Need advice for a replacement phono cartridge


So, the cleaners destroyed my phono cartridge yesterday while dusting even though I'd cautioned them against dusting my stereo. Absolutely sick about it. Anyway, I need to get a replacement cartridge so I need advice on one that is of equal quality or better. The destroyed cartridge is a Transformation Axia which is no longer made. Thanks in advance!

My system:

VPI Prime turntable, Sutherland Little Loco phono amp, Luxman L509X amp, Revel F208 speakers, two Sumiko S10 subs

michobr59

I have an Urushi. It’s excellent. A little more bass and treble than a Rosewood. Less “warmth”, more detailed. I just had it retipped by Expert Stylus with a Paratrace, still with OEM boron cantilever. I think it’s better than ever but my system is also better than it was 12 years ago when I bought the Urushi.

@ghdprentice , you have to be kidding me. Do you know what the Japanese listen to for music? Just throw a handful of spoons into the air. They have no idea what good sounding is. Make great cameras though. 

@michobr59 , Koetsus are very stiff. It is not a good idea to put a stiff cartridge in a unipivot arm. You should lean towards more compliant designs or get rid of the arm.

@mijostyn 

That's why I mentioned the dual-pivot option. It seems to be a key component of getting Koetsus to work well on VPI's 3D arm. It's not really a "unipivot" anymore. I lent another friend a Jade; he reported mixed results on the stock 3D 10" and later added the dual-pivot to good effect. Now he has a Fatboy gimbal (40th Anniversary table) that's even better, but maintains the dual-pivot was quite good. I wasn't there to hear these options, though. 

I heard my RSP on another friend's 12" 3D Reference + dual-pivot, and it sounded like it should - did pretty much all the Koetsu "stuff" like back home on my FR64fx. 

@mijostyn 

Good one. Yes, I really enjoy Japanese and for that matter Chinese music. But in particular the Japanese esthetic and incredible commitment to iterative improvement on a design committed to musical fidelity. I wish I could have a second Japanese high end audio system.