Dear Jhorsh: The Jrtrent advise makes a lot of sense if you go for the MM/MI cartridge alternative.
In your price range and even lower IMHO thre are many MM/MI cartridges that not only " disappear/makes dust " ( on any set up . ) the 103 but that can compete with LOMC cartridges in the 2k price range The MM/MI alternative can give you this very fine high quality performance where for a MC cartridge could even it you need to spend a lot of money not only in the cartridge but in the phono stage and tonearm too.
One of the reasons why the MM/MI alternative is so good is because due to its higher output level needs less gain from the phono stage ( you only need the C30. ) and this less gain means less gain stages where the cartridge signal must pass: in a MM/MI alternative the electronic degradation to the cartridge signal is a lot lower than with any LOMC cartridge.
In the other side the MM/MI alternative give you a better LP tracking performance that means lower tracking distortion than MC cartridges, especially over low compliance MC cartridges like the 103 and many others out there.
Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.
In your price range and even lower IMHO thre are many MM/MI cartridges that not only " disappear/makes dust " ( on any set up . ) the 103 but that can compete with LOMC cartridges in the 2k price range The MM/MI alternative can give you this very fine high quality performance where for a MC cartridge could even it you need to spend a lot of money not only in the cartridge but in the phono stage and tonearm too.
One of the reasons why the MM/MI alternative is so good is because due to its higher output level needs less gain from the phono stage ( you only need the C30. ) and this less gain means less gain stages where the cartridge signal must pass: in a MM/MI alternative the electronic degradation to the cartridge signal is a lot lower than with any LOMC cartridge.
In the other side the MM/MI alternative give you a better LP tracking performance that means lower tracking distortion than MC cartridges, especially over low compliance MC cartridges like the 103 and many others out there.
Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.