How to choose a cartridge you can't hear on your system?

inna said: "...this can be a very costly mistake. Besides, many brands don't have anything that I could call 'cheap'. Over $1k is not cheap, at least for most."

It sounds like you are using a very inexpensive turntable perhaps something like a Crosley these are not high performance turntables and are not the kind of turntable one would choose to use in a high performance Music Reproduction System. In your Crosley you probably would not want to spend more than about $80 USD for a phono cartridge. Now on the other hand a proper turntable with tonearm for a high performance Music Reproduction System would cost you probably more than $8000 USD so of course in that situation a $1000 USD phono cartridge is not expensive at all especially when you consider the cost of a high performance phono preamplifier to go with your turntable. If you want high performnace vinyl playback $1000 is actually a very modest amount to spend on a phono cartridge most of the best phono cartridges cost much more than that.

chakster said:"cost has nothing to do with performance, if you think $1000 is modest price then you are ignoring the world of vintage cartridges, they are all under $1000, sometimes 50%, but they are easily killing those $3000 MC carts"

You can keep telling yourself that cost has nothing to do with  objectively improved performance and while sometimes of course you are certainly correct much more often you are completely and utterly wrong that is why there are significantly expensive cartridges available to install in Music Reproduction Systems. Your vintage cartridge is most likely dried up because of advanced age and of course if you bought it used there's no way to know its condition without using a proper microscope I have a USB microscope and have examined used cartridges for friends and in every single case the stylus looks so bad I wouldn't play even one of my old used records on it a bad stylus can destroy a good record in just one playing! You have a romantic notion of these old cartridges and some people have romantic notions of old cars but you're old car wouldn't compare to a good modern car and the same is true with cartridges in fact it is even more true with cartridges because they dry up but of course if you are happy with your old worn dried up cartridge that is fine just don't fool yourself into believing it can compete with a good new one because they are worlds apart.

inna:"chakster tried many cartridges, both vintage and modern. Why do you argue with him before doing the same? This reminds me the thread regarding power cords. Go ahead and try"

Maybe you should check your facts inna before espousing your fervent beliefs I have tried many many so-called vintage cartridges the difference is that I bought them new when they were new and still have a handful of them around I know what they sounded like then and I know what they sound like now most old cartridges are worn and dried out and if you bought used you don't know what you have. You say "you have no necessary experience to qualify for the opinion" and you do not know what you are talking about your just another of the religious believers in this group I'm so sorry to shatter your belief system.