"Serge Auckland" wrote in message
...
My question is why Moving Coils should be thought to be better than moving
magnets. I can think of several reasons why they should be worse, lower
compliance and higher mass, but not why they should be better.
Trackability should be better on a MM, as should record wear due to lower
tracking weights.

The quality of the stylus may be better on an expensive cartridge, but in
my own case, I have a Goldring 1042 and a Shure V15IIIMR. The stylus in
the Goldring is the Gyger S, I understand similar to the VdH, the Shure MR
is a Namiki profile, so they are as good as anything available on a moving
coil.

Similarly, frequency response plots of moving magnets and moving coils
don't show any particular benefit to the MC, nor does stereo separation or
harmonic and intermodulation distortion. So why *are* MC cartridges
throught to be better?

If anyone knows of any good engineering reasons why this should be so, I
would be most interested to hear.



I'm sure the replies have managed to cover all 'engineering' bases - I'll
just say that the MCs I've had have all sounded quite superb. (While they
lasted - I've lost count of how many I've busted now!!) One in particular
which had its very own 'poise' and an absolutely 'arresting' sound quality
was a numble Orto MC10 which I pulled the plastic off and ran nude. (The
cartridge....) That one was doomed when I got given it (bent cantilever) but
my goodness it was sweet while it lasted, right up 'til it finally gave
out!! (They come up on eBay from time to time and it's like Piranha on diced
beefstake when they do!!)

The 'cooking quality' cart I keep falling back to (for some odd reason) is
the Shure M75ED2 (original needles, naturally) - got one playing right this
minute!! About as subtle as a fart in a phone box but I can (and do) listen
to them all day long without any fatigue whatsoever!