tnsilver
Stereo Puppy
No. Lower output levels should be handled by higher gain of a dedicated MC phono stage, and if it's good - it's quiet, hence no extra noise.
"No Point" getting higher end MM if you can properly run MC as well
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cafe latte
Addicted Member
The question is a mc better, the answer is no. Are there great MC's yes loads, I love mc's, but there are plenty of low inductance and low moving mass moving iron and MM and these are the "reasons" for having a mc. So no because you don't have to get a mc to upgrade there are other options. One of my fav carts is retipped Opus 3 which is MI, or the London Jubilee which is also MI. I do have have a lot of MC's, too, but they are not the only way up.
Chris
Your question and poll is based on a price point to match a MM cart. But that is really only a fair comparison to a lower budget due to the fact that as you move up the chain the MM's just stop showing up to the ball game. You start getting into the over 500-dollar range and bye, bye, MM, and you just began to start with the MC carts lower price range.
You can start at that point with some MI carts as comparison as Soundsmith has a number of high end MI carts that would be direct audio comparisons, and even something like the London Decca Reference which is a MI/direct sensing tip. Some other high dollar tip sensors or Strain Gauge carts but most MM carts don't come up very high on the ladder in popularity when it comes to upper end audiophile systems. As far as yes or no or my vote, IMO it is a loaded question which does more to divide then to help others who want to enjoy what is out there. We all have our budgets and within that budget when it comes to carts it is a crap shot as to what will make a person happy. What I like you might not, so the best and only way to know for sure what is best for your system, your taste, in your room, is by trial and error.
You can start at that point with some MI carts as comparison as Soundsmith has a number of high end MI carts that would be direct audio comparisons, and even something like the London Decca Reference which is a MI/direct sensing tip. Some other high dollar tip sensors or Strain Gauge carts but most MM carts don't come up very high on the ladder in popularity when it comes to upper end audiophile systems. As far as yes or no or my vote, IMO it is a loaded question which does more to divide then to help others who want to enjoy what is out there. We all have our budgets and within that budget when it comes to carts it is a crap shot as to what will make a person happy. What I like you might not, so the best and only way to know for sure what is best for your system, your taste, in your room, is by trial and error.
Sgt Shultz
Addicted Member
You need the appropriate phono amp or step up transformer, so whoever said that was wrong. A LOMC wouldn't even be loud enough at full volume into a MM input.
Yes I know but thanks I was told that the xtra amp signal step up would bring in more noise and Show more flaws of the table
Sgt Shultz
Addicted Member
Complete nonsense.
That said, a great turntable will get more out of a budget cartridge than a budget table will out of a great cartridge. Now if you feel your table isn't up to a better cartridge then there's that
And the volume knob in comparison to it's current position with a LOMC phono stage might actually be lower, it all depends on cartridge output and the phono stage gain.
"I was recommended not to use a Mc coil on my dd table because of the lower output would require higher volume levels which would show more noise from the table , don’t know if it’s true but seems to make sense"
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TunerLanding
Active Member
I think there’s a fair amount of overlap, one of my carts is an ortofon 2m black 900$ or more CAD.
flavio81
Turntable technician
Very true!
Sgt Shultz
Addicted Member
"No point"? Tell that to the people who own a Topwing. Although, at $16.5k, I doubt there are many of them...
At only $609/month payments it's a steal
James Bond's cartridge eh, Goldfinger......There's really not a lot of overlap when looking at the whole picture, I have several budget LOMC but they were $300+, that's not what a budget MM goes for.
These are so far out of my playing field but I could see as much as $3500 for one on my Well Tempered Lab some day, the $1200 range will most likely be my next step up though
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Sgt Shultz
Addicted Member
For example, at this moment I'm sitting here listening to this with the volume knob at the 10:00 position on the preamp, it's quite loud by many people's standard. Yet even with my ear barely 1/4" from the drivers before dropping the needle I heard nada.
This is the Denon DL-301MKII on the Well Tempered Lab
I feel I should mention I have several very nice MM and MI cartridges from Grace, Pickering, Grado, Sumiko all purchased either new or NOS with OEM stylus, so some heavy competition for the LOMC carts.
Pics of a few of the beauties
Pickering XV-15 1200E/D1200
Grace F-8C Custom
Grace F-8L10' Advanced Luminal Trace 10th anniversary edition
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KentTeffeteller
Gimpus Stereophilus!
No point in getting MC if MI does it better, and has replaceable styli. And can outtrack 90 something % of MC. I have records which make MC throw up their hands.
lazycat
Well-Known Member
During my 40 odd years of cartridges of all types that statement isnt true IME.
I've always found the stylus type to be more important than MC/MM in lowering noise, together with a good arm/cart match.
Recently I've gone from a 2M Black back to a LOMC. If anything, the noise is lower - and it was low anyway due to a decent tip.
I always found the most important aspect of surface noise to be a properly working T/T/arm. The better the T/T the lower the noise IME.
My table is a lp120 audio technica while a decent table I doubt I would get the real Benefit of a high end cartridge ! I have a sumiko Pearl which seems to work well with this table again a nice affordable table but not high end by any means ,
Sgt Shultz
Addicted Member
The Pearl is a good match, I bet it sounds schveet. I have a new unused Black Pearl here that came with a used table I purchased, maybe I'll try it on the Mitsubishi DP-EC8
I just have too many carts and not enough tables, might have to look for number eight
Lapslah
Super Member
I was looking for the "I don't know" option. I've only had one MC and it sounds better than any MM I ever had. On the same table with the same record it just seems to get more out of the groove. It's not necessarily that I'm hearing subtle things that weren't there at all, but the underlying, very quiet parts of the music are clear where they had always been "too quiet to hear well" with MMs. Is that because it's a MC or because of some other part of its design, like the shape of the stylus that's maybe more suited to go deeper into the groove? I don't know. I would never say that MCs are always better, based on my limited experience. But I'm sticking with it. And just to be safe, I'll probably shop only MCs with a similar profile in the future.
KentTeffeteller
Gimpus Stereophilus!
Can it track 100um on the Ortofon test record without breakup? I like the AT-OC-9 in any version, by the way.
