I was looking at the two MSL cartridges below the Gold and Platinum. The Hyper and the Ultra Eminent. I may have the model names off, but the former is $5500, and latter $8,000 US dollars. I found the Hyper did give up some detail to the Ultra. But I found the bass on the Hyper to be more satisfying for my taste. The Ultra was more detailed in the mid- bass, while the Hyper was a bit more fleshed out with more overall punch. They are both excellent cartridges but I chose the Hyper.
My Sonic Lab Platinum v Gold Signature
Has anyone compared them? I’m tempted by the Platinum but a little concerned it might edge into hyper-detail, which is not my happy place. The Gold reputedly has more body, but I’m wondering whether this comes at the expense of hard-won things like nuance and dynamics.
From what I can tell the main, perhaps only, design differences are cantilever and body material. The Platinum features a boron cantilever and titanium body; the Gold sports Duralumin, a form of aluminum, for both. Myself, I’ve never heard an aluminum cantilever that didn’t color or soften the sound somewhat, but then I’ve never heard one on a top flight cartridge like the MSL. Both have a DCR of 1.4 ohm and an output of 0.5mV.
The tonearm is a Graham Phantom Supreme; the phonostage is an Allnic H3000, probably via its 13x SUT. Based on MSL’s recommendation, the ideal load impedance is around 3-400 ohms (surprising for such low DCR), so this ratio should get me pretty close to what either one needs. Turntable is an Artisan Fidelity SP10R. Music is mostly jazz.
I'm especially interested in direct comparisons, but I also welcome experiences with either cartridge, and thoughts on how they might mesh with my arm and 'table.
Thanks in advance.