[mulveling]

The trade-in deals for worn cartridges are generally terrible -- not just Ortofon. Benz Micro used to have great trade-in price, but they couldn't keep up with demand and removed most of their line form the USA market. However, the rebuild deals for upper-line Ortofon MC cartridges are VERY good, as long as the USD stays strong against the Euro. You'll generally get your worn cartridge back as new, for around 50-55% off of list price. Ortofon handles rebuilds directly with the customer, hence the good price, and perhaps why a dealer might not mention this excellent option.

A rebuild (not just retip, which can't fix coil or cantilever damage) policy is probably the MOST underrated parameter to examine when choosing a new cartridge. It also allows freedom to consider excellent used-cartridge deals, with a greatly mitigated risk; usually a rebuild does not require proof of purchase other than the cartridge itself. Buying up a level (or two) also yields good long-term rewards this way. I have a Koetsu Coralstone that will probably cost me less to upkeep than most other brand cartridges that list for $3000-$4000 new.

Look at the Cadenza Blue for example. At the current EUR => USD exchange rate, its rebuild lists at $905 USD (730 EUR) on the Ortofon website. That's less than half the advertised price of $1889 for a brand new Blue at needle doctor. Total cost of ownership, over time, stays very reasonable this way. I give many props to manufacturers like Koetsu and Ortofon than offer good rebuild policies.

As far as these cartridges go, the Cadenza Red is a good choice if you absolutely can't afford to move up the Ortofon line, or if your system & preferences work with a cart that is slightly on the lean/aggressive/bright side. However if that works for you, it can be a very nicely punchy and detailed sounding cartridge. I did like the Red when I heard it on a CA Innovation Compact. Like its predecessor the Kontrapunkt "a", these carts lack the bass impact and depth of the upper-line Orotfons. The Cadenza Bronze is better; nice and well-rounded with a good neutral tone and great bass. The Bronze has amazing synergy with my Sonic Frontiers Phono 1 SE+, which makes me think it might also work great with the Manley Chinook (which also uses a JFET step-up into 4x 6922 tubes). For whatever reason, the Bronze didn't seem to gel as well with my Rogue Ares -- maybe it likes an active MC step-up over a SUT. Haven't heard a Blue. I did own a Jubilee (predecessor to the Black), which...really wasn't my thing. More analytical/dry than the Bronze and its predecessor Kontrapunkt "c". If a Kontra "c" ever shows up on the Ortofon Treasure Trove, it's a steal; wish I hadn't sold mine.