Help me decide: Grado Gold or AT440ML

@johnnyb53 Thank you!!! I have no idea where my young friend will end, our conversation started when he was outbid on my restored Teac cassette deck and now, almost a year later, he contracted audiophilia germ from me ;-)
I am trying to advise him on his first TT buy, his limit is just $100 and looking thru eBay offerings I realized that I know next to nothing about entry-level TTs. When I was his age (and in his financial shoes) I just bought whatever was sold at my local store and then switched to CDs the moment they came out!...
million thanks for your response, it always bothered me what is there inside a new needle. As they used to end the initial South Park series: Ive learned something new today! Thanks!!!

I had an AT440 that was simply too bright, and replaced it with a Sumiko Pearl. I still like that damn Pearl…even replaced the stylus recently. 

Speaking of the Sumiko Pearl, I have a Shelter 201 that uses the same cartridge body. I think the US import price is a bit high at $310, but I got one from a Japanese vendor on eBay for $166.97 shipped. At that price it's a total no-brainer. It's a marvelous cartridge, robust, full-bodied, rich, detailed where it counts, great tonal balance, and irresistably musically involving. Best part is that the replacement stylus--from an authorized US vendor--is only $100, so it's cheap to own, too.

WIth my all-tube phono preamp this thing has a ton of "jump factor" and a midrange that wraps you up like a warm comforter.

If he just *has* to stick to $100, then the two best candidates I know of are Wolf's Sumiko Pearl and the Ortofon 2M Red.

I'd buy the needle and see if it works....the cost is minimal.

Stringreen: Do you know which 30-yr-old Audio Technica cartridge he has?

Also, Sevs: Concerning your buddy's $100 upper limit for a turntable: I got into audio in 1972, which is right in that "golden era of stereo." $100 today adjusted for inflation would have been $17.35 back then. Hell, even a Kenner Close'n'Play for little kids was $39.95 back then.

The Pro-Ject Carbon DC with included $99 Ortofon 2M Red cartridge is only $399. That's equivalent to $69.25 in 1972, a largely plastic Garrard piece of junk. The Carbon DC, on the other hand, is a very nice-sounding unit, probably a lot better than your buddy even imagines an LP could sound like.