I guess I will get the Maestro re-tipped and use my old Shure V15 III until I get it back. I recently bought a Clearaudio Emotion TT and switch back and forth between the old PL-71 and the Emotion. The Maestro cart sounds much better than my old Shure. Unfortunately, even in Nashville, there are not many places to audition analog equipment, so I have to buy it to see if I like it. Need to drive to Atlanta maybe, but ignorance can be bliss...
MM Cartridge or MC Cartridge
I'm embarrassed to say that after owning a ClearAudio Maestro cart for only a month, I had a mishap and damaged the stylus. It's gonna cost $600 to get it replaced. Does anyone have any better suggestions as far as a better cart for the $$, or is this the best for this price range? Also, what are the advantages to a MC cart? I'm just getting back into LP's and have not done the research. Besides, I trust your opinions more than reviews. I will have the opportunity to buy up, so now would be the time to go to a MC cart. Will I have to have a step-up transformer? My phono stage is an Audio Research PH-3 SE.