Should I try a MC cartridge and phono pre?

I still say try it and see if you like it and stop worrying about what everyone else thinks.

Psychicanimal, Just to let you know, I'm using an SAE MK IX
preamp into a Marantz model 250 (until I get the Phase Linear 400 upgraded). Thanks for the info.
Rwwear, I feel like I'm being baited here, but the plan IS to try IT, as soon as I know what IT is. I thought that's what these forums were all about??? Still looking for a possible MC phono pre suggestion, got any ideas?
Sonny

If you have a phono stage now that works with a moving magnet cartridge, it will work with a high output moving coil. But, I prefer low output models and they require a lot of gain that would be too expensive just to experiment with.

Iseekheils,

I agree with Rwwwear that a high output MC is kind of pointless. They give away the biggest advantage of MCs, low moving mass, which improves responsiveness, tracing accuracy and detail retrieval.

If you *do* decide to try a low output MC, many of us prefer to use a stepup transformer into a MM phono stage rather than a high gain MC phono stage. Some of the very best systems used by members here are set up this way, and mine is too! :)

The K&K stepup is available on VA for $200ish, and is quite well regarded. There are others too of course, mostly more expensive. You could try this without investing in an expensive MC phono stage, and sell it pretty easily if you decided to take another path. Does that help?

BTW, glad to see you're upgrading the PL400. Make sure you change all the caps. Like so many others, mine shorted out many years ago and took the speakers with them. I've still got the thing in the basement if you want it for spares. Also the 4000 pre.

Go with the K&K, I love it! If that's what you need, you can't go wrong.