Cartridge recommendation?

The only downside is that the prices of these have nearly doubled over the past 3 for years....and im not sure why

Before that I had an Ortofon 2M Black another good cartridge and only changed it because I carelessly managed to bend the cantilever. Ortofon also do a replacement arrangement but the repair is not far off a new one hence my IQ3. There is now a replacement for the 2M Black you may want to check that out.

I am happy with the IQ3 but am reluctant to give a definitely buy this recommendation as different systems / rooms etc can give different sounds. What I can say is a recent loan of an Accession MM and Enigma power supply made a big difference and I note you have an Accession mm. Hope this helps.

I also sold my modified DL-103, as I think it was too heavy for the FX1200. I also sold my EPC305 as the P mount did not work that well with the FX1200.

The cash I got from these helped me buy a Dynavector XX2 MkII. This is a superb cartridge, which I thoroughly enjoy, but is kept for “Sunday best”. I heard one in a friends system, and was something I always wanted, however, I could not justify the cost. I found a low hours cartridge at a U.K. dealer.

So now, I am in a position where I have enough cartridges to last me a while, from my cheap Frankencarts (modified AT95s) to the rather splendid XX2. The modified AT95 sounds great, and is a cartridge I could live with, and the replacement cost is very reasonable. So if visitors with small kids come, this gets fitted, as you never know when accidents can happen. Currently doing the honours though, is the EPC-U205 with the Jico SAS/B stylus. A great combination.

What I have found (most are already well known) during my search for a better cartridge:

1. The law of diminishing returns kicks in quite quickly. 

2. The stylus profile can make quite a difference to the sound, but it needs to set up well to get the most out of it. Slight differences in setup can give big changes when using more complex profiles.

3. MCs are not always better, in my opinion. VFM certainly takes a big hit. As easy stylus replacement is not possible, the cost of ownership can be quite high.

4. There are plenty of older MM cartridges available at reasonable prices that have very good after market/original styli available, and these should not be over looked. Prices do seem to be on the increase recently though.

5. It is important to match the cartridge with the arm and phono stage.

6. Being in the right place at the right time can yield some serious bargains.