Proteus compared to MSL ultra eminent ex

I always go by a guideline that says to buy the second costliest version of any line of similar product from any one company.  The second costliest is usually quite a bit less expensive than the top of the line and usually has all of its major features, minus a cosmetic doodad here or there.
I would wager that Transfig will re-emerge under a different name, or it already has done so.  If you take the long view of Japanese phono cartridge development, this happens all the time.  Anyway, I hope the brand does make a comeback, even under another name, because I agree they made some fine stuff.

Thanks miljostyn. Really appreciate your perspective. I have never heard a clear audio cartridge or the Winfeld. I think seven ohm internal impedance is probably higher than I want if I do wind up changing the cartridge. From my reading, it seems like the my sonic labs or the air tight cartridges are among the best options for very low internal impedance with a reasonable output.

Just in general, Ortofon over Clearaudio.  But that's just me.  The Ortofon cartridges in general give you a better bang for the buck, tend to be more neutral in tonal balance.  The better CA cartridges are expensive and tend (I say "tend") to sound a little top heavy to these ears.  None of this is absolute fact.

Thanks for your perspective as well, lewm.

FYI, the Air Tight and MSL cartridges are both designed by Matsudeira (if that is the correct spelling), as was the aforementioned Audiocraft AC-03 and even earlier models like the Entré EC-30. Based on my own personal experience with the last two and various reports about the first two, there appears to be a clear family resemblance.

By improving on his design and using new materials, Matsudeira has managed to bring down internal impedance and increase output. So at least in theory the latest Air Tight and MSL design are superior. I don't know to what extend this translates to better sonics, but again I've read reports that the MSL's don't sound very different from the previous Audiocraft AC-03. If that is correct, these are bargains on the 'previously cherished' market. I found an 'as new' sample for around $1000 and at that price you won't be able to do much better.