Best phono cartridge under $350

Yeah, Ortofon 2M Blue. I also have a Grado Reference Platinum 2 and I finally love it, but it took a lot of fiddling to get it set up right. 

If your phono stage can handle LOMC, then, in my carefully selective listening opinion, an AT OC9/II is your best choice (shop around and you can meet your price point). If not, there are a lot of MM / MI carts and a couple of HOMC carts that will provide a lesser, but probably satisfying performance. That’s my opinion.

The Nagaoka MP series is, well, unbelievable.  Grado is nice but very colored and not as dynamic as MP 200.  If what you seek is reliability, value, ease of setup and replaceable stylus the Nagaoka series of MM cartridges is extraordinary in every way.  My comparisons have included Grado, Soundsmith, Goldring 1042, Audio Technica, etc, etc.  Try a Nagaoka and I'm confident you won't look elsewhere.

Best,

Sam  

Chakster is absolutely correct. I wouldn't shy away from an old MM cartridge that is recommended in the very large Raul MM thread. That said, before actually buying one, I would check to make sure a quality replacement stylus is available. I know they are available for several mentioned in that thread.  JICO makes great replacements. If you buy a Grado, they still sell a lot of replacement stylus's for their non-wood models as well.        

Amen, samulb . I have zero doubt that Nagoka MP series is unbeatable at its price points . And above its price points .