MM to MC - Stunned - Please explain the noise difference...

Sounds like you did your homework. The Ittok looks like a good match for the MC X30 and a very nice arm. Did you use that are with the other cartridges? The 2m Black gets really great reviews from MM users. I would expect really good results with that combo but only based on reviews since I have not owned one. 

My arm (Jelco 850s) is of similar effective mass so I may give the MC X30 a try when I am ready for another Moving Coil,. I use a Dynavector 10 x 5 Mkii low now which I like quite a bit but the stylus profile of the MC X30 is interesting. Nice price point as well. 

A few months ago I accidentally damaged my Clearaudio Charisma II MM cartridge I'd been using for years in my Technics 1200G. I'd been very happy with it, but when I replaced it with a (twice as expensive) Hana Umami Red MC, it was as big a difference as changing any other component in my system, and probably bigger than most. This was well worth the extra money for me. All this through the same Herron Audio Phono preamp. No noise really either way, just way more dynamics and detail with the Hana (I listen to mostly rock and reggae). 

@vintageadict 

My original choice was going to be the 2M Black to go into my Pro-Ject Pro.  I bid on an older LP12 (ebay auction) that came with a large number of new parts - A project in a box that someone never got around to.  It had the Linn Linto MC Phono Pre in the box that was very highly reviewed and expensive 20 years ago, so I decided to go with the MC X30 (similar cost to the Black) and bite the bullet for the Ittok.

Those Lp12’s have had my eye for a while. I have refurbed and upgraded a number of older Thorens to about as high a level as they can go. You can sink a ton into those Linn’s.  Sounds like you got a killer deal as those upgrades aren’t cheap.  I haven’t decided to jump down that rabbit hole but maybe one day. 

I have a Modwright PH 9.0x phono stage so the next move up for me in the vinyl chain is the TT. I just have a soft spot for the Thorens though. They have been great performers. 

@vintageadict 

The LP12 auction win was a fluke.  The guy listed it as an older LP12 and many new parts but did not list all of the stuff in the box.  I really looked in detail at the photos in the auction and it had a new Linn motor, new Linn tonearm cable, New Songbird HO MC cartridge, new (beautiful) plinth, the Linto phono stage, and the old Shure V15 type V.  I sold the Sumiko Songbird and was going to sell the Linto and essentially get back what I paid for the bundle.  However - if you look at it, I still went down the rabbit hole. 

There is the old audiophile adage that turntable components should each cost a similar amount. In soft dollars - the table was 1200, the new cart was 800, the newish tonearm was 1200, and the Linto original value was 1500.  I am still in it for 2.4k. Down the hole we go.  Fortunately got 600 for the Songbird and the Linto came in the box.  If you add up all of the parts that were in the box it would have been another grand.