I have a Lyra Kleos in an Ekos. It superseded a Krystal, and I had an Akiva B (into a Linto) some years ago.
I think the Kleos is a good deal better than those Linn cartridges - technically better but also more involving for whatever reason. The Lyra exchange scheme is also a good deal more generous than Linn’s, which matters a lot when these things need replacing every few years. On balance, I would hope that the Delos too would give more vim than the Krystal.
So you could just hear Delos against Krystal or Kleos against Kandid. But hold on before buying….
I had a Linto for years, and liked it more than many here seem to have done. However, I currently have 2 LP12s (long story and I will probably sell the less flash of them), one with that Kleos and a Naim Superline and one with Krystal and Dynavector P75 mk 4. The former combo is the best I have tried at home - but so it should be, given the cost.
Nevertheless, mix-and-match showed that the DV is remarkably good - for overall sound quality, I reckon it’s closer to the Superline (above it) than to the Linto (below it), and I would take it over more expensive Rega and Trilogy choices too. It’s also a bit better at adapting easily to different cartridges and resisting interference/ hums than either, so placement and cable-dressing matter less.
It would be worth hearing the difference in phono stages, even if you don’t want to spend Kandid/ Kleos/ Delos/ Krystal money. If you prefer the DV, you could allocate a bit of the available cash to swapping phono stage, rather than maxing out on your cartridge spending.
Mine only cost £400 from eBay. You might prefer a Rega or a Superline, but those will cost more.
Given the overall cost, changing phono stages might mean getting a DV-20X2 or an AT-OC9 - or a Benz, a Hana, a Clearaudio, a Sumiko or whatever. However, they are all decent cartridge options, and that split of spending might give you a better overall outcome. In addition, phono stages last a lot longer than cartridges, so I’d argue that it might well be better VFM in the long term.
Most important of course is not to believe me but to listen to 2 or 3 options and to find out what your ears say.
I’d also say that a Karousel is a decent sound-per-£ upgrade. However, unlike phono stages (or sub-chassis or power supply options), you probably can’t buy that second-hand.
Finally, I’ll be very surprised if the right answer is to buy a Kandid and play it through the Linto.
Good luck!