Removable headshells

A heavy headshell ("too much weight") can be your friend if you want to use a low compliance cartridge and need to increase tonearm effective mass.  One very good one that I use with a Koetsu Urushi is the Ortofon LH9000, which weighs 18g, as compared to most of my other headshells that weigh 9 to 12g. I mounted it on my FR64S tonearm, which is already a high mass tonearm, but the FR headshells are not so great sounding. With the LH9000, the Urushi never sounded better.

I wouldn’t count the Moonstone as a low-compliance cartridge. It’s made in Japan, and thus spec’d at 100Hz rather than 10Hz (Euro). Its compliance is really more akin to 18 - 22 (@ 10Hz), which is into high-medium compliance territory. I certainly wouldn’t go out of my way adding a massy headshell here.

Also in general - it’s unlikely any MM cartridge would have compliance as low as 12 @ 10Hz. It’s MC cartidges that have a much stiffer suspension and robust damper because of how they work.

If you don't want to accept what I said, trust mulveling on this one.  A heavier than necessary headshell would be deleterious in this application.  

I use the head shells made by Pete Riggle of VTAF and Woody tonearm fame. The headshells are made of wood, and only 6 grams. He also provides a 5 gram brass weight for when it needs to be heavier. Also, I love the finger lift he designed. Real easy to use. 

David