for an inexpesnive mc, try
an ortofon. i idont think ANY of them sound bad. but it may be an interesting foray int mm at $90 with the 440.
Three months or three seconds
That's the difference between having to replace a stylus in an mc cartridge and an mm cartridge. But I suppose that for those who need the high end frequency response peak of an mc cartridge it's worth it. Of course you now face a dilemma. If you replace the Benz cartridge with another mc cartridge, there is always the possibility that you will have the same problem with the replacement. On the other hand, if you replace it with an mm cartridge, you will have to change the input at the back of your preamp and then change it back again when the Benz cartridge comes back from service. There are other alternatives. You could get an identical cartridge to the one you now have and keep swapping them out as spares when they go back for service. Or you just might listen to cds in the interim. Heheheheheh. And then there is the real danger that whatever temporary replacement cartridge you get...you might just like better. Ah, the complexities of being rich and driving a Mercedes.