Turntable Cartridge upgrade question.

Specs, related to IMAGING.

I like everything about your existing cartridge’s specs (never heard one), including it’s low tracking weight.

EXCEPT, It has only 26db channel separation, and 1.0 db center channel balance.

Not everyone can hear subtle differences, and those differences come down to ’preferences’, not ’better’.

Everyone can hear/experience ’better’ imaging, not just the sense of overall width, but the distinction of individual instruments/voices anywhere l/c/r.

Excellent engineering is revealed to a greater extent.

All imaging is phantom, a tighter center balance 0.5 db and a wider separation say 30 db produces a far more involving experience.

The stiffness of the cantilever material is also an issue, prices go up along with stiffer material. Buying these days, I stop at BORON. Many 'better' cartridges are mounted on aluminum cantilevers these days. In the past I have had beryllium, crystals. I still have a Sumiko Talisman Sapphire Cantilever/Line Contact that I have convinced myself yields a speck more bass, the difference very very slight.

My choice for my 1st MC cartridge was/is AT-33PTG/II

This one, with Shibata on Boron fits your budget

always check the relationship of signal strength to coil impedance. some need individual settings for signal boost and impedance loading, requiring a more sophisticated/expensive phono stage.

regarding phono stage: buy from a source allowing return/full refund, it is the ultimate ’preferred’ not ’better’ device IMO.

I also recommend the Hana ML. It’s very balanced & does everything well if not quite state of the art at any one thing. It’s quite low output will necessitate a good phono amp which can get pricey so maybe their higher output version might be a better choice. I use the Hana on an older but still very good Basis arm / table combo w/ excellent results. 

@lewm VPI Classic Signature Turntable is in question so it is great product for the money, opinions are it would take 15k TT to notice significant improvement, not sure if it is true but that's what I read.

@baylinor VPI Classic Signature

I have referred to the following on previous occasion to the Copy/Paste that follows of my most recent reference to an experience I had. 

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I once demo’d at a public attended event, where approx’ 500 paying visitors were in attendance.

A very conspicuous visitor to my demonstration space came back for numerous visits, as did quite a few other visitors.

At the end of the day the conspicuous visitor came to my room with one other person, they made it known they are owners of a Company producing TT’s with a starting price of £50K and have customers with systems costing £000 000’s.

They wanted to tell me my system had them mesmerised and was a real credit to the show, especially in how I had shown that a system can be produced on a budget that impresses in a very similar way to one of their uber expensive clients system.

I’ll take that as Win 😎

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As @lewm has said, there is misleading info, the reality is there is substantial value to be had from a TT coming in at under £10K, as both a used or new purchase. What really matters in my view, is the next step, which is, what one is willing to do with it, to take it to the optimised performance it can offer.

It is easy to get of the Bus at the 'enough is done stop', the reward of staying on the bus and pulling in at a few 'what can be done stops', well that is quite some ride, maybe one not wanted to be alighted.