Lower end Soundsmith cartridges vs others in same price range?

Schubert,

Agree. I have the Nagaoka MP-200. Absolute killer for $400.

Me as well  mr mr , doubt if I will ever change .

I have a new Otello, a new (6 month) Zephyr MIMC☆. I also have recently purchased a VPI Zephyr and an older MIMC. I have been re-capping/refurbishing older DD tables. On an old Denon DP-51f, the Otello has potent bass. Maybe a bit too much. A solid value at $400, especially considering the re-tip services.  That being said,  the Zephyr is still a solid value at near $2k. These cartridges are made in the USA, by hand. No others can make this claim. Peter Lederman actually cares about his customers.  I had a question about some crackling noises coming from my system. Peter called me ON A SUNDAY to help me sort it out. Who else does that?

If you go with SoundSmith, you might consider one of their preamps.  A friend has a Ortofon Black on a modded Jelco 750 arm and wanted to try different preamps.  One I brought over was a Creek OBH-2.  It sounded "best" - as in balance, clarity, soundstage, and all the other subjective stuff - to both of us vs. some higher priced units, so he bought the latest version.

When I finished rebuilding the suspension of an Oracle Alexandria and installed a rewired SME 3009 II Improved, an original (now older version) of a SoundSmith Othello was mounted.  I started with the Creek OBH-2 given how good it sounded with the Black, but it didn't prove to be a good match.

While not impressed they use a wall wart power supply, reviews from others had me try a SoundSmith MMP4.  The combination was a significant improvement.  As others have commented, clean and clear mid and high frequency, and with no fatigue, even through modded Klipsch Forte I speakers.  Bass is tight and strong, which I like; you'd have to decide if it's enough for some good old rock n' roll.  I'm pleased enough that I'm not as interested in trying the Carmen.

I'm not familiar with the Elac PPA-2 phono preamp, but it makes sense an in-house preamp "tuned" to their MI cartridges would maximize your listening experience.

Now if he could only take care of himself. I hope he has someone in line to take over the company.
I'm not so sure why everyone is so interested in retipping. That is never even on the radar when I buy a cartridge. I never have then retipped. I usually upgrade before any cartridge is worn out. I just throw the old ones in a drawer. Cartridges are like snow skis. You always have a favorite one. The others just sit in the closet.
I have never listened to a Soundsmith cartridge I guess because I've never been near one and I dislike the marketing. Jitter? Right.
There are so many fine sounding cartridges that track well. A cartridge has to do both. Then it has to match your tonearm. I would be inclined to buy a Grado long before a Soundsmith. It appears to me that as a group the reviewers prefer Grado products. Then there is Ortofon, Lyra, Air Tight and Clearaudio. They are significantly more sophisticated than some of these small Japanese manufacturers. As far as values go it is difficult to best Grado.
If that is Jeff Day's system, the one he is pictured with I would take his reviews with a grain of salt. However I read reviews looking for significant faults in design and workmanship. I never read the parts that describe the sound of a devise. We all have different systems, room and taste so you really can not compare. 
When choosing equipment you have to know what you like and why. I like high powered Class A amps. I don't bother looking at anything else. With cartridges I'll only look at cartridges with a boron or better cantilever. The stylus has to be very small and mounted correctly at the very end of the cantilever with no excess material. Everything has to be lined up correctly. Sometimes I'll look at user reviews to see if there is a consistent problem. With the above manufacturers you'll hardly ever have a problem.