Weekly Questions Thread for the week of April 17th

[$100] I need a new head shell and cartridge for a PL-A45D.

Tonight I'm buying a PL-45D off of craigslist, and it's without a headshell or cart. I've been trying to figure out what to buy. I have a budget of $100 for both (not $100 each). From what I've been reading it shouldn't matter too much what I get for compatability since I'm getting a new headshell, though I saw in a forum post that says I'll need an SME-type headshell, and Im not sure what that means? Also the manual for my receiver says the phono input only works with moving-magnet cartridges (I didn't realize cartridges and receivers had to be compatible).

I see Audio Technica does cartridge/headshell combos, and I've heard the AT-95E is a common starter cartridge. There's a combo with the AT-95E on amazon for $76, though there's also a AT100E combo for $92. Is the sound upgrade worth the $16? The AT100E combo is in my budget though saving money is never bad (this is my first turntable so Ill need stuff like a record brush too). Is there a better option or headshell/cart configuration in that budget?

Thanks for reading and any advice!

/r/vinyl Thread