The greatest MM and MI cartridges ....

Hi Fleib,
The Decca London is the only cartridge on my list which have neither owned nor heard.......and it's position at the top is certainly not meant to indicate any ranking.
The London had already achieved near legendary status in the late 70s with George Hadcock purportedly having designed his eponymous GH-228 unipivot arm specifically for it?
Together with the myth that no two samples sounded the same and a near continuous 40 year production history......it deserves to be on the list.

I agree with Timeltel that no list would be complete without the venerable Shure V15/III although again, I've neither heard nor owned.

Jeremy,

Anyone care to recommend MM and MI cartridges which have great dynamics/attack (like a MC) with detail and tonality to boot? From what I gather, this is something only really good MC do well but thought there might be exceptions.

It is not my experience that MCs possess any of those advantages over MMs. I realise that you are quoting an oft- repeated mantra by reviewers and others but I would really like actual examples to be submitted for peer review? :^)

Halcro, Yes you are right of course for the most part and I continue pursuing my education through Audiogon forums and with advice from seasoned audiophiles like your self and others here.

However, I can see plainly by looking at serious systems here on A'gon and high end magazines that low output MC's dominate in most of the big analog front ends (at least that is the way it looks to me).

There must be good reason for this, no?

In any event, here is a brief list of some analog I have recently had the chance to hear at a buddies house and my brief thoughts about the mm carts I heard during this time.

Rega P3-24 table
Rega RB301 arm and OL Silver arms
Dynavector phono preamp (cannot remember the model)

Carts-
Ortofon 2M Black
Grado Sonata 1
Grado Platinum
Shure VST 15 III (I think?)

Good sound from the above but not sounding nearly as dynamic and punchy as presentation in comparison to the same setup using the mc carts below-

Dynavector 10x5 (HO MC)
Dynavector 17D3
Audioquest 7000 (? I think that was the one)
Van Den Hul Frog (I believe that was the model, a couple years older than the others if memory serves)

Please keep in mind I do not have the extensive knowledge of you and others here, I am just reporting my impressions of what I heard during these listening sessions.

Also, sorry everyone for not making this a new thread, that proabably would have more appropriate.

London Reference MI and Soundsmith Sussurro MI, the later one MC compatible.

Both are a class of its own and do provide sonic excellence.

best & fun only

Dear Halcro, dear Timetel, actually I wanted to have this thread as "open" as possible. Many of the best MM and MI cartridges are long discontinued and their dampers (guess we all noticed, that "break-in" time of MMs is (if any...) much less than witlh most MCs) were not built to last for ever.
I am curious what MM cartridges might turn up here and maybe get to learn a MM which I have missed so far.
I follow a simple procedure when examinating a cartridge (in fact - this is my procedure in most any audio component I come along and which catches my attention) - I try to get as many technical information about it's design as possible to get an idea what are it's requirements, what are it's inidvidual design strength, what may be a technical/mechanical/dimensional foundation for a certain sound.
As said earlier - I am musing since a long time about having a MM cartridge manufactured to my specifications.
I for one hope to get new inspiration from a few of the contenders mentioned by others here.
BTW - yes, I have found 2 LOMCs in my long journey, which I can (and most likely will ...) live with happily ever after (within a certain "team" of tonearm/SUT).
I yet have to find a MM cartridge I can include in that elusive small party.
So forme this is really a valuable source and I perksonally especially welcome posts like Timetel's which are accompanied by technical parameters.
Cheers,
D.