2. analog
  3. 180675-4181

Generally speaking, are MC cartridges more delicate than MMs?

Here's why I ask: I'm planning, finally, to get my retirement turntable. My one concern: I'm blind. I've used a Rega Planar 3 for many years without difficulty, though on the rarest of occasions I come up a tad short when cueing up a record and the stylus slides off the platter until I quickly lift the lever and set things right. Not great, obviously, but this is, as I said, rare. And so far has caused no obvious problems. I'm using an Ortofon 2M Black at the moment.

 

Suppose I were to get a better Rega (Planar 6 or 8) with, say, an Ania Pro. If the same sort of mishap were to occur, would it be likely to be a complete disaster, ruining the cartridge forever and leaving me out of luck and out of music, or would it be more likely to be just like what I described with the setup I've got now?

 

Thanks for any help anyone can provide.

 

-- Howard

 

hodu
noromance's avatar
noromance
9,567 posts
 

Hmmm, yes. Not sure it would end well. Maybe look at an excellent cartridge with a replaceable stylus. The high output Nagaoka MP500 comes to mind with a replacement cost of $270. You could keep a few on hand just in case. Another option would be a Soundsmith cartridge. The low output Zephyr Mk3 or MIMC Star is $1500/$2000 and they do a factory replacement stylus for around 20% of the new price ($299/$350).

mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,252 posts
 

In terms of mechanical integrity and reliability there is no difference. Some MM cartridges have replaceable styluses where this is impossible with MC cartridges. 

MC cartridges offer a level of performance that is definitively superior to MM cartridges but at 4 to 5 times the expense. The difference  in soundstage and imaging is quite profound. It is difficult but not impossible for a MC cartridge to match the dynamics of a MM cartridge and the MC cartridges that do it are very expensive. The only alternative is going digital.    

lewm
12,567 posts
 

"MC cartridges offer a level of performance that is definitively superior to MM cartridges but at 4 to 5 times the expense."  This is pure BS and also bad thinking.  Are you prepared to say that ALL MC cartridges outperform ALL MM cartridges?  If not, you said it anyway.  All the rest of what you say that follows that unsupportable generalization is as unsupportable as your opening salvo.  Nandric, where are you now that we need you?

You're welcome to your opinion, of course.

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