Best Cartridge for my system, MC or MM ??

I own the very same TT and have been reasonably happy with it. I have tried the Dynavector 17D3 and found much to my chagrin, it is not a good combination for that turntable. With the cantilever being so short on that cartridge I could not optimize the tracking using Baerwald protractor setup. It came up short a few mm.You may say who cares, a few mm. Well the few mm it was short would cause the 17D3 to produce grainy sound, at times distorted and quite a bit of mistracking. A very startling revelation to be honest. The TT15 dose allow for much adjustment as far as cartridge positioning goes. So I opted for a few hundred dollars more a MC Benze Micro Wood S L2. Longer cantilever which allows for perfect set up. Oh yes , back to your original question. Move to a MC. Greater detail, wider soundstage, layered sound etc etc. The Virtuoso Wood, albeit a fine MM cartridge lacks the depth of good MC. The 10X5 represents the newer age of the Dynavector design so i am not all that sure of the setup. The 17D3 I owned is of an older design which will have totally different set up from the 10X5.

If you are comparing a 10X5 to a virtuso then I would say it would be a tossup. I went off on a tangent and mentioned the Dynavector 17D3 as to how is was not a good fit for the TT15. I guess I should have clarified as to what MC's. Since i do possess the same TT, the Cartridge I possess is miles ahead of the Virtuoso and the Ortofon 2M black. So yes I would agree that the 10X5 would definately not be miles ahead of the Virtuoso if its ahead at all to be honest.For the same dollar value as those, yes you are correct as a MC not being any better than the MM. If you have a higher budget for a MC, than I would say yes an MC definately would be a better choice provided you have the phono stage that can handle the Low O/P of an MC.

I think your full of you know what to be honest. I f you think that your Audio Technica is the answer or Virtuso or Maestro than I must emphatically disagree with you. I am sorry. Miles ahead my ASS!!! Have you tried the Benz and compared? How do you know this? I have a slew of MM's and none of them compare to my Benz. Now I am not saying the Benz is the end to be all of cartridges because it is not but you saying you have 1/2 a dozen better MM's makes me laugh. lol I'd be interested in what your 1/2 dozen supposed end to be all MM's are.

Well I figure perhaps Wc65mustang could be right with staying with MM for that price range. I diagreed at first but after reading other threads that pitted MM vs Mc, there are definately some very good choices for MM. Other than the usual suspects(ie Ortofon,Clearaudio,AT) you do not hear much about these companies touting the MM horn as much it seems. Hmmm I could be wrong...please correct if I am. Blacknoise this is your thread and you seem to have vanished...mia I would say. Have you decided on a Cart?