Second MC Cartridge Choice.....Tokyo

FWIW, you can’t buy the top end ZYX in Tokyo, the Universe and its descendants, at least you couldn’t 2 years ago. They’re marketed via the US distributor, Mehran, on the West Coast. All other ZYXs were available though.

Now I finally have my four carts in operation, I do find myself trying all sorts of things on the cheapest one of the four, as the sound is addictive. That would be the MP-500.

Maybe addictiveness is exactly the wrong metric, as perhaps it implies the cartridge is adding something I like, and I'm not listening to whatever theoretical uncontaminated sound was in the groove. Yet no sound gets off the groove without a cartridge, and hence there is no uncontaminated sound. I don't know. I just know I'm happy to put mono LPs under the mono MC, classical LPs under the stereo MC, jazz, folk and rock under the MP-500, and anything deserving of an especially close listen under the Decca Reference. No doubt I'm doing it all wrong, but I don't care as long as I like it!

If you cannot buy a top ZYX in Tokyo, Sibatech may distributing there locally, then another good alternative would be Etsuro Urushi Bordeaux or Gold.

@dogberry Liking, Enjoying and Wanting to Maintain are my own Goals.

lt does seem you are blessed with increased choices to enable a adherence to all the above within your own system.

Certainly nothing seen to be wrong from my observation.