Ortofon Red on Thorens TP16 tonearm

"This arm isn't good enough to justify spending on the higher priced cartridges"......... I find this is not true If you have upgraded the tables wiring and possibly rewired the TP16 also. This Arm can then be used with the cartridges mentioned and it WILL sound very engaging. DO not use any Nagaoka as they come across very mediocre and bland on this TP16 (Nagaoka makes great carts). THE cartridge for this tone arm IS a GRADO Prestige wood body. (high or low output) Spend the $ on one and you will be amazed at the performance you can achieve with this tone arm.

So it is true if you haven't upgraded the wiring? ;-)

In your opinions, does the lower mass Mk II arm raise the bar?

At least upgrade the wiring to the turntable. And replace the power cord as well. This is a must for all old tables anyway. It will prove itself with great results. Lower mass arms are not always better. Cartridge matching would be critical IMO.

The Shure M97xe with Jico SAS stylus is great with the TP16. The body of the cart required some minor filing along the screw recesses to achieve the arc alignment. It tracks everything with ease and once broken in, (about 50 hours) it sings.