Thoughts on moving from a 1200G to Sota Saphire or above

About 10-11g if I remember correct (you can change it a bit with different headshells), $3k is a lot for a cartridge, you can buy amazing cartridges within $3k budget (including some killer NOS), just don’t buy a low compliance carts for this tonearm! And don’t afraid to look for MM and MI (there are some decent carts under $1.5k)

12 grams.  ^^^^^

Thank you for the tonearm info. I have a Cadenza Black on this table. I need to double check if it’s a good compliance match. 

@bfoura, 
Use a resonance calculator to be sure, but I think you're safe there.

IMHO, you've hit the sweet spot in the Ortofon line for high performance relative to cost vs their super carts. A little bit of conjecture but I would argue a cart change would require either a strong desire to an extreme flavor (e.g. a warm Koetsu) or a big price jump to a best in class contender to justify the cart change vs the arm or table. IOW, don't spend $3K to go sideways. Cheers,
Spencer

Don’t overestimate the problem, nearly all modern cartridges are made for modern tonearm. Carts are mid compliance and tonearms are mid mass. Most of high compliance carts are high-end vintage MM and MI, most of low compliance carts are vintage MC. Very few new carts are low compliance (SPU for example), but they are definitely not for Technics mid mass tonearm. This arm is amazing for mid and high compliance MM and MI, and modern mid compliance MC. 

But cartridges are different and for your ears one specific cart can be much better than others. If you did not compare many then your Ortofon can be not the best for your ears (theoretically).