Some help please with Cartridge choices

here’s a potential bargain, AT125LC, Open Box, included Azimuth adjustable magnesium headshell

https://www.ebay.com/itm/267441847752?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5338381866&toolid=10001&customid=7d03d124-b0f0-11f0-86ee-366165326233

what makes it interesting is that after the unused Line Contact stylus wears out, any current VMN stylus will fit it, so you could end up with a boron rod cantilever, you choose from 3 stylus designs

https://www.audio-technica.com/en-eu/support/which-stylus-can-i-use-to-replace-my-discontinued-model

take a look at the list, you can buy a body, no or worn or broken stylus, and simply put a new VMN stylus of your choice on many old designs

AT-VMN45xML (microlinear/nude/boron cantilever)
AT-VMN50xSH (shibata/nude/boron cantilever)
AT-VMN60xSL (special line contact/nude/boron cantilever)

$229. gets new MicroLine on Boron

https://www.audio-technica.com/en-us/cartridges/styli-accessories/a-t-moving-magnet-styli/at-vmn45xml

OEM stylus tracks nominal 1.4g, not sure what a new boron cantilever might want, can anyone guess ________?

and there are a lot of old stock original Line Contact Stylus to be had.

Titanium is involved somehow, I am not sure of the specifics

https://www.vinylengine.com/library/audio-technica/at125.shtml

Another who has, is whom has experienced optimised Cartridge matching between Cart' Output and Phonostage. 

My one experience where I knew all the necessaries were accurately addressed, enabled a Cart' that was very familiar to myself, find a new level of positive impression it could conjure. 

When parting with monies  for a Cart' that can extend to $7K+.

The electronic support for the  Cart', surely needs serious consideration as well. 

This doesn't mean buying into uber expensive electronics, but putting in place the devices that allow the Cart'to be optimised with a downstream circuit. 

AT125LC Cartridge Body $59. free shipping, in usa thus no tarriff

$229. gets new MicroLine on Boron

https://www.audio-technica.com/en-us/cartridges/styli-accessories/a-t-moving-magnet-styli/at-vmn45xml

There you have current production Microline on Boron, tracking at ?  for around $300. Original stylus tracked at nominal 1.4g, new boron, ____?

I’d like to hear it.

OP,

sorry to take your thread into the bargain basement, but once these things pop up, I feel someone who needs it ought to know.

@yoyoyaya The Nottingham arm is designed with the table in mind.  The wires are uninterrupted from headshell (not interchangeable) to their built in cable.  Larry from Hollywood sound discouraged me from changing arms, saying in his experience it's not worth it- so perhaps a down side to the table.  My phono pre is built into the VAC Master preamp and is pretty solid. The turntable is the only product not purchased from Mike, and he seems to think it blends well with the rest of the system, so I'm disinclined to make turntable changes at this time. It's hard to A/B turntables in your own system.  I wonder how others go about that process.

@OP I just wrote a lengthy reply which the system then did a 404 error and lost. So I'll just cut to the chase on preamp / cartridge compatibility. Your VAC preamp's 68dB of MC gain is marginal for a 0.3mv output cartridge viz. the Black. It could sound a bit flat dynamically and / or noisy. So you would need to audition to know. Re the Turntable, if it were me, I would look at improving it before looking at a better cartridge than the Crimson. If you send your Crimson back to VdH, it will come back "as new", not just with the tip changed.