Actually it does.
"On the other hand, the MC-3000 is unquestionably the
second most neutral cartr
idge I know of. That's damnably faint praise, considering its higher price than the MC-2000, but unless I can persuade you to trade in your SME V or Alphason 100 or ET 2 for a Souther, a
WTA, or a
Versa Dynamics (footnote 3),
so you can buy an MC-2000 and suffer with the hum, you're better off with the MC-3000 than anything else I know of.
You can be assured, though, that
the MC-3000, like its forerunner, does not sound like the average MC. It is much more up-front and alive, much smoother at the top than most (more delicate, less flashy), and more expensive—particularly when you count in the transformer, which is a virtual necessity. (Ortofon says a number of users have been able to do without it, but that's something I would urge you try, at home, before buying just the pickup.)"
However, one point to make. This is the review for the Ortofon MC3000. The cartridge I bought was the MC3000 MK II. Not the same cartridge.
This cartridge has been bought for the purpose of being my casual listening cartridge, to keep the hours of my Transfiguration Proteus, ZYX 4D, and Ikeda 9 Kawami. What I need it to be is a nice sounding cartridge for what I spent. How it compares to the MC2000 is not as relevant, as I am not looking to duplicate that level of performance.
From what I am finding out from those who value the classic Ortofon TOTL cartridges is that a properly operating MC2000 with OEM cantilever still in place is very very difficult to locate, and those are not selling for cheap money. You will need to locate a SUT or a custom built pre amp stage to use it. This will be significantly more expensive than what I paid for the MC 3000 II I bought. Now if you want an easier to use Ortofon that performs on par with the MC2000 apparently you want the MC7500. Apparently they are on the same level of performance but do not have as low an output level or such high compliance characteristics.
