MY SONIC LAB Cartridges

Dear @fjn04  : MSL are really good cartridge designs and any buyer can't go wrong with, so an excellent alternative.

Now, you are with Kuzma and that makes me think that with any cartridge you will improve the system quality performance level with the Kuzma 4 point tonearm. You could think a little about too.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

@tablejockey, it sure seems to be that way. Some people even use cactus spines:-)

fjn04, a lot depends on the phono stage. The MSL cartridges have very low internal impedances. Used with a transimpedance or current mode phono stages there are significant advantages. I personally like the MSL cartridges much better than Koetsu's which I do not think deserve the mythical status they have.
With a standard phono stage I personally think you are better off with a high output moving iron design such as a Grado or Soundsmith. They have much better signal to noise ratios and should track better due to their very low moving masses. This will also give them better high frequency performance. They should also be more durable in the long run. Since the coils are fixed the coil wires are not being continuously flexed and work hardened.

@jperry , I think the right answer to Lewm's question is, "I do not know for sure."  What you hear depends more on you than the cartridge. I think what lewm is getting at is that good cartridges sound very much alike. The differences can be so minor that they are not discernable by casual methods. While speakers as an example can be vastly different and the variance can be drastic with such variables as room acoustics.

I prefer using the term "balanced" rather than "neutral." The best systems do not call attention to themselves. Nothing should stand out. Individual instruments should float in space and have size and depth. Turn the treble up just a few dB and the illusion of individual cymbals disappears. Disturbing that balance in any way corrupts the illusion that you are listening to individual sound sources and not a sound system. 

OP just get a SoundSmith cartridge and be happy. Sonically they are just wonderful and for the most part less expensive than other MC's and as @mijostyn stated above "should" last longer and track better. 

I find that the three or four of my 20 or so cartridges that I like the best tend to sound quite the same to me if I were to close my eyes. And I like to think that this is because I am drawn to their neutrality more than anything else. In other words they do everything right and the result is they are going toward a central character that I seem to prefer.Oddly enough, two of these are MC, one is an MM, and one of these is an MI cartridge. I’ve seen the MSL cartridges on sale in Tokyo. They seem exceptionally tiny but costly. If the pandemic ever permits me to get back there, perhaps I will buy one.

" it sure seems to be that way. Some people even use cactus spines"

mijostyn-
I once had a show room with Ledermann all to myself, so I got schooled on the lineup he brought with him.

The $8K cactus Sussuro was on a stock VPi HRX with his phono stage and pedestrian bookshelves. I couldn’t believe my ears! Fantastic cart.



That was a seque to the other world Straingauge again, thru shoeboxes! I can only imagine that cart on a Tech Das/giant speakers in a nice room. I wouldn’t be able to get in any saddle time on the bike!

I’ve mentioned this before, on deck was a primo copy of David Gilmour’s debut. It played so well he wanted to keep it for the rest of the show.

Another show off LP, if you don’t already have it. I have this press:
https://www.discogs.com/David-Gilmour-David-Gilmour/release/2092729