FWIW, have owned a Kiseki Purpleheart NS for several years. Recently installed a Hana Umami Blue just for a change. So far the Kiseki sounds better to my ears. Excellent cartridge. The Blue is fine, but there’s a magic to the Kiseki; it is full sounding, sweet, detailed, with an excellent and realistic mid range that is clear and unmuddied. The Umami probably has some time remaining to fully bloom, but the Kiseki is special; certainly preferable to the Ortofon Cadenze Bronze I ran for years.
Cartridge upgrade
Hi all. I have a quick question. I have a Marantz TT-15S1 turntable that I've been enjoying for the last couple of years. I am still using the included MM Clearaudio Virtuoso wood cartridge that has served me well so far. At the end of last year, I upgraded my phono stage to a Manley Chinook that I like a lot. I am looking to upgrade my cartridge this fall. I was looking at Kiseki Purple Heart NS. My question is this, does it make sense to put a $3,400 cartridge on a $1,700 (base audiophile) table? I imagine there will be some sound improvement but how much?