I've owned both cartridges(though not presently) at the same time. Please keep in mind my comments are based on their interaction with my own system's components. Though I do not like to use the word neutral (for reasons I won't elaborate on), that's the direction the Kontrapunkt C leans toward in contrast to the Benz L2. The C is clean sounding and quite detailed, though well balanced top to bottom. I suppose some might call it clinical though I don't necessarily concur with that judgment. It is excellent in regard to imaging/soundstaging. The L2 pretty much reflects the characteristic description of the Benz line. Relative to the Kontrapunkt, its sound is warmer, with instruments being a bit more fleshed out. Predictably, some would call it a bit slower sounding than the C, with separation and delineation of instruments not quite as clean and tight. Of course, all this means is that it boils down to individual taste (as usual). Personally, I preferred what I believed was the more realistic personality of the Benz, at least in terms of coming closer to the kind of sound I typically hear in the concert hall. One other note: the Kontrapunkt has a very slight protuberance(unless its maker has changed that)on its body's top portion that did not allow me to fit it entirely flush up against the flat, fixed headshell of my SME IV.Vi tonearm where two screw holes permit attachment of the cartridge to the arm. Though I'm not certain of the manufacturer's reason for this slight "hump", it probably has something to do with being able to allow minor adjustments for optimal set up of the Kontrapunkt. Sincere wishes for enjoyable listening with whatever choice you make. Incidentally, I currently use the Dynavector XV-1S.
