Newbie Question: MM v. MC cartridges?

It is usually assumed that spending more money on MCs brings an all-round improvement in sound. This isn't necessarily so, and as one who personally owned true legendary high-end MCs and still owns and uses them, I can say that with the increase in clarity (usually at the expense of a touch or more than a touch of brightness, even in today's modern designs), comes a consequent loss of subtle timing information which I believe MMs better communicate overall. Also MMs simply sound more "meaty", rounded, visceral. At this point in my audiophile life, if I was forced to choose between living with MCs or living with MMs, I would go MM, currently either the Shure V15VxMR (a master at timing and bass and neutrality - far more so than any MC I've ever heard) or a Grado Woody (master at retrieving a believable resonance and decay), not having heard the Clearaudio. There are many others as well with very high-end systems who also prefer the sound of MMs. More research is needed, as untested assumptions still hide all over the place. Refinement is only a small and relatively unimportant - musically - part of the story.

I agree with Johnnantais, particularly about the Shure, which currently resides on my JMW 10.5 arm where a Grado Reference/Reference used to be. I've listened to a lot of MC carts in my systems and others and their "magic" continues to elude me. Maybe a character flaw.

I always seem to second the Shure V15VxMR recommendation of Johnnantais. There is a single source which sells it for $200, shipping included. It was mentioned in past postings discussing the Shure, and makes for an easy decision when considering cost versus benefits.
Excellent tracking ability at low stylus pressure preserves the vinyl, and a uniform frequency response into the high frequency range avoids listener fatigue. The Shure's unforced musicality lets analog fans on a budget avoid MC envy.