ortofon 2M series carts (including the $99 Red) are known for strong, tight bass.

Also, before dismissing the Denon DL-110/160, remember that these are high output moving coil carts; they typically put out about 2.2mV. I plug mine directly into the MM input of my preamp with good results. Different preamps demand different outputs, however. I recommend you call a Bellari or Denon vendor to see if 30dB gain is sufficient for the DL-110/160 output, because otherwise, it's the perfect cartridge for what you're looking for. The bass clarity, extension, and linearity is well beyond what I expected for $180, and I enjoy listening to rock more than I did before. It's also superb on electro-acoustic folk/rock/country and jazz, whether acoustic or electric fusion.

In addition to the Sumiko Pearl, I would suggest any of these cartridges in the $100 price range: Shure M97XE, Ortofon 2M Red, Grado Blue Prestige, or Stanton EEE Mk III. I recently purchased the Grado Blue and find it a clear step up from the Black that I owned previously in terms of broader overall frequency range and tighter bass. Both cartridges track like a champ at about 1.5 grams. The Denon's are supposed to perform very well, but cost more too.