Ortofon Cadenza Black vs. Bronze

I have both the Black and the Bronze. I like both, but if forced to choose, I would pick the Bronze. The Black is more neutral and more detailed, though still reasonably warm and musical. The Bronze is just a shade less detailed but with a slight tonal sweetness which the Black does not possess.

It also depends on the turntable and arm. On my Kuzma Stabi Ref with 4 Point (now sold) - which was very neutral to the point of blandness - I found the Black sounded a little too restrained. But on a turntable and arm with more character - such as my PTP Solid 9 with Audio Origami PU7 - the Black sounded superb. The Bronze sounded great on any combination, and will sound better on a wider variety of turntables and arms.

I therefore think that the Bronze is a safer choice, and a great sounding cartridge. It is actually closer in sound the Windfeld Ti (which I also have) than the Black, since the WIndfeld also has a richer tonal signature.

Etna Lamda is rarified air indeed. Brother in law has a Bronze, indeed an excellent sonic value.

My friend has a Black through a JC3+ to a Pass 20.7,  sounds great.

Can’t compare to the Bronze

Love my Black on a Vector 4 Basis tonearm and table.  It is as good or better than my Transfiguration Proteus which was no slouch.

As fsonicsmith mentioned the Bronze is a show favorite, it was used by several exhibitors at the CAF multiple years.  Sounded very nice to me in show conditions.

Another reason that the Bronze is likely a show favorite is that nothing sticks out at the listener-all of it's qualities are even/balanced with no pronounced deficits. Sometimes when a cartridge (also true of loudspeakers and even amps) does something incredibly well, other aspects of performance- despite still being great, seem dull in comparison. I have listened to quite a few VdH's including of course the one I own and in my experience this is the one thing AJ never seems to get right. All of his cartridges offer something special and yet despite the fact that all other aspects of performance are likely still superior to most, that one soaring quality draws too much attention to itself at the expense of the others. This is one of those things that when you read my saying it and think about it you are likely to think "nah, I don't buy it". Well, sorry but some things are just like that. In real life music reproduction does not necessarily follow logic.