Some help please with Cartridge choices

@knownothing 

Thanks for the Lyra suggestion.  I've explored the possibility of Lyra in the past, but have never heard them.  I think I was steered in another direction years ago.  FWIW, I really love the Van den Hul cart.  The sonic character of the MSL is supposedly similar, but better than the VDH.

@yoyoyaya Thanks for the suggestion.  I'll put it in my TT wish list.

OP said

"I prefer a musical and less analytical sound, more rounded than sharp edges. The Hana is in the budget and available."

I heard my friend Rick’s wood bodied Benz Micro Ruby Wood SL here in my system, new Line Contact tip in OEM Boron Rod. I think OP would like it a lot, I certainly do. I need more time to compare it, describe it, but it was instantly ’involving’, a definite keeper. I don’t think it needs ’break-in’, Vintage suspension, may need a few hours to loosen up, I’ll get back to it in a few days.

Today, Audio Show, I briefly heard a Lyra Atlas, it’s quite something, not for me, but immediately you are aware ’everything is there’, not analytical, not bright, not warm, perhaps measurably quite accurate, but it somehow was not as involving as others I or my friends own.

btw, Vinyl sounded better than streaming everywhere my friend and I went.

This CD Receiver one speaker maker used sounded surprisingly good

https://www.musicdirect.com/disc-player/technics-sa-c600-network-cd-receiver-factory-second/?sku=RF_ATECHSAC600S&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=18152791641&gbraid=0AAAAAD8z8foP09HHShUZhz2IhzsHIhFKw&gclid=CjwKCAjwjffHBhBuEiwAKMb8pJjbu5AGtCc9X7-AK2942EZB2ZOXC_mrv0BcIfWuhZBUH5fFks23MhoCXpgQAvD_BwE

One more to throw in the mix might be the Fuuga.  Have heard it at several shows over the last couple years on a number of different, but very nice sounding systems.

Fair enough on the Lyra.  The most memorable demo I heard of one of their Atlas cartridges was about a decade ago now on an SME table and arm, ARC phono pre, D’Agastino separates driving Wilson Alexandria speakers. The system was set up by a Wilson rep and Dan D’Agostino, and Micheal Fremer was choosing the content.  Not a warmish system, but hello(!), it had the dynamics and presence of live performance. 

One of the cuts Fremer played was from a just released very high quality pressing of one of the Fleetwood Mac studio albums from the Buckingham-Nicks era, and that system captured how I remembered hearing it in concert, and I was again surprised at how hard that band could rock live. I shared that observation with Fremer after the demo and he said with a slight twinkle “1977, you can remember any of that, really?” And then he cracked up.  But I digress.

kn