Lowest priced MC thats better than a Premium MM?

@lewm 1++

The Soundsmith Voice is the best high output cartridge I have ever had in my system. In order to better it with a LOMC cartridge I had to spend $8000 plus. They are two different markets and the pricing is vastly different. I had a conversation with Peter Ledermann asking him why the Sussusso cost $2000 more than The Voice as they look like the same cartridge, the only difference being the number of windings on the coils. His response was, "the market." He makes low output cartridges so audiophiles can use their fancy phono stages and he can make a higher profit. Peter is honest to a fault and stands firmly behind everything he makes. I just ordered a Hyperion MR through Sounds of Silence. If you are in the south eastern New England area this is a great dealer.

Certainly, at $3000 and below you are much better off with a high output cartridge. Like Lew I tend to prefer MI designs. I look for the best cantilevers and stylus profiles with ultra low mass designs. I avoid aluminum cantilevers with swaged ends. That is unnecessary mass in a place you definitely do not want it. Styluses should be so small they are hard to see with the naked eye. Cantilevers should be boron, sapphire or diamond. It is all about low mass and high stiffness. 

Even the $700 Hana SL is better than most premium MMs, and better balanced than the inexpensive AT MCs. 

Says you. And you’re entitled to your opinion. But everyone has an opinion.

I run MC in three systems ranging from Koetsu Urushi, through vintage Lyra Clavis to a modern Goldring Eroica LX. I recommend the latter as a  c. $1,000 option for you.

I agree that there is no such thing as a price-point or specific MC that beats out any MM/MI cartridge; it is really a matter of taste.  There are some who would say that a Decca London will beat out any cartridge of any type for example.  But, there are certainly lower priced MCs that do, to me sound quite good for their price and are worth checking out.  As someone mentioned above, the Ortofon Quintet Blue is a bargain, particularly if one is looking for a warm cartridge along the lines of a Koetsu, but at a fraction of the price. 

For a completely different sound (or detailed, less warm sound) an at a much higher price, I like the Lyra Delos.