Johnbrown, thanks for your recommendation! What do you mean by the 17D3 sounding "hotter"? Do you mean brighter, more dynamic, or what? I don't want an overly bright cartridge, but lots of dynamic capability would be great. As I stated, my main listening is to rock music of various sorts and I appreciate dynamics and articulation over a warm, syrupy sound. I have read that the 17D3 is very dynamic and "fast" with its miniscule diamond cantilever, so that intrigues me. In what ways is the XX2 better? Any insight into the Ortofon Kontrapunkt B? That one looks pretty interesting, too. Thanks again...
LOMC... phono stage okay, but which cart?
I ordered a Graham Slee Reflex and Elevator in order to have a LOMC-compatible phono stage. I have a MM cartridge, but want to buy a LOMC. My budget is around $1-1.5K. I desire a cartridge with nicely balanced tonal quality, yet with punch/dynamics and articulation. I listen mostly to 70's-80's rock and some jazz/fusion. On the radar so far is the Dynavector 17D3 'Karat' and the Ortofon Kontrapunkt B. My tonearm is an OL Encounter with 14.5g effective mass. According to my calcs, either of these cartridges would work theoretically, even though the Dyna is really light and the Ortofon is fairly heavy. According to reviews and forum posts, both of these cartridges have the sonic qualities I desire. What are some other cartridges in this price range to consider that will likely work well in my tonearm?