I would suggest that you give some serious consideration to the Ortofon Cadenza Bronze. It currently lists for $1999 US, and I have found it to be an outstanding performer that is competitive even against some much more expensive choices.
A reviewer from Hi-Fi World in the UK evaluated the Ortofon A90 as well as the Cadenza Black and Bronze. His conclusion was that if he had to pick one "desert island" cartridge to live with he would select the Candenza Bronze over the other two more expensive models. While he admitted that the Black and A90 were slightly more revealing than the Bronze, it was the Bronze that won out due to its inherent musicality that excels at communicating the essence of the music. I couldn't agree more, and I don't often agree with reviews.
When properly setup this cartridge also tracks exceptionally well, exhibiting no sign of breakup on difficult selections or when tracking heavily modulated inner grooves. I initially thought that I had to spend about $4,000 on a cartridge to get this level of performance, but after hearing the Cadenza Bronze my cartridge search has happily ended!
A reviewer from Hi-Fi World in the UK evaluated the Ortofon A90 as well as the Cadenza Black and Bronze. His conclusion was that if he had to pick one "desert island" cartridge to live with he would select the Candenza Bronze over the other two more expensive models. While he admitted that the Black and A90 were slightly more revealing than the Bronze, it was the Bronze that won out due to its inherent musicality that excels at communicating the essence of the music. I couldn't agree more, and I don't often agree with reviews.
When properly setup this cartridge also tracks exceptionally well, exhibiting no sign of breakup on difficult selections or when tracking heavily modulated inner grooves. I initially thought that I had to spend about $4,000 on a cartridge to get this level of performance, but after hearing the Cadenza Bronze my cartridge search has happily ended!