Where to go from Grado Gold?


Hej

I need advice choosing a new MM cartridge. Yes, MM, not MC. My Grado Gold 2 has served me for aboiut two years, since I took up vinyl again, but now I want to get more from my records. I really like Grado Gold 2 but I feel that I want more of...everything. What is important to me is that the cartridge is good at tracking and sibilance and distorted sound is the worst I can think of. What I've heard from Ortofon is not the type of sound I'm looking for. I think Ortofon sounds cold and analytic. Someone described the sound as CD like and I agree with that. So, any ideas what cartridges I should check out? Budget up to $600. Tonearm Pro-Ject 9cc.
simna
That's a pretty light tonearm, and would be a perfect match for an Audio Technica VM750SH cart...dual MM with Shibata stylus. I have one on my Akito tonearm (roughly same mass as yours) and it's killer.
Nagaoka MP200, MP300, or with some luck and a stretch, the MP500 is incredible.  Wonderfully musical, dynamic carts with amazing midrange presence, separation, and soundstage.  
The Grace F9 w noted Sounsmith stylus as needed, or a Soundsmith or a Grado - move up the line ;-)
-Nagaoka is a low compliance MP cartridge, its compliance is too low for MM, better for higher mass tonearms.  

-Audio-Technica are mid compliance MM cartridges just like Garrott, will work nicely on almost any modern tonearms.

-Original Grace is a high compliance MM cartridge (SoundSmith stylus has slightly lower compliance than original Grace).

P.S. I got 3 Grado cartridges, including signature Grado XTZ (it was $750 in the '80s). Inexpensive vintage Stanton 881s and Pickering XTZ/4000 with genuine Stereohedron styli are better than Grado in my opinion.    


My Grace can’t touch a new AT.
VM 740 ML is a best buy.
Grace dull on"air", channel balance 1.1
AT balance 0.1