Most recently here on Audiogon a fellow member has mounted a Dynavector XV-1 on a run of the mill tonearm that retails for $700.00.True 30 years ago and truer today, specifically because today's best catridges are more revealing of flaws in surrounding components than the best cartridges of 30 years ago.
In fact the retail price of this very good cartridge alone is more then his entire front end.
Any superb tonearm with any decent cartridge mounted on it will far out play ANY mediocre tonearm with any of the popular expensive cartridges of today.
Very wise advice, and perhaps the most frequently abused/ignored/unknown.
This isn't to say don't buy an XV-1S, Transfiguration Orpheus, upper model ZYX or other top cartridge. It is to say that the rest of your vinyl front end (including the phono stage) must be at an appropriate level first or you may be disappointed.