What should my next cartridge be?

Speaking of Soundsmitth carts, one that has piqued my interest in the under $2K category is the Zephyr MIMC Star ES Low Output MI Phono Cartridge.  With a weight of 10.25g it should be a decent compliance match with a pretty wide range of arms.  I have not heard one yet but it's received very good reviews.

What's wrong with getting a Hana ML?? A rather BIG step upwards, according to former colleagues.

I’d get the Hana ML or else an Audio-Technica ART9. Both are superb all-rounders which will suit all types of music equally. A little googling will unearth lot and lots of information, not least from here.

Conversely I would suggest that Miyajima cartridges should never, ever be bought unless you have had a chance to hear them first. They are undoubtedly the most severely coloured cartridges I know of, brimfull of romance, darkness and an overblown fullness of body.

Don’t get me wrong, they sound absolutely lovely and I kind of want one for myself, but I could never own just a Miyajima. After all, it’s not every day that I want to sit in candle light, playing soft jazz while brooding over lost loves and time’s irrevocable passing - which is what a Miyajima is most suited for.

Miyajima cartridges are different, depends on the model, Kansui and Madake are two models to look for, not lower models. What model are you talking about @agrippa ?

For those who trust the reviews read about Kansui and you will never find a bad word about it, absolutely rave reviews from everyone in high-end press. And even lower model Shilabe became favorite cartridge for all those reviewers.

US distributor offered free trial for all of them and it easy to try and return if it’s not what someone is looking for. He said no one returned any Shilabe when it was introduced and offered for trial.

Kansui is much better. High mass tonearm must be chosen for Miyajima.

Catridge for certain genre of music is a myth (no matter what cartridge). But it's fine that different people prefer different cartridges and it's system dependent for sure. I could not live with one cartridge.  

I’ve heard three; Shilabe, Kansui and Saboten.To be fair they did vary in terms of their degree of colouring and to be honest I can’t really recall which one exactly was the one that inspired the above flourish.

What I am sure of is that neither one was even close to being neutral, but further away from true tonal fidelity than any other cartridges I’ve heard. Not that there’s anything at all wrong with that, but it is certainly something a prospective buyer ought to be aware of and something you’ll find in few, if any, reviews.