What are the most balanced relatively neutral cartridges at each price level ?

Perhaps, the different "flavors" one finds from cartridges explains why some people have a large collection of cartridges; some people don't just want vanilla and they like to mix things up.  The cartridges I like don't at all sound alike.  I like the Koetsu Rosewood Platinum Signature and the Audio Technica AT ART1000, both heard in the same system.  I like my Lyra Titan and my Transfiguration Orpheus L even though they don't sound alike.  I've heard, and liked other Lyra cartridges, certain Dynavector and Allaerte cartridges.  For reasons I can't explain, I did not warm up to ZYX cartridges.  I once kidded a friend when I recommended that he get a Van Den Hul Colibri cartridge--it is a very fast and lively sounding cartridge which is exciting to hear, but, I probably would not want to live with it--which is why I wanted someone else to get it so I could play with it.

I once kidded a friend when I recommended that he get a Van Den Hul Colibri cartridge--it is a very fast and lively sounding cartridge which is exciting to hear, but, I probably would not want to live with it--which is why I wanted someone else to get it so I could play with it.

The Colibri’s are absolutely like that, and it can be an exilerating experience at first to someone attuned to the warmer / sweeter side of things (me). However, they’re also very susceptible to sibilance. The extreme stylus and its need for extremely precise alignment are often blamed for this - however I’ve had this type of stylus (VdH / FG) on other cartridges without ANY such problems. I suspect the Colibri’s unique mechanical design is what’s actually to blame for sibilance - wonder if anyone’s tried damping it mechanically with blue-tak or the like? It also doesn’t surprise me that VdH carts are commonly paired with VPI tables (often darker sounding).

I have an Ortofon Winfield and agree it doesn’t seem colored in any way in my system......(all Ayre with Vandersteens)

I had a Windfeld Ti and it was super. I sort of miss it, actually. Not sure why I sold it - the guy who bought it loves it! The older version (Windfeld MC) seemed a little more dry & lean in mids, but my system at the time (15 years ago!) was also a poorer match for this kind of "high accuracy" cartridge. Windfeld Ti would be my defacto "neutral-ish" recommendation at the $5K price point, but sadly its MSRP keeps creeping up...

I would also look at the new A90X. I liked the A90 a lot, too. 

I’m not sure why SME arms became a point of contention, when nobody in this thread has said anything negative against them. They are broadly respected.

Winfeld guys, not Windfield.  A wonderful cartridge.  

Winfeld guys, not Windfield.  A wonderful cartridge.  

Windfeld, not Winfeld. Definitely not "field", though ;) 

https://ortofon.com/products/mc-windfeld-ti

Interesting, mine is one of the original type and it is clearly Winfeld.  Anyway they are terrific.  Case in point, back to the subject of this thread, when I compared mine to the original AT1000 it would have come in the lesser of those two in sound quality, IMHO.