Which MC for my setup?

AT 33 EV. I use one and two of my friends bought them after hearing mine. One of them while he was waiting for the Koetsu Vermillion I ordered for him was getting here from Japan. We were recently comparing his Tron 7 phono stage with my Basis Exclusive on my system and the 33 was good enough to reveal the differences between them. It doesn't get any respect as you can get them from J&R for $400, too cheap for a lot of audiophiles. Also Denon 304, another great cartridge at a bargain price. The Dynavector is very good also; I mention them last as I sell them and didn't want to show favoritism. LOL

Davey has recordings of several MC cartridges. They alow you to hear the difference between them. in another section of his website it has the same recordings with a 2M Black so you can see the difference between your cartridge and the MC. I used the recordings and put in an order for a Dennon DL-S1.

Bob

A Benz for some romance or the Dynavector 17 for speed & transparency.

The Ortofon Rondo Blue ($800) is an awesome cart for rock albums and if loaded properly you will get extended (but not bright) treble, strong bass and a very prominent natural and uncolored midrange.

in your price range, try a Lyra Delos or Ortofon Kontrapunkt B or Dynavector 17d3. May have to buy used to get down to $1000 like I did.