Good questions.
1. No go on the vp129 + EVO
Your Bellari doesn't have enough gain. Use the preamp gain computer at www.kabusa.com for output/gain matching of cartridges and phono preamps.
2. Forget HOMC's
HOMC's are generally a poor choice IME and IMO. The whole point of the MC design is to reduce mass on the cantilever, which makes a cartridge faster, more responsive to low level details and more dynamic.
Unfortunately, to increase output from LOMC to HOMC levels requires additional turns of the coils on the cantilever, which undoes the whole concept. My favorite cartridge is a $4,500 LOMC with .24mv output. There's a "high" output version with .48mv output and it sucks. I wouldn't pay $500 for one, the performance falloff is that huge. I can only imagine how sluggish it would sound if they tried to push output to 2.4 or 4.8mv.
3. Forget LOMC's
They exceed your budget and require much costlier phono stages too. You'd need at least 10X your stated budget. :-(
4. Dont worry, you're not doomed!
Not going to MC does not mean settling for unsatisfying sound. It means reordering your system priorities. As a rule, the cartridge should be the LAST component in the vinyl chain that you upgrade. TT, phono stage and tonearm are all more important, MUCH more important. Allow me an example based on my own system (listed).
I currently have two cartridges in active use, a $125 MM and my favorite $4,500 LOMC. The MM can't match this LOMC, but it DOES match or beat every LOMC we've heard for under $1500 (!). It beats every HOMC I've heard at any price.
This is possible because my system seriously honors the upgrade order noted above. The $125 MM is paired with a $4,500 tonearm + $6,000 TT + $12,000 preamp. The numbers may exceed yours but they illustrate the principle.
When I defy this principle by trying my LOMC on entry level arms, tables or preamps, the results range from boring to terrible. If you want to hear all the flaws in a system, slap a highly resolving catridge on it. Great for diagnostics, not so much for music.
5. So, what to do with your $500-600?
Upgrade your phono stage. It's clearly your weakest link. A vintage tube preamp w/ phono from c-j or ARC (for example) will play rings around a Bellari + Adcom. My old c-j PV-11 embarasses Adcom gear and those can be found used for $700 or less.
For a cartridge change I recommend a good MM. The $125 MM Ortofon M20FL Super I'm enjoying can be found on ebay and would suit your tonearm just fine. A'gon member Rauliguegas could suggest others. Check out his MM vs. MC thread.
Cheers
1. No go on the vp129 + EVO
Your Bellari doesn't have enough gain. Use the preamp gain computer at www.kabusa.com for output/gain matching of cartridges and phono preamps.
2. Forget HOMC's
HOMC's are generally a poor choice IME and IMO. The whole point of the MC design is to reduce mass on the cantilever, which makes a cartridge faster, more responsive to low level details and more dynamic.
Unfortunately, to increase output from LOMC to HOMC levels requires additional turns of the coils on the cantilever, which undoes the whole concept. My favorite cartridge is a $4,500 LOMC with .24mv output. There's a "high" output version with .48mv output and it sucks. I wouldn't pay $500 for one, the performance falloff is that huge. I can only imagine how sluggish it would sound if they tried to push output to 2.4 or 4.8mv.
3. Forget LOMC's
They exceed your budget and require much costlier phono stages too. You'd need at least 10X your stated budget. :-(
4. Dont worry, you're not doomed!
Not going to MC does not mean settling for unsatisfying sound. It means reordering your system priorities. As a rule, the cartridge should be the LAST component in the vinyl chain that you upgrade. TT, phono stage and tonearm are all more important, MUCH more important. Allow me an example based on my own system (listed).
I currently have two cartridges in active use, a $125 MM and my favorite $4,500 LOMC. The MM can't match this LOMC, but it DOES match or beat every LOMC we've heard for under $1500 (!). It beats every HOMC I've heard at any price.
This is possible because my system seriously honors the upgrade order noted above. The $125 MM is paired with a $4,500 tonearm + $6,000 TT + $12,000 preamp. The numbers may exceed yours but they illustrate the principle.
When I defy this principle by trying my LOMC on entry level arms, tables or preamps, the results range from boring to terrible. If you want to hear all the flaws in a system, slap a highly resolving catridge on it. Great for diagnostics, not so much for music.
5. So, what to do with your $500-600?
Upgrade your phono stage. It's clearly your weakest link. A vintage tube preamp w/ phono from c-j or ARC (for example) will play rings around a Bellari + Adcom. My old c-j PV-11 embarasses Adcom gear and those can be found used for $700 or less.
For a cartridge change I recommend a good MM. The $125 MM Ortofon M20FL Super I'm enjoying can be found on ebay and would suit your tonearm just fine. A'gon member Rauliguegas could suggest others. Check out his MM vs. MC thread.
Cheers