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

Dear friends:The main subject of this thread is start a dialogue to find out the way we almost all think or be sure about the thread question :  " true " answer.

 

Many years ago I started the long Agon MM thread where several audiophiles/Agoners and from other audio net forums participated to confirm or to discover the MM/MI/IM/MF/HOMC world and many of us, me including, was and still are" surprised for what we found out in that " new " cartridge world that as today is dominated by the LOMC cartridges.

 

Through that long thread I posted several times the superiority of the MM/types of cartridges over the LOMC ones even that I owned top LOMC cartridge samples to compare with and I remember very clearly that I posted that the MM and the like cartridges had lower distortion levels and better frequency range quality performance than the LOMC cartridges.

 

In those times j.carr ( Lyra designer ) was very active in Agon and in that thread  I remember that he was truly emphatic  posting that my MM conclusion was not  true due that things on distortion cartridge levels in reality is the other way around: LOMC has lower distortion levels.

 

Well, he is not only a LOMC cartridge designer but an expert audiophile/MUSIC lover with a long long and diverse first hand experiences listening cartridges in top TT, top tonearms and top phono stages and listening not only LOMC cartridges but almost any kind of cartridges in his and other top room/systems.

 

I never touched again that subject in that thread and years or months latter the MM thread I started again to listening LOMC cartridges where my room/system overall was up-graded/dated to way superior quality performance levels than in the past and I posted somewhere that j.carr was just rigth: LOMC design were and are superior to the other MM type cartridges been vintage or today models.

 

I'm a MUSIC lover and I'm not " married " with any kind of audio items or audio technologies I'm married just with MUSIC and what can gives me the maximum enjoyment of that ( every kind )  MUSIC, even I'm not married with any of my opinions/ideas/specific way of thinking. Yes, I try hard to stay " always " UNBIASED other than MUSIC.

 

So, till today I followed listening to almost every kind of cartridges ( including field coil design. ) with almost every kind of tonearms and TTs and in the last 2 years my room/system quality performance levels were and is improved by several " stages " that permits me better MUSIC audio items judgements and different enjoyment levels in my system and other audio systems. Yes, I still usemy test audio items full comparison proccess using almost the same LP tracks every time and as always my true sound reference is Live MUSIC not other sound system reproduction.

 

I know that the main thread subject is way complicated and complex to achieve an unanimous conclusions due that exist a lot of inherent differences/advantages/unadvantages in cartridges even coming from the same manufacturer.

 

We all know that when we talk of a cartridge we are in reality talking of its cantilever buil material, stylus shape, tonearm used/TT, compliance, phono stage and the like and my " desire " is that we could concentrate in the cartridges  as an " isolated " audio item and that  any of our opinions when be posible  stay in the premise: " everything the same ".

 

My take here is to learn from all of you and that all of us try to learn in between each to other and not who is the winner but at the " end " every one of us will be a winner.

 

So, your posts are all truly appreciated and is a thread where any one can participates even if today is not any more his analog alternative or is a newcomer or heavily experienced gentleman. Be my guest and thank's in advance.

 

Regards and ENJOY THE MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,

R.

Ag insider logo xs@2xrauliruegas
pindac's avatar
pindac
2,738 posts
 

@dover As you are aware and others are within the Gon's Analog Section.

I have left on the Sub's Bench, equipment that plenty would really like to own, even aspire to own, as a result of the 'Personal Experiences' had through 'Demonstration' of alternatives options on tools to function as a equivalent role.

I am not forming an 'Opinion' I am making known how a 'Personal Experience' as a result of a 'Demonstration' made an impression.

I totally agree that my assessment made known is merely another 'Opinion' in the mix, and it is relevant to where my interest is at present.

The idea that certain experiences are indelible, keeps them at the forefront of sharing experiences.

Your last comments made are I assume based on your want to have a say other than an assessment of a direct experience through demonstration.

I am pleased to inform you, that you are to get the Hat Today to wear the following in a very Public Place:

 "There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which can not fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance-that principle is contempt prior to investigation."

    

lewm
12,840 posts
 

I looked for the Paradise on line. Found a thread that included many favorable opinions of 3- and 4-box versions. Seems to be a mix of SS and tube gain devices. Since it’s got tubes for gain, I doubt it operates based on current or transconductance, unless the latter term is used to describe voltage mode. Because tubes lose transconductance as they age which would screw up RIAA. But still, it is much admired. Reminds me of the Herron phono that has ardent supporters in this side of the pond.

mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,458 posts
 

@rauliruegas  It is not the inconsistency of current mode or voltage mode. It is the inconsistency of cartridges. In my experience the cartridges that work best in current mode have an impedance less than 5 ohms. It is generally said 10 ohms, but I think this is overly optimistic. I would not use transimpedance mode with any cartridge with an impedance higher than 3 ohms. Then the performance is definitive. This represents a very small selection of cartridges, the point being that if a phono stage can not do both formats it should not be considered a viable option. 

Ag insider logo xs@2x
rauliruegas OP
13,002 posts
 

Dear @dover : You are rigth, that RIAA spec is a ridiculous one but  thatonly says the " stupid "level/audio knowledge that has whom posted. I never read his posts, useless.

Btw, this is coming from the manufacturer site:

 

" Ideal for professional use in bars and clubs and for at-home DJs and musicians who know what an RIAA curve should sound like, "

Who know what an RIAA should sound like: Really?. Same stupidity .

Yes, we have to learn about.

R.

Ag insider logo xs@2x
rauliruegas OP
13,002 posts
 

Dear @mijostyn  : " It is not the inconsistency of current mode or voltage mode. It is the inconsistency of cartridges. "

NO, it's the inconsistence of your current design phono stage where the manufacturer works more for specs than almost everything in his designs.

 

As the @dover  current design phono stages my experiences with the Classé Audio first true high end current design/Natural Impedance Loading where exactly the same working perfect to over 40ohm cartridges.

Additionala gentleman with my 12 years ago phono stage voltage design and against the BMC ( that I know does not works for specs only.) he prefers that voltage design with the same cartridges and LP recordings.

 

I just had the Swiss made CH current/voltage design with almost the same Lyra you own and the voltage unit I own outperformed and I know that the CH is way better design that your unit. Maybe your experiences about are alittle tolimited using that current design unit and perhaps you never had the opportunity to listen a state of the art voltage phono state design.

So, you and me have different first hand experiences about and that's all. Cartridges are not the culprit,at least not the MC Diamond that you can besure will performs very well in the CH.

 

R.

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