If you wait nine more years, you may have had the honor of starting your own 13K-post thread. Because you have in a way re-stated Raul's question. You cannot expect others to tell you what cartridge you will like. Period. That's just for starters. In addition, your question is based on an assumption that either all MM cartridges can outperform MC ones, or vice-versa. (Maybe that's an unfair summary of your question, but that is one take-away from it.) That is simply not the case. There are a few MM cartridges that outperform many or most MC cartridges. (For a hint of what those cartridges might be, you might just read Raul's initial post on his long thread.) There are also a few MC cartridges that outperform most MM cartridges. It's a mixed bag, and only you can find your way out of it. If Robjerman's rationale were correct (about MCs being superior because of having lower moving mass), then Moving Iron (MI) cartridges should rule, because MI cartridges have lower moving mass than do MC cartridges. On top of that they generally have higher signal voltage output which makes the job of the phono stage much easier, in that the phono stage needs to provide much less gain for an MI, and much much less gain for an MM than for any MC. With gain comes distortion and noise. (One disadvantage of a LOMC cartridge.) Also, contrary to your assumption, I would argue that very little to nothing has advanced in the area of cartridge design, in the past 9 years since Raul opened his thread. Certainly there is nothing new in the price range where you seem to want to shop. So, my opinion is that you need to do some critical listening of your own. I rank my top MM cartridges (Grace Ruby with Soundsmith CL re-tip, Acutex LPM320, Stanton 981LZS) in the same breath with my best MC cartridges (ZYX UNIverse, Audio Technical AT7, Koetsu Urushi, Ortofon MC2000). I really have never heard a high output MC in my system that could compete in any way with those listed cartridges. So, no HOMC for me.
