In article , Trevor
Wilson wrote:


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?

**Er, not quite. The FR plots of MC carts, in some cases, CAN be shown
to be superior. The reason, of course, is blindingly simple. It's all
about inductance. The inductance of (LOW OUTPUT) MC carts is very low,
indeed. This enables them to produce a very flat, very wide (up to
around 60kHz) frequency response, with a correspondingly superior rise
time.

The problem with this is that the mechanical resonances will still exist.
:-)

Also bear in mind that with a decent MM cartridge you can arrange the
loading to give quite a flat response if that is your concern. I've not
personally had any worries on that score with my own Shure V15/III...

Alas, magazines and makers now tend to avoid giving any useful data on
cartridges. Hence we usually can't now assess the level of compliance, tip
mass, etc, etc. Nor, indeed the levels of distortion.

My recollection was that MC's became 'flavour of the year' with some
subjective reviewers precisely because the ones in question did *not* have
a flat response, and they liked the changes, but then ascribed this to
'magic'... :-)


The real benefit of such a system is that LC resonance effects
are often well outside the audible range. This means that a low output
MC cart may exhibit a very flat phase response within the audio band.
This may not be the case with high output MC carts nor with some MM
carts.

For the record: Many, well designed, MM carts do not exhibit any
resonance problems without the audio band.

Indeed. Thus this isn't really a reason for arguing that MCs as a class of
object are 'better' to MMs as a class. :-)

The reality is that there will be 'good' and 'bad' examples in each class,
and a 'good' one in either may deliver excellent results.

FWIW I don't know of any MCs that can provide the same levels of tracking,
etc, of something like a Shure V15. But this may be because no-one for
years can be bothered to even consider such things in 'reviews'. sic

Slainte,

Jim

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