Phono preamp worth it with MM cartridges?

@lewm MM cartridge manufacturers in the 80’s clearly stated 30k - 100k Ohm range for their best (top of the line MM) in the manuals. Why?

Now it’s just 47k

Flexibility is a range, so user can try what’s the best.

@mijostyn You don’t have any of the best MM or MI from the past and never owned any of them, I don’t know what can I say ... You must try! If you wish you can try not MM junk like your old Shure V15 MK-whatever, but a proper $1500-3000 MM. I never said MM is better than MC and I own some of the best LOMC ever made too (and I like them). Do you have some? Please post. If you think cartridges getting better and better every years you’re wrong. The problem with LOMC is the price, repair/retip is nonsense. MM are practically better and best vintage MM are cheaper and often better than most of the modern MC.

Modern MMs are junk because the cantilever and styli are always the same (from the same jewel manufacturers in Japan). Nearly all of them are nothing special. Maybe 5% is an exception, but not what you guys are posting here, not a Nagaoka, not Ortofon and not a ClearAudio with dirt cheap Audio-Technica motor inside.

SoudSmith cartridges are not MM, they are MI and it’s another story.

If you like expensive stuff buy this one.
Prepare to spend over $10 000 for this, it’s NOT an MC.
Then tell us how do you like MI or MM :)  

Chak, I hope you understand that I am agreeing with you about 30K ohms.  Got that?  I personally have found most often that 100K ohms sounds best with many of my MMs.  This started with the Grado TLZ or XTZ which I know we both like. The TLZ sounded best with 100K ohms load.  I have actually never tried less than 47K ohms.  Also, in many cases it's a trade-off with capacitance.  If you increase R above 47K there would be a corresponding change in the best capacitative load.  If you don't want to mess around with C, you can just play with R (more or less) until you get the best result with whatever is the total C load seen by the phono stage.  You don't even have to know exactly the value of C, just change R until you are happy.

No Love for the MoFi Carts?

Seems like the 500 dollar cart range is just as packed as the 500 dollar TT market.

Chakster sold me a very nice AT ML150-OCC MM cartridge that I would be willing to let go if you are interested?  Send me a PM. He highly recommended this cartridge and it is a good one especially at the less than $500 price point. It betters most MM sold today. 

i agree as mm's go the at ml150 is excellent

need a loading kit to make the treble sound right though... it did not like 47k iirc