Agree with Atmasphere, for similar reasons.
I've compared my $150 MM with LOMCs priced from $500 to $10,000 (also on a TriPlanar, on a $6K TT and playing through an $8K Doshi Alaap phono stage).
In this setup, the MM at least matches the performance of any LOMC that retails for less than $1K, maybe $2K. Some $3K+ LOMCs outplay it and my favorite $8K cartridge buries it, but this MM holds its own against any cartridge that costs less than TEN TIMES its price.
OTOH, whenever I mount a really good LOMC on a cheap TT or tonearm, the sonics are intolerable. Super-revealing cartridges expose any flaws or weaknesses in the equipment that supports them.
Upgrading a TT, tonearm or phono stage rarely disappoints. Upgrading a cartridge often can, as when it reveals the limitations of related equipment.
I've compared my $150 MM with LOMCs priced from $500 to $10,000 (also on a TriPlanar, on a $6K TT and playing through an $8K Doshi Alaap phono stage).
In this setup, the MM at least matches the performance of any LOMC that retails for less than $1K, maybe $2K. Some $3K+ LOMCs outplay it and my favorite $8K cartridge buries it, but this MM holds its own against any cartridge that costs less than TEN TIMES its price.
OTOH, whenever I mount a really good LOMC on a cheap TT or tonearm, the sonics are intolerable. Super-revealing cartridges expose any flaws or weaknesses in the equipment that supports them.
Upgrading a TT, tonearm or phono stage rarely disappoints. Upgrading a cartridge often can, as when it reveals the limitations of related equipment.