It's been now months that I am trying to find a pair of M44-7 cartridges, the only ones I see available are from Japan, which makes customs very expensive and I don't know if they are not in the right status how it works for refund and if I have to spend more money to ship them back in customs etc.
Anyway, I found a pair in the UK got it shipped, their condition is just gross, the stylus are completely bent even though sold as " in working status " the screws on the cartridge present signs of rust, which makes me think they lived in mouldy environments for long time. I just ask for a refund and shipped them back.
Now I found in a shop the Jico J-44A-7, the price is around 150£ for the single cartridge. Do you have experiences in the comparison between the 2 ? I would love to have the opinion of the ones who had a chance to test both of them. Is it a good buy if I am on the look for the M44-7 but can't find any ?
The main reason why I need the M44-7, else than the sound, is the fact they are the only ones in my studio that do not jump when we dance ( yea, DIY mezzanine you can feel the steps ) all the ortofons we tried just jump.
So in a comparison, do they keep the same balance and tracking ? is the sound comparable ? thanks to everyone who will try to help here.