Cartridge recommendation for classical listening

Tablejockey,

 You’re right on both counts.  The stylus is quite protruding. Could easily be damaged.  I have the high output model.  Can be a little hot.
But it works wonderfully on my system.  It does really sing.
Thanks for your good wishes

And don't forget to ask your dealer about the cost of re-tip if your bought your MC cartridge instead of some nice MM. With Sumiko ELLIPTICAL tip you can use only for about 600 hrs at recommended tracking force, then it must be inspected and after 600 hrs mark you will have to re-tip it soon. 

This Sumiko is extremely fragile, the cantilever can be easily destroyed simply because it is not protected at all. A bit strange that you worried about alignment (probably because of possible damage), but purchased the most dangerous cartridge. Like Lyra, VdH and Dynavector with unprotected cantilever , your Sumiko require extreme care in operation. Personally i always trying to avoid such cartridges, because after i accidentally destroyed one expensive MC i realized the cost of repair (if ever ever possible). 

When you reported us that your phono preamp has only MM input i assume your Sumiko is HOMC (High Output MC), right ? A high output MC is always inferior in comparison to the Low Output MC, mainly because of more coil wire winding that cause higher moving mass. 

Of course the most important is your own opinion about cartridge and the sound quality. 

 

What’s surprising about my preamp is that at a ten o’clock setting the volume is quite loud. I’m wondering if the low output model might work better.
However, at this point I’m really enjoying the sound of this model.

Low output model (0.7 mV) will need more gain than your MM input can provide. Also for LOMC you may need optional loading, 47k Ohm could work too, but any lower value from 100 Ohm to 47k Ohm is nice to have too. 

The output of your Sumiko HOMC cartridge is just like MM cartridges, this is why your MM input is fine with your 2.7mV High Output MC

But MM cartridge definitely can work better with your MM phono stage, it can be better in terms of sound with more advanced (user replaceable)
stylus profile than your Elliptical, but the output of MM cartridges also higher up to 5mV depends on the model. 

Anyway, step by step upgrade is a long process, enjoy your HOMC, you can always find something better in the future. 

I wouldn't mount a $1K cartridge on a P3. It's a nice turntable but I doubt you can wring enough performance out of that deck and tonearm to justify the spend. Others will surely disagree. If it were me I would mount a Nagaoka MP-500 and be done with it.

IMO, the London Decca cartridges and Ortofon SPUs are especially good for classical music. Both cartridge brands have models in their respective families for well under $1,000. But these cartridges will require tonearms that are compatible with their size, weight and resonance limitations.