Best Cartridge for $1000-$1350?

No it can´t. Now with the vintage Highphonic MC-R5 no more listening fatigue which has been an issue with that ART9. Additionally the MC-R5 can be listened on higher volume level without increased feel of distortion I noticed with ART9.
Highphonic performs very dynamically and very cleanly, less artificial sounds and more music, and tracks all the Telarc 1812 Overture cannons with ease at 1.1 g. Absolute MC reference in my system today.

Now finally after 190 hours play my AT-ART9 slightly outperforms my AT-ML180/OCC sample, on the Trans-Fi linear tracker. The high register is a bit more refined

@harold-not-the-barrel  interesting, tried 100k Ohm loading for your AT-ML180 ? If you loaded it at 47k Ohm then with 100k Ohm you can improve high register of your AT-ML180 MM 

Actually I´m using 30 kOhm with my AT-ML180. And actually I did try 100 kOhm following Raul´s advice in 2014 (I think) and to my great surprise it and a couple of other vintage MMs like Shure´s flagship suffered from high register over emphasis, musically but not technically as the FR still was flat. The sound simply became somewhat harsh and unlistenable.
100 kOhm may work with Raul´s preamp but not mine. Frankly I think that 100 works properly and as it should only with 4 ch cartridges such as JVD. Because those 4 ch carts are designed only for 100 kOhm.
And actually the AT-ML180 and many other best ATs perform best at lower values 20-30 kOhm and very low capacitance at 100 pF IME. My ILLUSION preamp works at 20-30 kOhm range at best for all my MMs. My other phono preamps have "normal" 47 kOhm and are OK but I´d like to have lower values.
Interesting, isn´t it ?

And actually the AT-ML180 and many other best ATs perform best at lower values 20-30 kOhm and very low capacitance at 100 pF IME. My ILLUSION preamp works at 20-30 kOhm range at best for all my MMs.

@harold-not-the-barrel
Maybe you don’t need a cartridge with such high frequency extention if you think, in your system, you have to load MM carts at 20-30k Ohm to roll-off high frequency (this is what you actually do when you loading it at 20-30k Ohm). At the same time you said ART9 gives you more refined high frequency extention than AT-ML180 (no wonder because you rolled-off high frequency with 30k Ohm loading for MM). Or maybe it's time to change the ATN180 stylus :) ? 

In my system with high efficiency full range drivers i prefer to unload MM cartridges using 100k Ohm, especially if the cartridge sound is too dark. Or just 47k Ohm, but not lower.

System dependent, i believe.

P.S. I’m curious what is your speakers ?

I have two styli for the ML180, both sound better at 30 kOhm. I am sure they are not worn, besides a worn stylus will sound distorted and that I would hear immediately. It´s quite distinctive sound, like also sibilance is.
Following Raul´s advice for 100 kOhm was my biggest mistake in Hi-Fi in last forty five years. There are many experienced audiophiles also here at A´gon who also prefer lower values with MM carts. Yours and Raul´s 100 kOhm works best only for 4 ch cartridges because is designed to use with them.Yours and Raul´s statement about the superiority of highest values is absurd. For your system dependent maybe but not universal.

I use original GENELEC S30 studio monitors from 1991 as near field monitoring, their reveal everything in my system chain, in good and in bad. They have very flat FR going to 25 kHz ribbon tweeters and they have no mercy on anything. Does yours go that high ?