Best cartridge under $1500.

@cohicks4 it’s a popular question, but nobody knows your preferences in sound in your own system etc. There is always an alternative to what we have and that’s why we’re always lookign for cartridges. You have to listen to them to make your own conclusion. My advise is to expand your list much wider by adding great cartridges from the 80s, in my experience they are better and more affordable, you can find many great MM carts approved by audiogon members in Raul’s thread, it will take too much time to read, but it’s worth it. I can summarize with my favorites: Stanton CS100 WOS, AT-ML170, AT-ML180, Grace F14 LC-OFC, Grace F-14 Exellent, Grace Level II BR/MR, Glanz MFG-61,Pioneer PC-1000 MKII, Grado Signature XTZ. They are giant killers in my opinion (i’ve tried many to exclude from the best list). All of them under $1500, some of them are under $800.

I’m working on my favorite MC carts, but i’m not ready to post all of them yet, but they are all from the same era. I was a bit disappointed with 3-4k modern MC when i tried them. 

For many years i've been looking for JVC Direct Coupled MC cartridges to find one in working condition. I ended up with Victor MC-1 (Beryllium Cantilever, Shibata Stylus). Designed of the ART-1000 were inspired by JVC Victor direct coupled MC cartridges from the 70s/80s. 

This is uniqie design, printed micro coil located on top of the cantilever, very close to the stylus, check this image.  

see what J. Carr posted on audiogon about this design: 

The MC-1 places its signal coils way out on the business end of the cantilever, only a millimeter or so away from the stylus. Since the coil position bypasses most of the cantilever's length, the MC-1 is a good performer with excellent dynamics and immediacy. But in return it is tricky to set up (body clearance is minimal and stylus visibility poor), and the 0.2mV output and moderately high self-impedance will pose a challenge for many phono stages.

When the stylus wears out, or if the MC-1 breaks, it may or may not be repairable. The signal coils are micro-circuit boards and delicate in construction (so are the lead-out wires, which run up the length of the cantilever), and their proximity to the stylus leaves them comparatively unprotected. Also, the magnetic circuit's nearness to the LP surface tends to suck up dirt, which over time can clog up the magnetic gap that the signal coils move in. Finally, the close proximity of signal coils to stylus may turn out to be a headache for retippers.

With all that said and done, if you own a low-noise high-gain phono stage and relish the thought of listening to something exotic and rare (I'd be surprised if there are many functioning MC-1s left, even in Japan), go for it.

Enjoy what life brings your way!

kind regards, jonathan

@leonardcooper 

You can buy a used Grace F9 body from a guy on Ebay. He stands behind what he ships so there are no worries that you will get a quality cart. Then buy the SoundSmith Ruby OCL F9 stylus replacement. You will have a wonderful, fast, detailed cart for about $1200. It'll blow away the 2M Black.

For about $1200 it's better to buy NOS stock Grace F-14 with original Grace BR/MR (Boron Cantilever, Micro Ridge stylus). The F14 is way superior to the F9, especially if the generator is LC-OFC. Remember that GRACE is a High Compliance cartridge in its original form, the SoundSmith is not a high compliance at all. But what is definitely superior to the SoundSmith Ruby is the genuine Grace hollow pipe Boron Cantilever with Nude Micro Ridge Stylus tip with very low mass. And if it's too expensive, then genuine Beryllium cantilever from Grace is also amazing. I have them all. One of my favorite Grace is LEVEL II (gold/black color), but the sellers often fooling people offering F8 cartridges and F8 stily under LEVEL II name. Grace LEVEL II styli (plastic holders) are not rounded shape and the Grace LEVEL II cartridge body is GOLD. It will be very hard to find any MM cartridge better than F-14 LC-OFC or LEVEL II with genuine styli. Actually the second generation of the most advanced Grace styli are not rounded shape (i mean plastic holder) as their first  generation of f8 and f9. My advice is to search for fully original F14 LC-OFC and LEVEL II BR/MR if the budget is up to $1200. 

You don't nee the Grace generator to enjoy the SoundSmith cantilever/tip, because he's got his own MI cartridges for the same price and i'm pretty sure his cartridges are very good! 

If someone would like to buy and send my broken AT-ML170 to SoundSmith for refurbishing it must be a better generator than Grace F9. The original AT-ML170 is mid compliance cartridge.  

@nandric oh, nice, especially if you have original box :)
Your Glanz is working, thanks!  

If i remember correct
Astatic MF 100 is Glanz MF71L
Astatic MF 200 is Glanz MF31L

visual difference is the size and shape of the aluminum cantilever. 

The best Astatic is MF2100 ?

The best Glanz is definitely MF61 with paroc stylus tip on boron cantilever.