mc on a rega planar 2

mc could be an issue on the p2. Since most mc's have rather low output, the signal must be boosted much more than the mm's. this boosted signal can pick up motor noise and show other short commings of a turntable of the p2's caliber. it is a fine turntable, but a mc may be too much for it.

I used a Ortofon MC-20 on my old Music Hall MMF-2.
The arm on these is way below the level of the Rega arms.I had no complaints.
I say,go for it.

I HATE moving magnets on my Rega P2, for two reasons. Number one, I find them dull and uninvolving as a whole, with a few exceptions. Number two, they hum. Even the Rega cartridges pick up motor hum the closer they get to the center of the record. Grados are unusable on Rega tables, don't even try.

I love the Denon DL-110 and DL-160 (see my long-winded but maybe helpful review of the DL-160 on the P2; also, I posted a review of the P2 itself that talks about cartridges I've used). Both have amazingly detailed styli for the money, $140 and $180 respectively. They're high output, so no problem with compatibility. It's far and away my favorite.

I also like the Benz Micro MC20E2, for $175. Its stylus is not as good as the Denons, but it had tremedous bass and it's very smooth.

If you want an MM, the only cartridge I ever liked in my price range ($200 or less) is the Audio Technica 440ML, for $99. It also has an awesome Microline stylus good for about 800-1000 hours. Nice sound, non-fatiguing and detailed.