New Phono Cart with Character Needed

Flat, clinical and dry could be a tonearm/cartridge setup issue such as VTA, alignment, etc. 

I’m partial to SoundSmith cartridges, although in my experience, they tend to be neutral and very accurate. If you’re looking for a cartridge that adds color or ‘warmth’, you’ll need to look elsewhere.

Here’s a good article on how to select a cartridge, https://www.sound-smith.com/articles/how-choose-cartridge

There are some that say that their analog and digital systems sound the same. I don’t know how this is possible any more than an apple and an orange is the same. 

I like them both but not necessarily for all recorded music. I also listen to a lot of jazz that was originally recorded in the 50’s and 60’s. Most of the time I prefer the vinyl LP if it’s in excellent shape. 

At that price point a Moving Magnet cartridge is going to be better. I think the Goldring 1042 will meet your needs. The Clearaudio MM cartridges are also on the warm side. IMHO moving coil cartridges do not come into their own until the $3K mark. 

I’m very open to moving from MC to MM or MI.  Thanks. 

When it comes to this problem, I think you can blame the phono stage (or its match to a particular cartridge) just as likely as you can the cartridge itself. Tube MM stage paired with a good SUT is the easier path to "fun" sound, in my experience.

Some cartridges are naturally more analytical - that’s been my repeat issue with higher end Ortofon MCs over the years - though their older Kontrapunkts and Cadenzas below the Black have a much more fun sound, btw. But these too can be improved on this front by the tubes + SUT path. Here are some particularly "fun" cartridges I’ve enjoyed: Van den Hul Frog Gold, Air Tight PC-7, various metal body Shelters. Koetsus are always hella fun to me, but too warm for some systems and some ears. Van den Huls above Frog seems to focus more on resolution and transparency. Benzes are pretty good all-rounders, definitely not analytical or dry - here too I find the middle and lower ranges of the line more fun than ruby plate models that focus more on resolution and refinement. In general, I prioritize a cartridge's engagement factor over ultimate resolution and refinement. 

Soundsmith Carmen II