First in line...

Ok I'm probably exaggerating a little saying it has no guts! But after conducting that comparison it's certainly lacking...although Shellac sounded pretty good...!

I'd suggest test driving a Herron VTPH-2 phono stage and a VTSP-2 line stage.

Were they nearly 4k new...? The cartridges on my shortlist are all cheaper than a used Herron...

Are there any owners of the aforementioned cartridges who could contribute their views please...??

If everything seems about perfect but it sounds ball-less compared to good digital playback, it seems to me that there's something blunting the transients. I agree with Zd542 that you may (probably) need a speed control. You may also have a slightly slipping or stretching belt that needs to be replaced.

TAS had a very favorable review of your very turntable, the Xerxes.20Plus, that extolled its pace and dynamics. However, the test system included Roksan's off-board Reference power supply and their DXP SE phono preamp. Read the TAS review and compare the descrption with your experience. The power supply and phono stage may be worth looking into.

Infection - There's nothing wrong with the 33EV, the arm and cart are top drawer. Your analog front end is not the problem. That said, you might hear what you're looking for with a step up in electronics, particularly in the phono stage and pre-amp.

AT least get some different loaner electronics to see if they would make a difference.