MM, MC, or MI cartridge

Congratulations. A new better cartridge does great things for your existing vinyl.

Every new cartridge I have ever owned has sounded much better with time in comparison to my initial impression. 
 

From the reviews it is an excellent balance between detail and romance. Sounds like you made a great choice. 

OP,

Like all of audio you can get wildly different results with different cartridges, arms, TT, and phonostages. Choosing a cartridge that suites you aesthetic is key. I like natural / musical first with detail second. So, my Koetsu Rosewood perfectly suits my tastes. Lots of folks like flat out details (along with the cost in noise and many albums sounding bad).

You now have a great data point. Read the reviews on the cartridge… I think there are some that make comparisons to others and you will get a feel for what you like in the spectrum of cartridges. 

Since I have owned a high end table I have always let the sound quality as expressed in multiple reviews be my guide without concern to type… other than compatibility with my table. Each has been MC.

As to the reason why certain cartridges sounded better to me @laltik did a great summary as first post.

@rauliruegas

You bring up an interesting point. Does analog and digital sound actually have a different sound? A decade ago, I would have said yes. Today I have to say no… or it is a philosophical question. My analog and digital sound the same. When digital sounded bad, it was the immaturity of the rendering electronics. 

My Analog end and digital end sound the same because I have selected equipment that renders them the same. I have all Audio Research equipment, in particular the Phono Stage and DAC… I chose a cartridge that was natural and musical (Koetsu Rosewood Signature) and a streamer that was outstanding and natural (Aurender W20SE).

So they sound the same. You cannot separate the rendering mechanism from the source. So, while you can easily say vinyl trumps MP3… because of the huge imbalance in innate resolution. If you consider digital and analog in say the less than $500,000 system you can have them the same. In the $500K system you are likely to have to spend more on digital… but only maybe 20% to equal. But I am not trying to get into details. The issue is that the sound is almost all about rendering, not about the source.

OP,

After reading a review of the Hana ML… sounds like a great cartridge. Congratulations, I look forward to hearing about what you think of it.

@sokogear 

I had a van Den Hull cartridge for nearly 20 years… over 2,000 hours and was still going strong when I traded it in with the TT. Great investment.

@newbee 

Ok, that is just sad… a personal problem. Once you get a piece of equipment that sounds great… time to relax and really enjoy it.
 

Over the decades, I actually realized that that “analytical” mode wasn’t useful for more than a few minutes while auditioning… and that just listening to the music… to see if you get engaged with it, is the best way to evaluate it.

Then when you have brought your new better system and advanced to the new greater level of performance, enjoy it for many years before going for another upgrade. 

OP, sure… understood. But you can move through the different possible solutions that you can afford to something that is more toward your tastes.

OP

It is not as simple as sonic thrills versus just ok sound. This is where quality matters. For instance, my Koetsu Rosewood Signature gives you both. That is why one spends more. Or you can get a cartridge at the price level of mine and get a lot more details than you are getting.

Also, there are levels of other nuances to sound characteristics… which is why there are $20K cartridges… balancing all sorts of attributes. I recommend you give a try to a Koetsu of greater value than the cartridge you purchased and you will get both.

Cool. Break in is an important part of nearly any audio component.