What a shame, I thought this was going to be a really useful and informative post. I am using Stanton 500s myself, as I was lead to believe they were ideal for playing 60s styrene & vinyl. It just seems to me, that what one person recomends as THE one to use,the next person says, is completely wrong. Very confusing, and I'm no wiser than I was before.
I think there must be a misunderstanding between "best sound reproduction" and "least damage done to precious styrene/vinyl" Maybe the cart that gives fantastic sound quality, will also wear your 45s out quicker. The wear factor has to be the most important for us. I'm sure I saw some for sale that were reputed to cause zero cue burn. But if memory serves, they around £100 apiece. I'll try and find them again, and report back. I just thought, surely a gap in the market for one of the manufactures. The perfect cart for 60s & 70s styrene/vinyl [great repoduction and zero wear] could call it the utopia, or the flying pig, or does it already exist??