No worries, psyprof1. I was exaggerating a bit. I'm pretty sure I'm going to bump up to one of Ortofon's Super OM series cartridges, just not right now. I currently have no real complaints with the sound. If you have any insight into what those turntable gods are into, though, I'm all ears.

Interestingly enough, I thought I'd feel inconvenienced by the short length of album sides, but so far that hasn't really bothered me. It's probably been said before, but listening this way compels me to concentrate on the music more; it's not just on in the background…much closer to the way I used to listen three decades ago, when I first got into music.