Chakster how many master tapes do you own. What groups are they and and which albums. What equipment where these tapes made on and what equipment did they play them back on to finalize the finished product. Also what play back equipment did you use in your home to ,play the master tapes back and what equipment did you use to play your album on to know your choices in cartridges sound the same?
Also on your reference system at home does a Decca, grado, ortofon, AT, grace, denon, sound like the master tape. How about your room at your house same condition as the studio. I am assuming you have the same speakers/ headphones as tape studio and equipment. That just reminded me all the studios did not use same equipment so I assume you have list of the studios equipment which produced the master tapes you own, so you can set up the right equipment to AB to the cartridge which is identical to the master tape.
Are you using your 2 stage 2a3 SET amp to make these comparisons. For the record I had a grace f9e for over 20 years a nice polite cartridge. For rock and roll the denon will wipe the floor over the F9E. A grado sonata will beat up a F9e in rock and roll and was never design for that. But maybe you do not own a master tape with rock and roll on it.
Enjoy the ride
Tom
PS I forgot to ask about the pressing facilities and their equipment. I have 3 different labels for some of my favorite albums . Quess what they all sound different. Do not know which one sounded like the master , but I do have preferences in my system.