high versus low output

I went ahead and set up the Benz Micro Glider L. It plays at a lower volume than the Dynavector 10x5. The Moon LP 3 has a maximum gain setting of 60db. There are two options for capacitance setting, 0pf and 100pf. There is no difference in volume between these. What role does the capacitance setting play?

Tobias and Swampwalker described the reason why LO carts tend to be more responsive to groove modulations than HO carts. These differences are real and audible, provided you're comparing apples to apples (and not Benz's to Dyna's).

They also hinted at the techical issues you asked about without providing any details, so here goes...

Capacitance adjustment is for MM cartridges. It does not effect the performance of MC cartridges, which both of yours are. That's why you didn't hear any difference. Ignore this adjustment unless/until you acquire an MM cartridge.

The two critical phono stage parameters for MC cartridges are GAIN and IMPEDANCE. Each MC is unique in its requirements, so cartridge-phono stage matching can have a critical bearing on overall performance. The importance of this cannot be over-emphasized.

For impedance matching of an MC cartridge to an active phono stage like ours (ie, NOT a stepup transfomer), the rule of thumb is 25 times the internal impedance of the cartridge coils, + or - 50%. Every system is unique so experimentation is the only way to be sure of the "best" value, but anything in the above range will be close.

For gain matching of an MC cartridge, look here: KAB USA preamp gain computer.

***
For the Dyna 10x5 HO (2.5mv output, 150 ohms internal impedance)

- optimal impedance = ~1900-5500 ohms
Your SP3 has selectable impedance of 100 or 47K ohms. Try them both, but the 47K is likely to sound better. 100 ohms will give the cart a dull top end and a closed in feeling.

- optimal phono stage gain = ~42db
Your SP3 has selectable gain settings of 40 or 60db. Use 40db for this cartridge, 60 db is likely to overload your line stage.

***
For the Glider (0.3mv output, 12 ohms internal impedance)

- optimal impedance = ~150-450 ohms
Your SP3's 100 ohm setting will probably be best. 47K might sound a bit edgy or shrill (though it will hurt nothing to try both).

- optimal phono gain = ~61db
Your SP3's 60db setting should be about perfect. The 40db setting will produce lower volumes and perhaps lackluster dynamics even when you crank up the gain control on your line stage.

Read that twice. There'll be a quiz!

Swampwalker: thank you, thank you. I just hate it when that happens. Some
good person takes the risk of looking dumb and asks a fairly basic question
but he gets more confusion instead of help. 04rdking, thank you too for
emphasizing the point.

Valinar, I humbly apologize for my incompetently proofread response.
Swampy, if you agree, I would like to ask the OP and everyone else to
interchange "HO" and "LO" in my confusing post,
above, so that the relevant lines read

"The coils in a HO cart have to be larger to generate more
current,"

and

"A LO cart has smaller coils".

I am so glad to have a second chance to get that right.

Dougdeacon, thank you very much indeed for keeping me from putting my
foot in the wrong place over input capacitance. Using your limpid post, I am
going to work up slowly to the quiz.

Dougdeacon,
Thanks for your helpful response. I will study for the quiz. Hopefully you will allow cheat sheets.

Dear Valinar: Tobias said: " This is just theory..... " +++++

I agree with him, Mark, Doug and everyone here about because in theory is right but in an imperfect analog world ( recording, Lp's pressing, cartridge quality, tonearm matching, whole set-up, load impedance, capacitance, etc, etc ) like the one where we live not always the theory even what really happen when we put the cartridge stylus on the running Lp.

It is all system dependent, your/self knowledge dependent, your choice of trade-offs and your music sound priorities.

Over the time and in my cartridge experiences I really can't say for sure if a low output cartridge ( say 0.22mv ) can/could sound better than a medium one ( say 0.45mv ) due just to its output level difference, things are not so easy as a fact it is really complex and a subject for other thread.

Due of what you own IMHO I think that you could be better " served " by a MM cartridge design, you can take a look about here: http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1200430667

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.