This cartridge is a very good balance of detail , slam and ease. It has a full bass and a sparkling treble with good mid range qualities. It sounds energetic. Very smooth but not as smooth as the shure V15 but it has a more extended top end which adds life to the recording. Never harsh. This is an easy cartridge to live with and makes most records very musical. The price has gone up over the last few years but this is still excellent value. It's 6.5MV output is more than adequate for all preamps and receivers.