What should I expect moving from MM to MC?

I really appreciate all of the replies. I’ve learned a LOT, just from this one topic. Many of your responses have inspired me to do a little more online research, which leads to more investigation and research. All in all you’ve set me on a good course. Let’s face it: I’m a budget hi-fi/audiophile. Some of you have cables that cost more than my entire setup.

I’m starting with the Schiitt pre-amp that should arrive here in a few days. I’ll play around with that and listen to a lot of vinyl to compile my impression of where I am at that point.

If necessary, I’ll probably dabble with a better cartridge, hopefully something MC so I can hear what all the hubbub is about. My Olympia is a $200 cart, and one website said I should probably pair my $1,000 TT with something closer to the $400-$500 range. Many good suggestions in this post worth looking into.

Finally, and it probably won’t come to this, but I can always upgrade speakers. I mean, who can’t (or doesn’t like doing so)?

I’m also learning that my misconception on the frequency range of the cartridge isn’t as important as I had originally thought. 20hz-20khz covers what I can hear. So it comes down to tonal qualities, fullness and clarity. This opens my eyes to a much broader range of potential upgrades in cartridges.

Thanks again. I may be old, but I’m still learning.

@karl_desch 1++. The Blue Point is not the world's best tracker. Soundsmith cartridges are renown for their tracking ability and detail. A high output Soundsmith like the Otello or the Carmen if you can afford it would be excellent choices another would be the Goldring 1042 is another excellent high output cartridge. It has the same stylus as a $16,000 Clearaudio Goldfinger. 

Lots of useful information here mucker. Having had 50 years of experience playing vinyl with turntables and cartridges of all types since the 1960s I can say this:

#1 Moving Coil cartridges have clear advantages over moving magnets if you can buck up to pay for the good ones. On a limited budget, you likely might have better sound from a higher end moving magnet or moving iron cartridge than a lower end moving coil.

#2 The phono stage upgrade is likely to give you a very worthwhile improvement in sound for a relatively small outlay, even with your currrent cartidges.

#3 The best moving coil cartridges are generally lower output. When you get into those cartridges, set up and impedance loading are important and you need a much better phono preamp to allow you to do this.

#4 In my experience different Cartridges Brands have different house sounds and sonic signatures and you need to read reviews to get a sense of where to go with that. For example, with low output moving coils, the Lyra brand tend towards clear, and a bit analytical. Koetsu and Benz, tends to sound a bit warmer and more forgiving. In general though, most moving magnets tend towards a warmer sound. Going up the Sumiko like you will get more clarity for sure but not necessarily more warmth.

#5 Lots of people buy a cartridge only to find the cartridge is not what they expected or wanted from a sonic profile point of view, wait until they break in ( 50-100 hours) and when they don’t change enough to their liking, list them for sale. Consider buying a lightly used cartridge....if it doesn’t live up to your expectations you can sell it for what you paid for it.

#6 With added detail and clarity from moving coils, flaws in vinyl are often more apparent as well. So best if your record collection is in very good condition.

Zarzu, you say MC cartridges are”faster” because they have lower moving mass with the “same suspension “. Yes, MC cartridges tend to have less moving mass compared to MM cartridges, but no, the suspensions are not the same.  MM cartridges tend to have much higher compliance than a typical MC. That high compliance should enable an MM to better navigate the groove undulations. And if low moving mass is your god, then you ought to be using an MI type; MIs have the very lowest moving mass possible. My point is not to defend MM cartridges but to call attention to the fact that the best test for comparing cartridges is a listening test. If you have an open mind, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find you don’t have to spend $10,000 on a LOMC cartridge  to achieve your own Nirvana. And these empirical arguments audiophiles make without actual supporting data are sometimes hogwash.

to my ears, the Blue Point  seemed too bright....could have been the system.