Grado Prestige Gold 3

Audio Technica VM540ML is clear and detailed. I ran a Nagaoka MP11 (now MP110) in a Basik on an LP12 and it was great.

Thanks so much, very helpful. Great link to a great review Yogiboy.  Noromance, how was the Nagaoka with voices and acoustic music, which is what I listen to most often. Speakers are Harbeth P3’s if that’s any help.

@regg the Nag is warm yet detailed and sweet as a nut. You can't go wrong for the price. The VM540 and 750 are a bit more incisive and transparent.

I use a vintage Pioneer PL-707 turntable with a Darlinton Labs MP-7 phono amp on my main rig. I listen to mostly jazz and some rock and pop. Started collecting vinyl in the 60's.

I bought the Audio Technica VM 540 after reading all the positive reviews. It is very detailed in the mids but tends to be a little too sterile for my set-up. Never tried a Nagaoka.

I like vintage cartridges and my favorite is the Stanton 681EEE using a new Vivid Line Stylus. It is money. Very smooth and detailed with better separation and more bass slam than the the VM 540. I also own and like the Shure V-15 Type III with a Jico SAS stylus but the Stanton sounds better in my system.

I bought my Stanton 681 for $85 bucks off fleabay and the new Vivid Line stylus from LP Tunes. Best cart I've heard on my mid-fi setup. Great combo on the cheap.

I'm a fan of MI cartridges, and while these aren't in your price range, the comparison might hold true for more affordable examples in the two companies' line-up of products. I recently bought and compared a Nagaoka MP-500 and a Grado Lineage Statement 3. I've got 80 hours on the Grado, and it still doesn't excite me one bit. It does its job, but it doesn't make music - it's lifeless. The MP-500, on the other hand, absolutely rocks. Delightful, fun, maybe just a little overly bouncy. But a real bargain compared to the Grado.

Normally I use a London Decca Reference, but it has gone for a rebuild before John Wright (the maker) retires in November. So these two above, plus a London Jubilee and a BM Ruby 3 have been keeping me occupied. If I outlive the Deccas, which isn't likely, the MP-500 and the Ruby 3 will keep me very happy. I now understand why Grado cartridges have lost a lot of the popularity they once enjoyed.