Cartridge advice

Get a new Sonata. Give Grado a call and they might give you a trade in discount for your older Sonata!

Get the Carmen. You won't regret the extra expense. It's just better for little additional cost. Retipping is so inexpensive that cost of ownership is less than you think.

For ’12 inch tonearm this "SP" (Special) version is a killer.
XSV/3000SP compliance is 15cu at 10Hz, and this is the only Pickering top of the line cartridge with lowered compliance for modern tonearms, the rest of them are twice as much in compliance. For $400-500 NOS it is a steal! Stereohedron diamond tip (long life for over 1000 hrs). Try vintage MM - they are the best for the money and outperform almost everything twice the price. Higher models (XSV/5000 or low impedance XLZ/4500 and XZL/7500) for lighter tonearms are even better. 

Luminaries. The word you were looking for, isochronism. 

I'm using a Carmen with the VPI Aries Scout and enjoy it greatly. I did have to purchase extra weight to add to the headshell but they are available for about $10 shipped on eBay.