Lowest priced MC thats better than a Premium MM?

Dog and Tomic, This is what I and Mijostyn and some others have been saying; MM and MI with high output alternatives ought to be considered way ahead of LOMCs at the lower price points (and for me personally, even at the higher price points).

Aberyclark, sorry I did not see your phono specs until now. If the 100 ohm load resistance at your MC inputs is fixed, you ought not to try to drive it with a low output MI, because those have a high enough inductance regardless of the stated internal resistance which may be low, to require at least a 500 ohm input impedance. You’re fine to use a high output MI into your MM inputs.For that matter, some LOMCs (e.g., some Denon and Benz cartridges) are also not a good match to a 100 ohm input Z.

Well, many very decent LOMC cartridges have already been named, many of them made by Hana. Why not pick one and see for yourself if it’s a revelation? I’d only stay away from Denon DL103 variants and all HOMCs, not because those cannot possibly be good choices but because those are a bit off the question. By the way, I can’t recall whether your phono stage has enough gain for a typical LOMC (0.2 to 0.6 mV output at 3.54 or 5 cm/sec stylus velocity). If not, there’s another can of worms.

Says you. And you’re entitled to your opinion. But everyone has an opinion.

MI cartridges can be low output, like an LOMC in output V, or high output, sort of like a lowish output MM. Most or maybe all of the vintage MI cartridges can drive an MM stage with ease. So too can the Nagaoka MP500, SS The Voice in high output version, and some Grado. Unlike the case with MC cartridges, the high output types can be just as fantastic as the low output ones. Acutex 320 and B&O MMC1 or MMC20CL (where MC stands for Moving Cross, the shape of the iron that moves) are some of the finest sounding MI cartridges extant. So there should be no stigma associated with high output MI types. Whereas I have never been able to love a HOMC type. These are my opinions based on listening in my own home system, only.

I think the premise of your question, that there is a cheap MC superior to the best MM, is flawed, and it’s especially flawed if you include MI types. I’d stay away from HOMC entirely.

Although you may like the Zu Denon, keep in mind that it is unusual in having low compliance and a spherical stylus. Plus, the cartridge per se is on the heavy side and recommended VTF is on the high side. Spherical stylus has its own limitations and consequences. Finally, I am not sure your tonearm is the best match for all of the above parameters. Audio Technica 9Xa and 9Xi cartridges are excellent but cost is slightly above your upper limit. Just about every question likes yours elicits recommendations for Hana. I’ve never heard one, but "50 million Frenchmen can’t be wrong". (In this case it’s dozens of audiophiles not 50M Frenchmen.)