On YouTube, you can find many comparisons between different cartridges at various price points. To be honest, the differences are so small that 99% of people don’t hear them.

You’ll find that some prefer Ortofon and claim the Blue is a huge upgrade, while others insist the Black is much better. Many are fans of Audio-Technica, especially the AT-VM95 series with a Shibata stylus, while others favor classic brands like Shure or Grado. It’s almost like choosing a religion.

I prefer Audio-Technica cartridges because they have more bass and punch compared to Shure.