For my $100 I'd go with the 2M Red. I have a Shure M97xE and I find it dull. In my limited experience the Ortofons have a precise yet musical way of going about their business.
For $250 the Audio Technica AT150MLX stands alone. To me, it's worth selling $150 worth of stuff lying around the house to obtain it over *any* $100 cartridge.
But if it's gotta be $100, 2M Red. Grado Green is a refinement over three decades; 2m Red is from a clean sheet of paper by one of the most brilliant cart designers formerly in the biz, Per Winfield.
For $250 the Audio Technica AT150MLX stands alone. To me, it's worth selling $150 worth of stuff lying around the house to obtain it over *any* $100 cartridge.
But if it's gotta be $100, 2M Red. Grado Green is a refinement over three decades; 2m Red is from a clean sheet of paper by one of the most brilliant cart designers formerly in the biz, Per Winfield.