Cartridge recommendation around $2k?

I have the ARC Phono Ref 2SE preamp which has a gain of 74 dB balanced. Excellent preamp - I’d highly recommend. Can find a used one around $5.5k or so. The newer used Phono Ref 3 (replaced by the 3SE) goes for around $7k-7.5k.

As for the Kuzma 4P (11), hard to find used  - they do show up occasionally. The 4P is an end game tonearm and works well with low compliance carts like the 103, so it may be a worthy investment.  

dhcod-

If you're comfortable with purchasing overseas, this seller has a good reputation and is selling a Kiseki Blue at a more realistic price.
https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lisa6acc-kiseki-blue-n-s-brand-new-cartridges

With it now on level cost comparison, I believe it's "better" than the AT ART 9. At least in my setup, it performs with more overall refinement. To my ears either one is a good buy. ART9 is has a more in you face, detailed presentation that an overall laid back/warm system may need?

I've never heard the Decca carts. All the articles I've read point toward a very engaging sound. If you liked the Lyra presentation, I would say the KB is more of that "sound" compared to the ART9. 

I am aware of that seller. I was also looking at the Cadenza Black he had. 

@dhcod 

No bass issues. I've mounted cartridges I can't afford on it and I was blown away by how balanced and transparent this arm sounds compared to many high priced arms I've used in the past. People are squeamish about Uni's for some reason. I've always preferred them. We all hear differently.

I agree with your comment on balance and transparency. I actually use the Naim Aro unipivot daily ( along with Dynavector 501, FR64S & Eminent Technology ET2 modded ) which I preferred to the Graham.

The upsides of a true unipivot are that they have far less stiction than arms with gimbal bearings - this CAN mean more fluidity, speed and coherency when the cartridge is matched.

Like any arm they are not perfect - I can get more extended, deeper, tighter bass out of the FR64S & Dynavector than the Aro.

As an aside my turntable that I use for all these arms has been extensively auditioned in a controlled system flat to 13hz. I doubt there are many if any systems on this forum that achieve this.

My point was that unipivots require more care in matching the cartridge to the arm if you want to achieve extended, accurate bottom end simply because they dont have gimbal bearings gripping the arm/cartidge  when the cartridge gets excited.

My suggestion is look at the expensive cartridges that you liked best but cant afford, and see if there are common attributes on mass, compliance, gain ( for the Lamm ) that give you pointers as to which cartrdiges are likely to be more successful.

Harbeth 40's might be an alternate solution.

@millercarbon

So anyone wants to say you can't get good bass because unipivot, same as tablejockey said, false statement of the day.

Where do these ideas come from? I'll tell you where: audiophiles repeating blather overheard from other blathering audiophiles! My bet is the current blatherer, instead of deciding he should maybe stop repeating this one will keep right at it, say the same thing another 20 times, and this is how these phoney baloney myths take on a life of their own.

What I actually said was

You wil never get ripsnorting bass out of that unipivot. If you are wedded to the VPi unipivot, you want a medium compliance cartridge.

I wish you would read my posts more carefully. You appear to misconstrue my comment on the VPi into a general statement encompassing all unipivots.

What part of "rip snorting bass" "that iunipivot" "VPi" dont you understand.

Do you not understand that performance ramifications of matching a cartridge to an individual tonearm - the effects of effective mass, compliance ?

For the record I use a Naim Aro unipivot daily, which I chose over the Graham. I use it with a medium compliance LOMC.

I also currently use a Fidelity Search FR64S, Dynavector 501 & Eminent Technology ET2 and have set up 100's of arms of all types.