If you had $12k / £10k to upgrade your analogue front-end...

@lohanimal good analogy, thank you. 

cannula:

I was suggesting starting with a new/different cartridge (only) fo a start.

A cartridge with a bit more detail and jump factor may be all you need.

Your TT is reviewed as being slightly smoother than typical non-suspended decks in its price range and above (not a bad thing) and your cartridge is reviewed as being somewhat "static" sounding (probably not a great match as you are looking for a more exciting sound).

It’s easier (less confusing) to change one thing @ a time and sometimes that one thing is all that’s needed.

Years ago I was looking @ new TT’s and CD decks because I was not happy with the bass/mid-bass of the one’s I’m still using.

The Thorens/SME had a hollow/reverb quality and the CAL (CD) was a bit thick/mushy.

During the course of the search I added a couple of after market custom shelves (ordered months before) to my rack for the source gear.

Doing so remedied what I disliked about the sound of both and I ended up keeping them (the improvement was so great on the CD deck that I ended up selling the DAC I was using as I discovered that with the new shelf I preferred the sound of the internal DAC).

Changing one thing (the shelf) was all that was necessary.

DeKay

@dekay Gotcha. This makes perfect sense and could actually be a really good interim solution. Any advice on a cart I should look at that would go with my table, tonearm and the Moon Ace?

Sorry no...

The last time I listened to newer cartridges was around 2010 and they were a couple of inexpensive Denon MC's popular @ the time.

I have 20 year old Grado Prestige Silver/Gold bodies, an old lackluster Ortofon 15 something which sounds similar to the Shure V15 MkIV mistake and an excellent sounding (but ancient) Pickering V15.

I require very high output due to the way my line/phono preamps and power amps are configured.

I have an old EAR 834 hi-gain phono preamp which would remedy such, but it needs some work that I've never gotten around to.

I've found pro reviews of the MP-500 interesting (in regard to breaching the MM/MI/MC barriers), but there are many choices out their.

The MP-500 is "said" to have some of the attributes of better MC's, but it also has a user replaceable stylus for approx. half the price of the full monty.

DeKay

A suggestion. A step-up transformer for a moving coil cartridge is a ridiculously easy way to get into DIY.

The finished boxes that you see often contain little to nothing more than a raw step-up transformer or two (Sowter (UK) makes a good one, Lundahl (Sweden) makes many good ones, and there are others that I haven’t tried) which cost maybe 200 - 300 GBP. Add some inexpensive connectors (XLR from Neutrix, RCA from Switchcraft) and a box, and mount the parts in the box, and you have something which competes with the big boys. You don’t need to switch them - it’s better if you don’t - just follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for hook-up and you’re done.

Most people think, OMG, it’s magic, the pros know all this stuff that I don’t, so I can’t do anything. This is a mistake. The pros do know lots of things, and one of them is, that manufacturers give detailed instructions on the use of their equipment. They are often called ’Application Notes’.

A pro would never think of using something like a transformer without looking at an application note, or at least an explanatory drawing (called a ’schematic’). Why not call up Sowter, explain that you want to build a SUT for a MC, and ask for their advice? I found them very helpful when I did that 10 years ago.

What have you got to lose? Are they going to take away your corner office?