MMC Cartridge

[kaplang]

Are styluses replaceable on moving coil carts? How does that work?

Thanks

 

[arcorob]

No...and yes

Are styluses replaceable on moving coil carts? How does that work?

Thanks

They are not replacable like MM but they can be retipped. Soundsmith is a great resource for that

 

[cactuscowboy]

Are styluses replaceable on moving coil carts? How does that work?

Thanks

In most cases, no. If by "MMC" you're referring to a Bang & Olufsen series cartridge, they are not a moving coil design and they do not have a user replaceable stylus.

 

[pdm4606]

MC stylus

In most cases the term MC referring to a moving coil cart has a nonreplaceable stylus.
In most cases the cart stylus and all must be returned to the factory for what is called a retipping.
In most cases the cost of such a retipping is near the same as a new cart.
I know that MC's are supposed to sound better but I can't imagine they sound that good.
Thanks;

Paul

 

[arcorob]

Paul

In most cases the term MC referring to a moving coil cart has a nonreplaceable stylus.
In most cases the cart stylus and all must be returned to the factory for what is called a retipping.
In most cases the cost of such a retipping is near the same as a new cart.
I know that MC's are supposed to sound better but I can't imagine they sound that good.
Thanks;

Paul

Only one of 4 is true
Yes, to non-replaceable stylus - You go that one
No, they do not have to be returned to the factory
The cost is usually half or less which is why people will choose retip over replacement
and finally...

Please do imagine because from personal experience, THEY DO sound better...picture the difference between mono and stereo..THAT different. Better, wider soundstage, more detail.

Please don;t be offended as this is not intended to slam but to educate.

 

[pilotprose]

I have an Audio Technica AT30E/G, moving coil, of which the stylus is replaceable. You can find a replacement for it at LP Tunes. There are a couple of different stylus that are replacements for the original, which is discontinued. Nice sounding cartridge, I enjoy it very much. I have couple of other cartridges, with the same or very close to, the same specifications, the moving coil does give more detail and sound stage. I played the same record with one then the other, a very noticable and enjoyable difference.

 

[Tedrick]

In most cases the term MC referring to a moving coil cart has a nonreplaceable stylus.
In most cases the cart stylus and all must be returned to the factory for what is called a retipping.
In most cases the cost of such a retipping is near the same as a new cart.
I know that MC's are supposed to sound better but I can't imagine they sound that good.
Thanks;

Paul

Or, you can have the re-tipping done by Soundsmith for considerably LESS than the price for a new cart, depending on re-tip option selected and the original MSRP of the cart, of course.

 

[pdm4606]

Only one of 4 is true
Yes, to non-replaceable stylus - You go that one
No, they do not have to be returned to the factory
The cost is usually half or less which is why people will choose retip over replacement
and finally...

Please do imagine because from personal experience, THEY DO sound better...picture the difference between mono and stereo..THAT different. Better, wider soundstage, more detail.

Please don;t be offended as this is not intended to slam but to educate.

They may sound better but at what cost?
I remember when Consumer Report did a report way back and came to the conclusion that MC's are not worth the extra expense. Most people including some audiophiles could barely tell the difference in a blind curtain test.
In my case the biggest cartridge expense I have had was a seller selling a headshell on ebay that had a Stanton 681EEE mounted to it.
He knew nothing about the cart but wanted to sell the headshell.
I bought the thing for $14 with shipping. I also added an aftermarket stylus for $18.
The 681 EEE is the highest quality most expensive cart, I have and it is probably the most expensive I can afford.
My audiophile philosophy is that if I can take it home and fix it, I can afford it.
Anything else is way too expensive and out of my range.
Getting involved with retipping would be a real budget buster not counting the expense of the MC cart. to start with.
I may be old but I am also cheap. The older I get the cheaper I get.

Paul

 

[JohnMichael]

Years ago there was a brand of MC cartridges from Japan by the name of Satin and they had replaceable stylus.

 

[TJLitt]

They may sound better but at what cost?
I remember when Consumer Report did a report way back and came to the conclusion that MC's are not worth the extra expense. Most people including some audiophiles could barely tell the difference in a blind curtain test.

a lot of it has to do with what table and arm you are using, etc. At the moment, I own three cartridges, two of them MI and one MC. The MC is
quite obviously superior, even though it isn't broken in yet, and is one of the cheapest MC's on the market, if not THE cheapest.

In my case the biggest cartridge expense I have had was a seller selling a headshell on ebay that had a Stanton 681EEE mounted to it.
He knew nothing about the cart but wanted to sell the headshell.
I bought the thing for $14 with shipping. I also added an aftermarket stylus for $18.

you are beyond lucky. That is an outrageous deal. My 681EE with a more expensive replacement stylus(LPGear ViVid line) is an excellent cartridge, and my go-to for worn or warped albums with the brush down.

The 681 EEE is the highest quality most expensive cart, I have and it is probably the most expensive I can afford.
My audiophile philosophy is that if I can take it home and fix it, I can afford it.
Anything else is way too expensive and out of my range.

I'd be in sad shape with those limits. If I had to fix it, I would be limited to
simple wooden blocks and perhaps small metal objects of some sorts, given my limited skillset. As I said above, the 681EEE is a very good cartridge, and I would be pretty happy using mine as my only cartridge, had I not gone and bought the DL103. That cheap MC sings on a heavy tonearm, isn't perfect, but does throw a deeper soundstage and define instruments more precisely than the Stanton. And, as I noted, it isn't broken in yet, with no more than 25 hours playing time on it. With any luck, re-tipping is a long way off, but to be honest, I will start saving really soon, so that Soundsmith fits in the budget a couple years down the road, and I don't intend to get the cheapest option, either. That is how impressed I am, so far.

I may be old but I am also cheap. The older I get the cheaper I get.

Paul

a common trend, Paul.......:yes:

 

[arcorob]

COst is only relevant to the buyer..

They may sound better but at what cost?
I remember when Consumer Report did a report way back and came to the conclusion that MC's are not worth the extra expense. Most people including some audiophiles could barely tell the difference in a blind curtain test.
In my case the biggest cartridge expense I have had was a seller selling a headshell on ebay that had a Stanton 681EEE mounted to it.
He knew nothing about the cart but wanted to sell the headshell.
I bought the thing for $14 with shipping. I also added an aftermarket stylus for $18.
The 681 EEE is the highest quality most expensive cart, I have and it is probably the most expensive I can afford.
My audiophile philosophy is that if I can take it home and fix it, I can afford it.
Anything else is way too expensive and out of my range.
Getting involved with retipping would be a real budget buster not counting the expense of the MC cart. to start with.
I may be old but I am also cheap. The older I get the cheaper I get.

Paul

what you are willing to pay is irrelevant to quality and the fact that you made a nice score doesn;t change facts.

A $300 MM cartridge sounds better than a $75 cartridge ..for the same reason that a BMW drives better than a chevy volt. Both will get you there but there is an obvious quality difference.

As to MC carts, sorry you found one report that states that. There is alot of misinformation out there. Like the one that says DD turntables and MC carts are not a good match. Total myth.

The reason MC carts are more expensive is because 1) The quality and work it takes to build 2) The sound quality is superior - especially in terms of a wider soundstage. No audiophile would fail to discern a MC vs a good MM

Example...I have an AT150MLx - Top of the line AT MM. Cost about $360.

I also have at AT33PTG/II MC from Japan - Cost about $460.

After hearing both on my rig, same material, as good as the MM is, it sounds like stereo while in comparison, the MC sounds like a live soundstage..

I am old too..and a lesson I learned in life...you get what you pay for...