MC-MM-MI CARTRIDGES . DO YOU KNOW WHICH HAS BETTER QUALITY PERFORMANCE? REALLY?

@lewm Len Gregory has been synonymous with MI Cart's in the UK.

Even though not having owned a Cart' from this producer, I have encountered the design in use many years ago and in use in conjunction with the system and environment the Cart' was being used, there was not enough on offer to get my inquisitiveness going for a further follow up experience.

It was either a MM or HOMC that was the Cart' to be used from the result of investigations undertaken from this period of time.

I know individuals today with substantial monies that can be spent on their audio hobby, but remain loyal to HOMC Cart's as their choice. It is impossible to make an individual like anything more than what they like.

I know there are endless notions why a Ceramic Cart' should not be taken seriously in the world of audio, but I encountered one in use by pure chance, that has a Paratrace Styli fitted. The impression made on myself was profound, I own the Cart' with spare styli. I will state that many may be selling themselves short, by not having a Ceramic Cart experience, to see what is the impression that can be made.

As stated, for myself, I am only interested in what is the devices experienced in use, that are capable of encouraging myself to keep them in use for extended periods and are proven to be devices wanted to be maintained as part of the home system.

There is not a recommendation for a device, that is able to be a guarantee to the above being realised, following an encounter with any types of audio device.

In relation to Cart's and Phono Amplification, I have been demo'd many devices. Which many have been repelled and without any doubt not wanted to be experienced any further.

A much smaller quantity of devices experienced in use are ones I have developed an attraction to and there has been something indelible about the encounter.

A smaller quantity again, are those that have been very attractive, hence, selected to be maintained for long term use in the home system.   

I don't run/cycle like I have as a younger person. I don't have stamina like I had as a younger person. I don't have sight like I had as a younger person. I will take a wild punt, the hearing test if done today, will not be as kind as a description as the one given previously.

I am willing to 'err on the side of caution' and lean more towards a description on assessment of produced sound from particular Cart' types from the younger of the ears being used to gather info to be described on produced sound.

Then there are those who use the math over their ears to determine the sound to be produced, I have no ageism concerns for math being produced, but also no interest in the math only, as the notion the math is the guidance for the choice to be made.        

So you have no extensive experience with MI cartridges. OK. Of all types with which I have experience, the HOMC is on the bottom. There are great things about LOMC, MI, and MM, but I have no love for HOMC when any of those other types are available. For me, the HOMC appears to be an MC cartridge developed expressly for those who own MM phono stages and who can be lured to try an MC but don't want to or cannot afford an upgrade to a high gain phono stage suitable for an LOMC. It’s pure marketing. (Please do not conclude that I condemn them all; I am sure some are just fine. And by "HOMC", I mean an MC with greater than 1mV output.)

@lewm I have been active in a few forums and over the years met up with more than 300 audio enthusiasts which are owners of dedicated systems.

To date I have not shared with or met any who are in possession of identical twin systems. Owned systems by any enthusiast will be in general unique as the system evolves in relation to the system owners developing unique preferences.

As stated earlier in a post: " It is impossible to make an individual like anything more than what they like." I'm sure there are many with an interest in producing a Closed - Won as an outcome of a meeting,  who spend plenty of their energy attempting to change another's thoughts on 'what they like'.     

All Audio Enthusiast who put together audio systems, are unique in relation to the end sound they are attempting to create. There is not a ubiquitous approach, apart from Devices capable of generating a Electronic Signal and Electronic Devices to Amplify and produce Sound are the requirements for most who want to experience recorded music. 

I myself, as a contributor, attempts to remain within the objective to share only on  experiences had. I do not deter anybody from increasing their own experiences and gathering extended knowledge, that could be very beneficial to their own interests in this hobby.

I do not see having limited experiences in a very small area of a particular type of Cart' design, as a reason to discredit ones overall experiences. Nobody has extensive experience of being in the Company of all options available. All contributors are deficient in their experiences had in this respect. 

On the subject of knowledge of products available from Past production and Present, there is very easy to access info to assist with research. If one wants to extend their knowledge base about a design intent for a particular product, this info  can be found. Specification for a Particular Product will be quite successfully found. This info type being discovered, does not increase or broaden ones experiences of how a product encountered is capable of making an impression at the time of a demo'.      

A thread such as this, will become a place to share ones own unique preferences, for a Cart' Design. Which will then most likely, and as already seen, extend to individuals expressing where they are different, about where they believe the design is to be found that is most satisfying for their unique preferences.

The Group that is very satisfied with LOMC will most likely not have the same Cart' Model from a Brand as their preferential model, or will not have the same Brand as the preference.

I myself today has in use a LOMC Cart' that has never been designed by any Manufacturer. As a end design it is Bespoke Built and Unique. It has a Ogura Vital Styli > Beryllium Cantilever, WRD from a upper range Model and never used in the Donor Cart' model when in production. This is a Cart' I really would like to be able to make Old Bones with. 

The same as said for the LOMC will be seen to be realised for all Cart' designs referred to in the OP:  MM/MI/IM/MF/HOMC and Ceramic.

I do have experience of Grado Cart's, I have heard a range of Grado's Models in home systems belonging to others and at Commercial events. Where I fall short is not being able to confirm if these were MM or MI, but again, the end result was that not enough impression was left to encourage myself to pursue the use of one to be used in the home system.  The Len Gregory design is the one I can confirm is a MI and possibly a Grado by original design taken to the LG level of presentation ?  These are now very distant from the past recollections.

I hope this Thread becomes very populated with the preferences of others, I am always keen to be introduced to something quite new to my knowledge base.

As to being interested in the comments offered by those being Younger in years

Presbycusis ( Age Related Hearing Loss) has plenty of research carried out and info produced to show the impact on the general population.

In relation to 60 - 69 years of age, research which is very easy to understand shows statistics that from 250Hz to 8000Hz, there are a substantial amount of Males with hearing impediment not able to detect these frequencies, especially with the impediment impacting on typical audible communication.

As the age rises into the 70's and 80's the Men with hearing loss grows in much increased number to the above frequencies.

There is the likelihood some who are to report within this thread, even myself, are reporting with a proportion or the full impact of this type of hearing loss being present.

Hence, in my own case, why the idea of using owned Cart's has an attraction, in place of investing into Cart's that may never be fully experienced across the entirety of the Bandwidth designed for them. 

This still does not Wane me from my intention to invest in having a few more bespoke built Cart's produced, especially a Cacti Cantilever on one such build and a Boron Cantilever with FGS on a Ceramic.

If you heard a Grado, chances are you’ve heard a MI cartridge.

As a child, the record player at home had a ceramic cartridge, and when I bought my first amplifier (in 1976), one could select ceramic or magnetic inputs on it. Excuse my ignorance, but I'm assuming there were separate inputs as they have differing output voltages? How do connect your ceramic cartridge these days, @pindac ?

I have read (maybe it was here) that someone asked PL why he makes LOMI/MIMC cartridges, and he replied that it was purely because there was a demand for them, but he did not think there was any benefit himself.