Logical cartridge upgrade for a long time Shure M44-7 user

@nickpish - since my post, I went with an AT VM540ML based on the recommendations here. I don't want to sound like a confirmation-biased fanatic, but man.. the improvement has been incredible, even right out of the box. 
Much clearer details across the whole spectrum. 
Sonic details extracted that weren't available before with the M44-7.
Inner groove distortion gone for the most part. 
The 11khz 'peak' mentioned by @atmasphere makes a lot of sense now. I used to think that was a given with vinyl, but with the AT upgrade I feel like I have access to the full frequency range without distortion...
And just overall coherence, detail, and what I would call a more 'physical' listening experience. 

Specifically about bass: I don't think the VM540ML is MISSING much bass per se.. It's definitely not an M44-7 in sheer bass output.. it's a bit more subdued, but again to @atmasphere 's point, I do feel like the bass that's getting reproduced is more in line with what was intended, rather than what was made up by M44-7. Right out of the box, the initial feeling is that the bass sounds a bit 'woodier', slightly dull on some records. But even with about 20+ hours of burn-in, I'm already not really missing M44-7. If you have a decent phono stage, and somewhat capable speakers, I'm pretty sure the AT won't disappoint in the bass department. 

Also, I'm confident in my analysis, because I have tried other carts before the AT, unlike the Nagaoka MP110, and this is a completely different experience. 
Also to note - if you get the MV540ML new, and pre-installed on a AT headshell, it's more of less optimized for an SL1200 table (I find). I had to do very minimal adjustments to get it to sound great, track nicely, and extract all the sound I was missing properly from the first moment til the end of a record. 

@absolutlahmi Thanks so much for posting your feedback on the VM540ML- that's great to hear you're pleased with the purchase; congrats! I've spent countless hours reading about various cartridges on forums and review sites, but your feedback in particular as an SL1200/M44-7 owner is especially valuable. I've also been leaning in that direction, due in no small part to the feedback here. Here are a few questions for you, if you don't mind: first, do you have any recommendations as far as cartridge alignment, VTF, anti-skate and tonearm height w/ the VM540ML? Did you use an alignment protractor? I have an overhang gauge for the SL1200, which I've used to align the M44-7. Lastly, I've read many comments about the "brightness" of the VM540ML, which is sometimes described as excessive- how has your experience been in this regard? Thanks again for the phenomenally helpful feedback.

When someone who use CONICAL stylus (with rolled-off bass and high frequencies) comparing it to MICRO LINE stylus claiming the last one is bright, you have to admit that this person prefer colored rolled-off sound. Reading other forums you have to take in count that users of the m44-7 are often djs with average phono preamps in their mixers. You have to understand who post what. Most of the forums are useless and posters know nothing avout what they are posting.

Follow manufacturers recommendations from the manual of any cartridge, Technics tonearm is fine for AT cartridges (or any mid compliance cartridges). I have a pair of SL1210mk2 for more than 25 years and tried over 60 cartridges on those decks (including some of the best MM ever made). Technics is not in my main system, but I test all cartridges on SL1210mk2 first (with the headphones).

Shure M44-7 and Shure Whitelabel are the worst sounding cartridges, even $110 Grado DJ200i (MI) based on Grado Black is superior, not to mention a proper hi-fi cartridges that 10 times better than Grado!

@chakster Thanks for the reply- to be clear, in referencing reviews/comments mentioning "brightness" in the VM540ML sound, these are not (as far as I know) unique to M44-7 users, but rather reflective of a recurring sentiment I encountered in a variety of sources. As with everything else, determining and/or relying upon the credibility of a given reviewer/pundit/self-described "audiophile" is a dubious exercise, so I typically go the route of reading as much as I can stomach, from as many seemingly reputable sources as possible, and noting any common trends or patterns of feedback. I don't doubt the overall quality of sound from a cartridge like the VM540ML is far superior to that of the M44-7 (just like the quality of a photo from a proper DSLR is vastly superior to that from a phone), but any "reviews" of such devices will always be riddled with the implicit bias/range of preferences inherent in a given individual (just as I will readily admit to having a bias towards a more bass-heavy or bass "colored" sound- or to having a preference for images from a Nikon over a Canon SLR :) (Yes, I work in photography, hence the analogy.)

It depends on your phono stage, tonearm and many other factors.
Some great MM can do as low as 5Hz up to 60kHz, it’s impossible without advanced profiles originally designed for Quadraphonic records (like Shibata). When a cartridge can do 10Hz (like this one) you don’t have to worry about bass at all, if you can’t get a proper bass from such cartridge then your phono stage is guilty, your tonearm, speakers and so on, but definitely NOT a cartridge. The main problem with cheap MM cartridges is rolled-off highs and this problem is much more serious than bass.

Pickering with Stereohedron stylus is superb at $300-400 range (NOS), read more here.