As somebody who has been through a selection of Cart's on the SME IV and lesser Cart's on a variant Rega Design and an TA used in conjunction of a SME version of a Rega Design TA. I have no upset or regret for spending many hours of replaying Vinyl with such a tool.
What is different at present and for the foreseeable future, is I now use a TA that is complete as a design, but also able to be treated with further upgrades of which a few I am instrumental in encouraging the investigation and resulting realisation of methods being adopted for both Mechanical Interfaces and the Signal Path.
I am thoroughly impressed with the Design for the Tonearm as it stands, when used as a comparison to the upgrade options in place, I am blown away by the changes the few adopted design methods are able to achieve. I don't need the upgrades, I am for my purposes way out in front of my other adopted methods no longer in use for a Tonearm.
The real attraction of the Upgrades is that I know my input to the stimulus that created the curiosity and manifestation of their presence.
As for my posts in this Thread, it is strictly to inform the OP, there are range of TA's as a result of the design adopted. That will impact on the end sound with a similar perception, being a constrained presentation. My conjecture on this, is that it is seemingly being created by the TA's design for a Mechanical Interface, design for the Geometry, or a combination of both.
I will not suggest this is to be avoided, but more to the like that it is to be discovered. Only when discovered will the OP be able to decide if a TA that has a increased perception of being inhibiting or lesser perception of being inhibiting is where they would like their investigations to head.
Note: At no time am I suggesting the noticeable lack of liberty or liberty perceived when a TA is in use, is a perceivable sound signature belonging to the TA design. I do not refer to it as a flaw. I am strongly suggesting that when the perception of a constraining design is discovered, it becomes noticeable, and has a presence as do other influences known for being noticeable.
For myself it is the electronics that create the sound signature and the failings to manage transferred energies that are the Colouration that can be detectable.
Leif Johannsen had once made it known the SAT Tonearm used by Ortofon is the only Tonearm, the Company has used that gets out of the way and allows the Cart' to do exactly as it is designed to do.
I am sure I have a much improved understanding of this now I use my most recent adopted design for a TA.