Need some help picking my first MC Cartridge

The Denon 103 is probably the best budget choice.  It has a warm analog kind of sound but it doesn't offer the ultimate in soundstage or detail.  I think it is best with a Step Up Transformer and the Audiotorium A23 sounds great with it but it is a little pricey.  You could also use a SUT based on the Lundahl LL1933 and be happy.

I also own the ART9XA and ART9XI.  I think the ART9XA requires a better turntable than you have to really shine since it's improvements are primarily in soundstage and separation and the arm/table really have to be good to allow its virtues to show up.  It didn't sound special with a Technics SL1200GR.  But the ART9XI is fantastic with terrific dynamics and a very balanced presentation from bass thru treble.  However, I don't think anybody would describe it as warm.

I have never used it but the AT-OC9XML gets a lot of love and it is a much better price point than the ART9 series.

The Dynavector 10X5 would be another good recommendation.  This isn't the most resolving cartridge and the top end is a little rolled off but it sounds great and has a wonderful midrange.

Grado Moving Iron cartridges also have a very warm character but my Grado Sonata 3 is too rolled off in the highs for my tastes.

Also, don't get too hung up on all this.  Cartridges definitely make a difference but probably less of a difference than most reviewers/users represent.  Having said that my cartridge of choice at the moment is the Ortofon Cadenza Bronze.

@jasonbourne71 Wow, you're running an old-school, stiff MC in maybe the lowest mass tonearm ever. How's the bass? 

Would Lyra Delos work well in that arm with that phono stage ?

It's $2k, though.

I have  owned numerous MC cartridges over many many years, including, at one time, the Delos, I would not call the Delos warm sounding. To my ears it leans on the analytical side of the sound spectrum.

A major thing to consider in addition to preamp matching is tonearm compatability

 The cartridge needs to mate well to the the tonearm. Get this wrong and at best, you won't get the most out of your cartridge, at worst, you will have tracking error and distortion.

I don't know much about your Sansui but from what I gather it is a 70s vintage table with a typical S shaped tonearm. Although you have a $1500 budget, going up the cartridge food chain too much and you many have a cartridge too demanding to perform well in your tonearm. The Shibata sytlus on the Hana S might be too much for it. The Hana cartridges are a good choice but considier the E. Also  the Benz cartridges, they are quite musical and warm sounding as well.

So consider the Hana E, Dynavector 20x or one of the AT cartridges also suggested. Denon cartidges perform best on tonearms with a lot of mass, whcih yours isn't so I'd avoid those.

@alvinnir2 I have my Denon DL-103 on my Technics SL-1200GR.  Even after I bought a fairly heavy Ortofon LH-4000 headshell to use it still didn't sound very special.  But a friend suggested I add weight to the headshell so I Blu-tacked a nickel on to it and it sounded much better.  So you are right the Denon probably isn't the best match for the Sansui arm but there are work arounds to increase the tonearm's effective mass to better match the cartridge.