If it sounded muddy, did you have the VTF too heavy? I had a Shure M97xe just prior to the AT and found it be somewhat sensitive to variations in tracking force. It gets poo-pooed here a lot as not being hi-fi enough, but I found it to be very pleasurable to listen too. I could see it being a good choice for pop/rock records.
But then if you were using a v-15 before an m97 would be a step down I suppose.