Fav cartridges of all time

Never had a dynavector 10x5 obviously.
 High output MC but ferking great !
 The only cart I'll buy nowadays. 
 

By about a mile.

I have. I've got a glorious Goldy 1042 on the SL now. Sounds great. Damn good cart if you can set it up right. A lot of people can't. 
 One thing I'll give the 110.
 It's the best cart with tatty vinyl. 
 Ignores clicks and pops like no other cart.
 Got a few worn LP's ? Get thissen a 110.
 

Cheers.

 So long as you're spinning the black loveliest and tapping your feet , who cares ? 
It's my greatest love do I spend a bit on it 
Gets to a point though where the best investment is a wallet filled visit to the record shop. 

AT do make some cracking cartridges, for not a lot of money too.

Best from what perspective?

AT carts generally kick ass. I have never heard a bad one.

I always wanted a Kiseki but was skint back then. You never see them come up today. Remember the Milltek Aurora? Wasn't a that a budget Kiseki? Never seen one or sale used either.

Well I agree with you regarding the original AT95 though I havent heard the new version with ugraded stylus but unless you have heard every single cartridge in existence and ever made I can't see how your last statement is credible.

I'm not one for knocking others gear or taste but just out of interest , what sort of music do people enjoy using an Audio Technica OC9 ML ?
Admittedly I listen to rock mostly but I do have a pretty eclectic taste buds and love Jazz, Reggae , hip hop and classical.
But none of these were bearable for me with a an AT OC9 !
I found it so thin , screechy and downright piercing that I lasted a month then it had to go.
Is it a different story with valves ?
I honestly came to the conclusion that Hi Fi Choice was being bribed to champion it. 
 Horses for courses as I said , but to me it was £500 straight down the drain.
 And I like my music exciting , not bland . 
 For me , in general a good MM is better for rock music. It puts more meat on the bones than  MC's.

From the Blog: Just my experience and by no means the absolute of any cartridge

*Ortofon Vienna - Transparent, highly detailed and very balanced. Dynamic and Punchy. Best cartridge I have ever heard.
*Ortofon 2M Black - Wonderfully timbred, slightly edgy in the HF. That was with a valve amp so SS users be careful.
*Ortofon Kontrapunkt b - Best all rounder. Vienna is a step up in every aspect but you can tell they are stable mates.
*Ortofon Rondo Red - Great taste of MC quality but a bit rough around the edges.
*Denon 103 - Not as good as the 103r
*Denon 103r - If you're in need of a cheap cartridge, This wont let you down but it's not for detail lovers.
*Denon 301 - A proper gem. Has the typical Denon sound but manages to be lively and dynamic. I liked this a lot.
*Denon 304 - If you like filigree and detail, without any effort or drive, this is heaven. Bit laid back for me.
*Denon DL-S1 - Most overrated cartridge i've heard. Good at detail. Felt 'cold', emotionless. Terminator like.
*Goldring Electra - I like this a lot. Good all rounder but on the warm side of neutral.
*Goldring Eroica - Like the Rondo, good but lacked the panache of the better MC carts
*Goldring 2100 - Balanced and musical without sacrificing detail. Still dirt cheap too.
*Goldring 2200 - As above, no complaints. Handles everything you throw at it and more.
*AT110 - A bit sharp in the HF's and rough sounding. Got a bit busy in the mix.
*AT95e - Can't fault it. HiFi's biggest bargain.
*AT120 - Bit more polished than the 110, but it didn't hang around long.
*AT33PTG - Good refinement like the best MC carts but lacked a bit of solidity in the bass. Sounded a bit soft at times..
*AT33PTGII - Improved where necessary on the PTG but I still felt bass lines had a soft leading edge. Couldn't ignore it.
*AT-OC9II - I like this cartridge. Clean, fast and detailed.
*AT-ART7 - Ah! Now we're talking!! Erred on the warm side and beaten in width by the Vienna but other than that, superb.
*NWA-DH1 - As transparent as the invisible man. Bit lightweight sound wise, lacked a bit of weight or slam but stunningly clear.
*Linn Asak - See Goldring Eroica for a carbon copy opinion.
*Linn Troica - Decent MC cartridge but not up to the levels of the Kb, AT-ART7 or Vienna. find a cheap one, you'll be happy.
*Lyra Clavis - Top class in all areas. an equal to the KB but the bodied sound of the KB won it for me. Slightly. I'd buy one.
*Acutex 412 - Detailed, neutral and dynamic. Slam and delicacy. Get a fair amount of surface noise though.
*Acutex 312e - Paid £15 for one 3 years ago and I couldn't believe how good it was. as good as the GR2100. Easily.
*Decca Super Gold - MY EARS!!!!! TURN IT OFF. Wretched things with no bass and enough HF to break glass.
*Decca Gold - I didn't know it could get worse?
*Decca Blue - Oh? This isn't too bad (in comparison) Best of the Deccas by a margin, but lack of bass just pissed me off.
*ZYX R50 Bloom - Boogie monster. Great for parties but don't expect the Philharmonic to sound anything other than "chunky"
*ZYX R100 - Slightly more refined and better balanced but I always felt the ZYX carts were bass heavy.

My fave so far.

As a make I've always liked Ortofon. So many models over the years and all good to superb. I struggle to think of an Ortofon cart that's not at least par for the course and decent VFM from their cheapest DJ carts to their high end ones.

Mind you the whole VFM thing with carts went Sh#t shaped years ago IMHO.... Lack of demand due to digital I guess.

The one that really sticks in my throat are the carts that have been around so long I can remember them being £50 new, at which price they were regarded at the time not as a budget cart by any means but as a first upgrade cart... the thing you bought when you were ready to ditch the AT95E... Thing is the same cart is now like £350 in some cases!! "£350 for a £50 cartridge!!?? yer havin a laugh!"

I guess it's a gettin' old thing... I was outraged by a Kawasaki KE175 being like £1900 on "Junk and Disorderly" the other night... for a 40 year old bike that was not desirable or anything when it was brand new and which I well recall being available at £250 or so for a 2 year old one!

Oh it was Kiseki was it? 

What about the old Nagaoka 'MP-11' First budget cart i bought new back in the 80's. A lot dont like em but i do & could easily live with one. I also had the later 'Boron' MP-11 with the metal body, could not hear any difference between the two tho..