Highest detail cartridges

Chakster, I am not sure why you are so obsessed with stylus tip mass, which should really be termed "moving mass", to indicate the total mass whose inertia needs to be overcome in order to start a transient, but in order of class, moving iron cartridges are said to have the lowest moving mass, to be followed by moving coil, and then by moving magnet types.  I'm sure there's quite a bit of variation and perhaps even overlap within those categories, but I strongly doubt that any MM cartridge could be champion of that specification.  Assuming I would care.
Anyway, to the OP, it seems to me that certain brands are more known for detail retrieval than others, whether or not that was a design goal of the manufacturer.  Two brands that fall into that category, in my opinion, are Lyra and Audio Technica.  I'm thinking of whether to add Decca to that list. The trick is to get the details while remaining "musical".

@chakster   What is "closer to the music" except distortion and coloration that you find particularly pleasing?  Is "closer to the music" a more accurate reproduction of what is in the groove or a "romantic" rewrite?

@lewm  My Moving Iron reference cartridge (Joseph Grado Signature XTZ) can't beat the AT-ML180 OCC or Grace LEVEL II LC-OFC with BR/MR stylus.

Technics 205c mk4 is an excellent cartridge (never tried 100c mk4, but owned 100c mk3), in terms of detail retrival those cartridges are oustanding! Why? I just tried to add some facts such as extremely wide and flat frequency response and the lowest moving mass.

At the same time the Technics cartridges are the most problematic because of the weak damper. 

"Highest detail cartridges" are not necessary the most musical or the most involving cartridges. ZYX Airy III or ZYX Premium 4D SB are great in detail retrival, but not the most involving carts (but surely very expensive). 

Moving Magnet cartridges from my list are highly competitive with any MC cartridges i have owned, but the cost of those vintage MM is 3-5 time lower than MC equivalents. I would recomment you to try any of them, especially the AT-ML180 OCC. 

At the same time i like my Fidelity-Research FR-7 series (f and fz), this is very musical cartridge with body and soul.  

 



  

"Is "closer to the music" a more accurate reproduction of what is in the groove or a "romantic" rewrite?"

If the romance of the original performance is conveyed in the recording, accurate reproduction of the groove is more than sufficient.

If it isn’t, I have no issue with restoring it, if I can.