You have a nice system so how about a 5th option and something not quite so drastic as your proposed changes. Since you listen to vinyl 75% of the time, I would suggest a better phono stage than your current plug-in Sequel. One that is better suited for your Ortofon 2m Black.
Your current Sequel has fixed capacitance of 220pf. Ortofon recommends capacitance of 150-300pf. Add in the capacitance of your phono cables to the 220pf of your Sequel and you have exceeded the maximum of 300pf that Ortofon recommends. Higher capacitance with a MM cartridge usually results in a roll off in treble.
Creeks external phono stage, the OBH-15MKII for example, has adjustable MM input capacitance of 100 or 200pf, much better suited for your cartridge. It also has adjustable gain and impedance loading as well as MC capability for later down the road. That's why it costs more - its a much better and versatile phono stage.
A great system is only as good as its weakest link and I would be concentrating on eliminating the weakest link. IMO its your entry level phono stage that is limiting the best performance a world class cartridge like your 2M Black can bring you.
Your current Sequel has fixed capacitance of 220pf. Ortofon recommends capacitance of 150-300pf. Add in the capacitance of your phono cables to the 220pf of your Sequel and you have exceeded the maximum of 300pf that Ortofon recommends. Higher capacitance with a MM cartridge usually results in a roll off in treble.
Creeks external phono stage, the OBH-15MKII for example, has adjustable MM input capacitance of 100 or 200pf, much better suited for your cartridge. It also has adjustable gain and impedance loading as well as MC capability for later down the road. That's why it costs more - its a much better and versatile phono stage.
A great system is only as good as its weakest link and I would be concentrating on eliminating the weakest link. IMO its your entry level phono stage that is limiting the best performance a world class cartridge like your 2M Black can bring you.