Peter Ledermann (Soundsmith) is a really good dude.
Everything I’ve seen/heard/read from him tells me he really knows what he’s talking about and is just a good human.
This is an opinion to take or leave, YMMV.
The Clearaudio Maestro MM V2 absolutely paled in comparison to my LOMC (CA Concerto V2 - which retails for $3,000, so, again, take that with a grain of salt) Can’t say I’d recommend it for what it costs (in terms of accuracy, tonal balance, the degree to which it plumbed the full breadth of information in the grooves and rendered a rich sonic picture, it really didn’t get enough out of those grooves, IMO, for what it costs).
Wish I could speak to your other options, but I ain’t heard ‘em.
Which MM, MI, or Hi output...Nagaoka 300/500, Clearaudio Maestro, Soundsmith Carmen
Which one has the most organic and natural tonal qualities. I’m looking for something with a minimum of 2.0 mv to play in to a Naim XS and Harbeths. As much as I’m intrigued by the idea of going vintage, I’m now looking for a currently produced cartridge. I’d like to stay between $600-$1,500. While spending $1,500 should buy better performance, there are some dark horses like the Nag 300 and Sumiko Amethyst, both of which seem to have ardent fans. I’m an MC guy, and this is my first foray in to the world of higher output carts.