MM to MC back to MM

Dear Tfkaudio: IMHO, you need a high quality phonolinepreamp to obtain the real quality performance of any cartridge: either MC and MM, why do you think that you don't need it in a MM cartridge?, you need it too.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

I switched from a Benz Micro Ace lo to an Ortofon 540 MkII. I made the switch because I couldn't turn the volume down enough on my preamp without loosing the left channel. My volume pot is a little worn out down near the bottom of it's range. My mc section has a lot of gain so I got the 540 to use my mm section. I expected to not like the Ortofon as much as the Ace but I actually like it just a little more. It looses a little of the top end sparkle that the Ace had but it is just as good in the mids and the bass is fuller. It rocks more than the Ace does and it seems to have less surface noise but that could be the difference in gain between my mc and mm sections.

I have a VTL TL5.5 with built in phono and use Mullard 12at7 and RCA 12ax7 tubes in the phono section and a SOTA Sapphire with Graham Robin.

Cheers,

Jim

A good phono stage is a great recommendation. Look for companies that are well established with strong customer service and tech support.

Avoid the home brew stuff that is strongly marketed and pervasive in these threads. Amateur manufacturers are a dime a dozen. Most of their published specs are highly fictitious and unsupportable.

Ole'

Hi Raul,
I agree with what you said 100%. Maybe I should have said it like this - the job of amplifying a .4mv signal (MC) well is much harder than amplifying a 4.0mv signal (MM) well. The phono stages that can really do a great job with the low voltage MC signal are usually much more expensive than a phono stage that has great MM capability only.
That being said, unless the person has told us what phono stage is being used, I tend to assume that a person just getting into serious analog doesn't have a Manley Steelhead laying around, but rather is likely using the phono inputs of a stereo receiver or maybe a modest phono amp. In that environment, I think a good MM cart can deliver much better results.
Or to say it another way, IMHO it is better to have a great phono amp and a good cart than to have a great cart and a good phono amp.
Cheers.

Jsman,
As to your quest, it is hard to go wrong with some of the MM cartridges already suggested and there are many more to try. The great part is that all of them are reasonably priced. So go for it and enjoy! This is not easily done with MC cartridges. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy having both types. However, unlike MMs, trying some of the best MCs can get very expensive. So let us know… it would be interesting to hear your evaluations of the MMs that impress you most.

I also agree with the suggestions to also look into a high quality phonostage. However, the sonic performance of such units within your system should be the among the major reasons for your purchase. Three of the top five phonostages I have used are one-off, prototype or beta units from highly regarded and talented enthusiasts. In fact I still own two of these quality units and use them regularly. None of these designers have ads in major print or online publications and none have a network of dealers. All of them were OK to have me try their units on a trial basis. If specs are a huge concern, then you can always have the units tested to verify the claims. They all provide excellent and timely, customer service and tech support. They have to. They much more to lose than a sale if they did otherwise. Sure they make products that are hand made, but they also happen to be often-consulted experts by the more highly visible companies. So do not overlook highly regarded products from such manufacturers. Forums such as these are a great place to learn about them. It is possible that persons suggesting otherwise have a vested interest (or at least I question their motive(s)) for doing so.