Alrighty then. I’m gonna shoot for the Pioneer. Now for the cartridge. I see here that the Grado Prestige Black and the Nagaoka MP110 were recommended for this TT. Can anyone describe the differences in these two or recommend another cartridge(s)?
The best advice is to ignore the Pioneer and buy a proper Technics MK7 instead for $899
About cartridge:
Rare Pioneer PC-1000 MKII cartridge with Beryllium Cantilever would be the best, but definitely not at the price of entry level Nagaoka or Grado.
If you want the best from Joseph Grado look for Signature XTZ
You will see Pioneer PC-1000 mkII and Grado XTZ on this image from my collection (along with Grace LEVEL II Br/Mr).
Pioneer PC-1000 mkII sound is very close to my favorite Stanton SC-100 WOS (another excellent choice). Stanton and Pickering are great for those tonearms. You can ask KAB who service Technics.
These are exceptionally good MM cartridges.
Never buy any cartridge with Conical tip, this is the worst stylus profile on the planet with shortest life-span, and you will may a lot if you want to re-tip MC cartridges.
There is ONLY one reason why nagaoka MP110 recommended for this Pioneer turntable, the reason is cheap price, but if you will read more about stylus profile you will understand why it is cheap.
Almost any MM cartridge is perfect for Pioneer or Technics tonearm. There are tons of Technics clones on the market, but if you want the real thing look for Technics instead, the SL1500C comes with cartridge and built-in phono stage if the low price is the key for you!
Other companies just steal Technics original design (like new Pioneer).
Something else: You can also read what ZU AUDIO posted about $899 Denon turntable on their site.
That Pioneer turntable made for DJs as the Pioneer target market is professionals (for decades), DJs have been using those direct drives for a long time, audiophiles joined later with some praise about them for some reason.
Technics SL1200GR or even cheaper mk7 are much better than all of them.