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

Sometimes, I can know by knowing my preferences well and reading about others' experiences. Even in your example, without much of elaboration on your part, I choose Sumiko. I would just go higher in line. Simple enough. But I suspect that if you want one cartridge combining all strengths of those three and without much negative, you might like Transfiguration more than Lyra. It's a guess of mine.
So that's the answer to your question. Unless we know for sure - we guess.

I also look at what members here with apparently good hearing, taste and budget use. They most often use one or more of those - Lyra, Transfiguration, Kiseki, Allnic, AirTight, Koetsu. I don't see many Dyna, Benz, Clearaudio etc. Some set-ups look like sound great with Ikeda and Ortofon. If I could afford any of those and wanted MC I would think and consult with someone regarding how all of them would work in my arm and with my phono. Then the choice would not be very difficult. Still, I would probably have to choose one out of two or three.

I see. You support the system as it is and then complain that it’s no good. Who in fact makes it possible to thrive? Stop buying this multikilobuck $hit without listening. In one year they will beg you to listen, personally deliver it to you and will send you flowers on Christmas. And if not - to hell with them and their cartridges.

Dealers could have at least a few set-ups for auditioning.
Not my problem, though. When and if I am ready to pay thousands  of dollars for a cartridge, I'll make couple of phone calls and get precise advice. You got to have priviledges and connections, then you'll be fine, cartridges or not.

I would never do it, 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.

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. Before you do it your so-called opinion is just that, it's not an opinion yet. To put it another way - you have no necessary experience to qualify for the opinion.
But, as I mentioned before, to buy vintage cartridges you have to be an expert or have an expert friend or a professional. And yes, you may lose some money, but you may save more by making the right choice. In any case, to even consider $5k cartridge you also got to have a phono stage of two/three times the cost and absolutely reference level tomearm cable. Not to mention table/arm. Cartridge is not the most important element, most people have no idea of how a great MM can play, they just jump to $2k or more modern MC and plan on getting $5k one real soon. That's not audiophile approach.

Oh boy, such a wondeful arrogance that you can shatter anyone's belief. I don't belong to any camp when it comes to this. I am a tape man, I think that vinyl is inferior medium, regardless of what cartridge you use.

Jesus was human or so they say, just like us.

With the climate change advancing we may see snow storms in Sahara soon enough.
So, we can't believe what " some manufacturers/experts " say, question is can we believe any of them? And if yes - who ?