I took me some time to find a cart i liked as much as my VDH. There is something about the VDH stylus profile that’s special IMO. I've had mine rebuilt at VDH twice now. But i found a lightly used Sumiko Pear wood celebration 2 that fills in quite nicely with all the detail I'm used to from the VDH cart but with a bit more warmth in the midrange.
Time for a new cartridge
My current cartridge which is a Van Den Hul DDTII Special MC is starting to lose it's zing. Details are not as sharp as they were and overall I think I'd like something fresh. My tt is a VPI Prime with the 10" JMW Memorial tonearm. My phono stage is a Musical Fidelity Nu Vista Vinyl. My amp is a McIntosh MA8950 integrated. My speakers are Sonus Faber Cremona M. I have 2 KEF R400B subs, which I think compliment the Cremona's. I've emailed VDH and they said they would do a re tip and get it back to where it was, but I'm thinking maybe it's time for a different sound. With the info I've provided I'd like some alternatives. My budget is around $2500.