I don't own the 990. Instead, I use the 970 with an external phono stage. That difference aside, I think psyprof1 has given you good advice. I am still a real vinyl junkie and can attest to the Grado cartridges. I currently use the Reference Platinum and have used Grados from days gone by such as the 8MX. They were always solid performers for their respective price ranges. I've also owned the Sumiko Blue point (which is a high output MC) for many years. the Sumiko is now in its second iteration (Bluce Point 2). I only have experience with the first Blue Point, and in comparison to the Grado, the Grado is much more lush in the midrange than the Sumiko and really excels on vocals. A couple other solid manufacturers are Clearaudio and Benz Micro.

Check out www.needledoctor.com; they have an extensive line up from $20 - $10K.

Good Luck!