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

On this subject there is endless reading to be done and much is for the mindsets that are fully academic and research this field of Science.

As an absolute Layman and having learned research has stepped into the research of the Amygdala in a unusually intensified manner in the past 10 years.

There is now a lot of info that strongly suggests the Amygdala is the Gateway to how each Human has a unique relationship with their Environments and each individual are unique in their Sensory Perception.

Sound is one Sensory Perception that the Amygdala is going to process, and stimulate the Limbic System.

This is Survival and each individual is unique in how their Electrical Activity and Chemical Activity.

"With information traveling at 260 mph, more than 100,000 chemical reactions occurring per second, 86 billion cells and over 10,000 types of neurons, the human brain is probably the most complex entity known to man."

"One intriguing aspect of the limbic system as a mechanism for multiple chemical sensitivities is the system's responsiveness to both chemical and cortical stimuli. Therefore, conscious thought processes and emotional states influence limbic activity just as chemical or physical stimuli can. The former may be under more or less conscious control of the individual, whereas the latter arc almost entirely unconscious and automatic However, conscious efforts that play into the delicate circuitry of the limbic system may be able to alter or suppress concurrent electrical activity evoked by environmental agents."

My putting such info out there, is for one reason only, much of what one thinks they are contributing in elation to how an end sound has impacted on / influenced them. Is not their assessment of s Sound but a very unique response / reaction to a stimuli sent as a part of  survival function within the body from a sensory perception created in a particular environment. 

When an individual can get to the place, that they have one grain of sands worth of acceptance of this. The Flood Gates will open for them, and they will be quite liberated, knowing their interaction with sound is unique and not able to be replicated by another.

Or as an alternative, an individual might struggle with the concept of not being an authority, and will not even accept a Sand Grain of the knowledge strongly suggesting, their interaction with sound is unique, not able to be replicated by another's and is pretty much worthless to another individual.

"All things being equal" It is impossible to factor in only the Math and Production of a Particular device designed to create manage electricity. At one point the Electricity will meet with a Part designed to Transfer received Electrical Energy into a Sound.

When this sound is experienced the Human has a Survival Function, that will override all intellect, and will most likely be the control of the intellect to manifest.

All the above without adding to the mix, Phonophobia and Hyperacusis Tolerances, that are exponentially increasing in numbers being afflicted with symptoms as age increases.

I am not tested for Phonophobia or Hyperacusis, but I would bet I have a symptom discovered? I would bet I persevere with a enforced tolerance for my want to enjoy experiencing music.

Strange Fact to Ponder: Some of the most renowned and revered, who have produced Amplified Music have when tested, shown both P'phobia and H'acusis Symptoms that are quite prevalent.   

IME

$2K LOMC Cartridge- 10 / 10. The best sound I have heard vinyl make in my system.

$2K MI Cartridge- 7 / 10. Tried a supposed excellent MI cartridge and it was a disappointment.

$1K MM Cartridge- 6/10. Not bad but still did not compete with the LOMCs at or above its price in terms of refinement and dynamics.

@avanti1960 What was the $2k MI cartridge? If you don't want to say it out loud you could always PM me. I'm suspecting an Aida based on the price.

Dear friends: I had a really motivated and learning week end at my place.

A close audio friend came with a good friend of him that in the past been listened twice my system but this time he brought his 3 months old CHP1/X1 and his Lyra Etna Lambda SL and obviously with the CH recording to use the CH Wizard.

He ask to listen the Etna in the CH current sensing mode and that latter on in the normal voltage mode. I have to say that was and is a great opportunity for me not only tolisten the CH in my system but make several comparisons between current/voltage and even that the CH owner was not interested about we listen too MM/MI cartridges. We had a 7 full hours ( at least maybe a little more. ) of great listening fun where all of us learned.

We started to connect the P1 to my Essential 3180 integrated line stage for listen the Etna in current mode ( made it all the protocol in the CH digital software. ).

The CH owner knew my room/system qulity level performance . I was not surprised of the very high CH/Etna listened quality levels but who was surprised was the CH owner due that the 3180 line stage is a unique elctronic design. He brought wiith him his own LPs and I listened too to some mine. After a time weswitched to voltage mode where there we can't find out a winner mode stage and only we have a winner when we switched the Etna tomy voltage Essential 3180 that was really better than the CH in current/voltage modes. 

The lessons for allof us is that current mode in reality is not what today phono stages owners believe where the voltage in my 3180 is superior and in the CH through the 3180 line stage is at least at the same level than current mode and we had not any singlenoise levels better in current mode than voltage one. So I confirmed that current superiority is only a myht and not so good voltage designs against it.

But the big surprise for my audio friends where when I switched to a MF cartridge that @dgarretson named in this thread Astatic MF 200 where the top of the line is the MF 100 that I sold because the MF 200 is superior quality performer and the best of Astatic was the earlier MF 2500 that today I really regret to sold it.

Terrifc ( forsay the least ) quality levelperformance that no one but me could believe because the MF 200 outperformed the Etna in the CH or in the 3180. The MF 200 in the CH plays really good too but not like in the 3180.

All those confirm what in this thread and in other threads I posted that to really appreciate the true MM/MI/etc we need the rigth MM phono/line stagesand I'm proud to have it.

I remember than a friend Agoner that when the MMlong thread were with posts after more posts bymany audiophiles I told him to buy some of the real top cartridges that we can boughtfor less than 200 dollars and he never want it he was pesimistic/incredulous even with several audiophiles opinions about and obviously that losted that great opportunity and that same gentleman I offered twice that " rigth " MM stage and as with the cartridges he just rejected.

That's why I'm glad with the @dgarretson posts because he pulls the triger in those times, good.

That's the way I learned everything in my audio life:I almost always try everything and almost never say no.

R.

@rauliruegas It really depends on the cartridge Raul. The Atlas SL sounds better with a lower signal to noise level in current mode, but the MC Diamond sounds better in Voltage mode. The Hyperon only works in voltage mode. It's great that your 3180 sounds so good. Maybe your friend will purchase one?