ZYX "House" Sound

@kevemaher, It sounds to me like you have a speaker/room problem. Changing cartridges is only going to make marginal differences. The frequencies causing your problem are in the 3 kHz to 4 kHz region and these frequencies love to bounce around the room creating that "white noise" you mentioned. Makes you want to squint. While it is true that cartridges that lean on the bright side will make this worse the cartridge is not the primary problem. 

Systems that are tuned correctly will initially sound dull until you realize that the high frequencies are there right where they should be, over with the cymbals. Voices and violins sound natural without any sibilance. Acoustic foam tiles are dirt cheap. Buy a box of them and use double sided carpet tape  to tape them to the walls and ceiling at the early reflection sites. You will be shocked at how your sound improves. If you do not know how to find them message me and I will go over it with you. 

@mijostyn , thanks for your input.

I was referring to bad sounding cymbals that I've heard from past setups. I do a thorough alignment now so I don't have that problem anymore. Just bad memories. I don't care for the "clinical" sound some cartridges are known for. I have two very warm cartridges. I'm looking for a cartridge that is a bit more neutral without being "edgy".

I completely agree with you about room treatments. Last year I spend a small sum to outfit my room with Real Traps corner, first reflection, and wall traps. I'm very pleased with the result.

@kevemaher , then what you are looking for is an Ortofon like the Verismo or a My Sonic Lab cartridge. 

I second the Lyra suggestion.  The latest generation that started with the Delos and now goes all the way to Atlas are both detailed and full.  I am on my third one as I have been moving up the line.  I will probably stop here at the Etna Lambda SL.  However,  even the Delos is pretty good.

Robert

Dear @kevemaher  :  Per sé no one could say if your TT/tonearm is good enough and the tonearm can match really good with any cartridge not only high end ones but you when you listen your new cartridge.

One thing is way critical and has a " heavy weigth " in the quality level performance of any cartridge and that's is the tonearm. Cartridge and tonearm is one unit and any cartridge/tonearm combination have its own signature/color, you change the tonearm with the same cartridge and will sounds a little different with different " colorations ".

What I can't explain my self is that you are using that vintage tube phono/SUT and you have too the Nova unit. Those RCA input/output connectors on the tube unit are not good enough but not god those additional input/output connectors, cabls and solder joint for that SUT and all those only degrades the cartridge signal quality level.

The cartridge overall quality perfomance directly depends in a critical way to the quality level of the phono stage and tonearm including the tonearm internal wiring and always will be better a phono stage active high gain that an external SUT no matter wahat ( everything the same. ).

Do you want something neutral? then you have to put at minimum everykind of system link distortions/colorations in your room/system chain. My take is that maybe when you have the new cartridge need to think a little in what I'm saying here in favor of you and your room/system whole quality performance levels.

R.

R.