Best cartridge under $1500.

Love the 17D3, don't think you can get a more accurate cart on the market. Fussy with setup is the only downside.

AT-33PTG/II from 2juki on eBay for $500. 

cohicks4: FWIW, I recently reviewed three cartridges here:

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/3-cartridges-reviewed?highlight=3%2Bcartridges%2Breviewed

Though more money, I felt the ART 9 and MIMC Star were significantly better than the Quintet Black. I ended up going with the MIMC Star and have been using it now for a few months--it is a very nice cartridge that, in my system, checks all your boxes--particularly with regard to "rich midrange" which I find very fleshed out and vibrant. I felt the high frequency response of the ART 9 was a little more refined than the MIMC Star but the Soundsmith had richer, tighter bass. Both are EXCELLENT for the money and what you will hear is obviously going to be system dependent. Be advised that the MIMC Star is pretty low compliance and the ART 9 is pretty high so chose carefully based on the mass of your arm.

For many years i've been looking for JVC Direct Coupled MC cartridges to find one in working condition. I ended up with Victor MC-1 (Beryllium Cantilever, Shibata Stylus). Designed of the ART-1000 were inspired by JVC Victor direct coupled MC cartridges from the 70s/80s. 

This is uniqie design, printed micro coil located on top of the cantilever, very close to the stylus, check this image.  

see what J. Carr posted on audiogon about this design: 

The MC-1 places its signal coils way out on the business end of the cantilever, only a millimeter or so away from the stylus. Since the coil position bypasses most of the cantilever's length, the MC-1 is a good performer with excellent dynamics and immediacy. But in return it is tricky to set up (body clearance is minimal and stylus visibility poor), and the 0.2mV output and moderately high self-impedance will pose a challenge for many phono stages.

When the stylus wears out, or if the MC-1 breaks, it may or may not be repairable. The signal coils are micro-circuit boards and delicate in construction (so are the lead-out wires, which run up the length of the cantilever), and their proximity to the stylus leaves them comparatively unprotected. Also, the magnetic circuit's nearness to the LP surface tends to suck up dirt, which over time can clog up the magnetic gap that the signal coils move in. Finally, the close proximity of signal coils to stylus may turn out to be a headache for retippers.

With all that said and done, if you own a low-noise high-gain phono stage and relish the thought of listening to something exotic and rare (I'd be surprised if there are many functioning MC-1s left, even in Japan), go for it.

Enjoy what life brings your way!

kind regards, jonathan

London Super Gold.