VPI Cartridge People: What next?
OK, vinyl troopers, so it's getting to be time for a new cartridge, at least pretty soon. My Dynavector XX-2 MkII has served me faithfully and is likely headed for replacement in the months ahead, so where do I go now? I've previously moved up from Dynavector Karat to the XX-2 MkII, and that brought nice improvement, but what next? System page is listed, but in short I'm a 99% analog only guy with VPI 10.5 arm > VPI Aries turntable > McIntosh C2300 tube MC phono. This rig sits on a Gingko Cloud stand and heavyweight Bright Star rack.
Trouble is, good cartridges are obviously very expensive and tough to demo. My goal: I'm looking for the ultimate VPI-arm compatible cartridge for use with this rig. Move up in the Dynavector line? Stay put with XX-2 MkII? Lyra cartridges have good reviews and sound tempting. Soundsmith? Koetsu? Can I do make a meaningful improvement over the Dyna XX-2 MkII for less than $3K? Listen mainly to all kinds of music and value soundstaging and image depth. Leaning slightly more Romantic than Analytical/HiFi in my audio tastes.
Have I reached the end of the line using VPI Aries with VPI 10.5 Classic 3 arm as a platform? Bring me the truth based on solid experience, folks!
Your wisdom and experiences are much appreciated in advance. Thanks!