Best mc cartridge for ET 2 arm -$1000. limit


Anybody have suggestions for mc cartridges which work well with an ET2 arm-Budget at or below $1000, value transparency and soundstage
scouter766
Aplogies for my comment re the compliance of the VDH and Empire. Clearly, I meant to say high or highish compliance, not low.
OK, I'll offer some thoughts anyway.

The ET2 is a fantastic arm (as I am sure you know), but, if anything, a little subdued in the highs. Unles you have the high presure manifold/pump, it is also a little loose/plummy in the bass. Soundstaging can be exemplary. With all that in mind, I think a good match is a cartridge that has very exended and open highs, and extended and very tight bass. Cartridges that, to me, sound too bright and lean (what some think is transparent), can sound just right in the ET2. The character of the rest of your system's components are, of course, also a factor. I have tried more cartridges than I can remember, over the many years that I have used my ET2. The most memorable, and the ones with the best balanced sound, and impressive (natural) soundstaging have been the van den Hul's, and (believe it or not) the Empire 4000D III, a MM. It is interesting to note that the VDH's have lowish compliance (for a MC), and the Empire is clearly in the low compliance camp. However, the sound with those cartridges is not what, in my expeirence, most audiophiles consider to be "transparent". The sound is very full bodied, and rich, the way live music can be. Cartridges that gave me what I think is often referred to as high transparency were the Lyra's, the Spectral, Madrigal Carnegie, and to a lesser extent the Sumiko Celebration (very sweet); all lowish compliance. However, for me these cartridges were too lean sounding, without enough meat on the bone; even in my all-tube system. An exeption was the Monster SG2000. Low compliance, but with a just-right amount of body to the sound, and fantastic soundstaging. I offer this info to put all this into some sort of context. If I were you, and were set on a MC with the qualities that I think you are after, I would see if i could find a good deal on a ZYX Fuji or similar, for around $1000. Good luck.
Scouter766
Is there a reason you are limiting yourself to MC cartridges ?

What type of armboard/table or arm pod is your ET2 attached to ?
What phono preamp? MC stage or MM only? Can't give proper advise without that bit of info. Also, name a couple of components that you have used that you consider to be transparent; that term means different things to different folks.