Top 5 favorite MM cartridges currently available

There was a girl called Gloria,
who wanted to find euphoria,
she tried a cart from Highphonic,
but found she preferred euphonic,
by downing a gin and tonic...

Poem by Cloth Ears

Waxing on....

MUTABILITY

From low to high doth dissolution climb,
And sink from high to low, along a scale
Of awful notes whose concord shall not fail;
A musical but melancholy chime,
Which they can hear who meddle not with crime.

William Wadsworth (1770-1850)

Mechans,
You posted in another thread about your experience with homc vs mm. Did that include mi? Just wondering what mm/mi you have tried? Is your dyna the 900ish one, dv20xh?  An equipment designer I trust also loves this cart if it's the one I'm thinking of. Have a great day!

I just got a Shelter 201 a few days ago. I’m still listening and breaking it in. At US list of $310 it’s an OK deal, but when you get it from a Japanese dealer on eBay at $167, it’s a no-brainer. It’s a rather vivid cartridge, very dynamic (it can make you jump) with a rich and natural-sounding midrange, rich but quick bass and smooth and natural treble. Also good imaging and soundstage. Whatever kind of music I put on, it sounds like the cartridge was designed for that kind of music. Using it in a listenng session always leaves me feeling good, which I consider to be an important indicator of its effectiveness.

There’s a HOMC that has some very positive Internet buzz and piques my curiosity--the LpGear BIN 323. It has 1.7mV output and a nude 5x20 um line contact stylus. On my high-output-only rig, the 1.6mV Denon DL160 has plenty of output and the Audio Technica AT-MONO3/LP does just fine at 1.2mV. There is also a less expensive version, the BIN 215 at $249. But it has a bonded elliptical stylus and the nude line contact on the BIN 323 seems to be a good deal for an extra $80.