It will be very hard to find any modern MC without spending over $3k to compete with these vintage MM cartridges:
Grace LEVEL II Ruby, Sapphire, Beryllium or Boron (they made so many).
Audio-Technica AT-ML170 or AT-ML180
Stanton SC-100 WOS
Pickering XSV/4000
Pickering XSV/5000
Victor X1II or X1IIE
Pioneer PC-1000 MKII
SONY XL-50
Garrott P77
If you want something very special my advice is to look for some of them in MINT- or NOS condition. You will never find any modern MM that can compete with those great heritage. Each of them unique in its own way, all of them are high resolution cartridges, each has unique cantilever or stylus (all all together). You can’t go wrong with any of them, some will cost you over $1k, some will cost only $500-700. All of them are perfect for Technics tonearm. I have all of them and purchased NOS styli for most of them for the future. Some are very hard to find. If you need help ask me.
If you want a mainstream modern sound of MM then i can’t help you, MM cartridges are not trendy in High-End community anymore.
I’ve been looking for exceptional performers on MM territory, compared those vintage carts to some of the best LOMC up to $4-5k and still don’t understand why people think MC is better? MM was a king in the 70s/80s and this is where you could find absolutely killer Moving Magnet designs even for $600-700 with exotic cantilevers and the most advanced stylus profiles (user replaceable, with longest possible life-span up to 1200hrs easily).
Grace LEVEL II Ruby, Sapphire, Beryllium or Boron (they made so many).
Audio-Technica AT-ML170 or AT-ML180
Stanton SC-100 WOS
Pickering XSV/4000
Pickering XSV/5000
Victor X1II or X1IIE
Pioneer PC-1000 MKII
SONY XL-50
Garrott P77
If you want something very special my advice is to look for some of them in MINT- or NOS condition. You will never find any modern MM that can compete with those great heritage. Each of them unique in its own way, all of them are high resolution cartridges, each has unique cantilever or stylus (all all together). You can’t go wrong with any of them, some will cost you over $1k, some will cost only $500-700. All of them are perfect for Technics tonearm. I have all of them and purchased NOS styli for most of them for the future. Some are very hard to find. If you need help ask me.
If you want a mainstream modern sound of MM then i can’t help you, MM cartridges are not trendy in High-End community anymore.
I’ve been looking for exceptional performers on MM territory, compared those vintage carts to some of the best LOMC up to $4-5k and still don’t understand why people think MC is better? MM was a king in the 70s/80s and this is where you could find absolutely killer Moving Magnet designs even for $600-700 with exotic cantilevers and the most advanced stylus profiles (user replaceable, with longest possible life-span up to 1200hrs easily).