What cartridge for Rega P5?

You are making a mistake NOT getting a Rega cart. No, they are not the "greatest", but they work really well with that arm. No fiddling, no diddling. I use your exact TT with a Shelter and I'm NOT convinced it is the way to go.

I have a P5 with the TT-PSU and am using a Benz Micro Glider SL and love the combo. However, before upgrading to the Benz I was using a Rega Exact 2. I must say that for the money the Exact 2 is a good cartridge, but I think you can do better with a MC with your budget. The Benz Micro Gold would be a great cartridge and retails for about $375 dollars. I have heard the Benz gold cartridge on a Rega P3-24, and it sounded great. Plus Benz has a trade up policy if you want to move up their product line in the future.

You might also look at Stereophile and The Absolute Sounds's recommendations on cartridges in your price range. Be sure to select a cartridge that will compliment your phono stage in terms of loading and gain. I have also heard that Grado cartridges can cause a humming issue with Rega tables. So, I would ask around about about the humming issue with the Grado cartridges before you make your purchase. Good luck and happy listening!

Thanks for the info, folks. Unfortunately I already have a Grado Reference Platinum on hand left over from previous TT. Yes, I heard that people say Grado hums on a Rega setup. I am going to try it anyway. If not working well, I will consider the Exact 2 and also the Benz Micro Gold. For the time being, I can only get MM or high output MC as my phono stage is not made for low output MC. Any other suggestions are welcome.

Thanks for the info, folks. Unfortunately I already have a Grado Reference Platinum on hand left over from previous TT. Yes, I heard that people say Grado hums on a Rega setup. I am going to try it anyway. If not working well, I will consider the Exact 2. For the time being, I can only get MM or high output MC as my phono stage is not made for low output MC. So Benz Micro Gold is out of the question for now. Any other suggestions are welcome.

I would stretch your budget a little and look into the Dynavector 20XL or 20XH depending on your phonostage. I had excellent results with my Rega P9.