I just replaced a Grado Red with a Audo technica 440ml. The Grado sells for around $75, the 440ml for $99. IMHO, the 440ml is amazingly better, much more quiet, much sharper. The Grado will not mitigate surface noise; with the 440ml, surface noise is almost non-existent now.
The 440ml usually sells for around $200 but has been on sale at lots of places for $99 for the past several months. I am so pleased with it, I am thinking about buying a second one to have as a backup. I have had 2 Grados, and IME, the Grado is a fine cartridge, but with the 440ml you get a cartridge that is easily worth $200 for half-price, and that does a number of things (reduction in surface noise, clarity of stereo image) significantly better than the ~$100 Grados.
pcanis
The 440ml usually sells for around $200 but has been on sale at lots of places for $99 for the past several months. I am so pleased with it, I am thinking about buying a second one to have as a backup. I have had 2 Grados, and IME, the Grado is a fine cartridge, but with the 440ml you get a cartridge that is easily worth $200 for half-price, and that does a number of things (reduction in surface noise, clarity of stereo image) significantly better than the ~$100 Grados.
pcanis