I have the Pearl and it is a modern cartridge. I measured coil resistance around 600ohm which qualifies it as a modern low inductance design. Traditional MM designs such as M97 and AT120 measure around 1.5KOhm (much higher inductance) which is why the Pearl (and the Shelter) responds up to 30khz and sounds faster to my ears than the Shure and Audio Technica. Sure the Sumiko has a slightly rolled top end, but it is not slow. The Pearl and Shelter cartridges are perfect for those who like the Grado sound but owns medium or high mass arms.
Regarding nude v. bonded tip, my experience is that it doesn't matter very much. Research has shown that it is the cantilever that is responsible for the majority of the cartridge's moving mass, not the tip.
Regarding nude v. bonded tip, my experience is that it doesn't matter very much. Research has shown that it is the cantilever that is responsible for the majority of the cartridge's moving mass, not the tip.