Any truth to my feeling that MM carts are possibly better than MC on rock recordings?


I have an Ortofon Red on a Project Debut Carbon and a EAT C Sharp with an MC Ortofon Quintet Black. I have two systems and I've switched the tables between the systems and tried a few different scenarios and I hear a little more punch with the Ortofon Red. I know all things aren't equal here but I'm trying to explain this somehow. One system is Dynaudio Evidence Temptations with JC 1 Monos and JC 2BP Pre. PS Audio Stellar phono or a little Project MM phono. The other system is PrimaLuna 400 Evo Integrated with same phono stages and Salk Sound 3 speakers. The Project and Ortofon Red sound great to my ears. More punch and solidity of sound.
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Showing 1 response by elliottbnewcombjr

I am in the initial stage of comparison of MM to my 1st new MC for various types of music.

I get instant comparisons from my single TT with 3 arms/cartridges to identical system via SUT with 3 inputs and Pass for MM.

shown in photo in my eBay listing of an LP I'm selling

https://www.ebay.com/itm/BAD-COMPANY-Vinyl-LP/133587830551

To properly proceed, I need to pinpoint volume differences, adjust volume precisely before switching, then listen to very familiar music.

What, if anything, does my MM Shure V15VxMR body with Jico SAS on boron do better than my new MC AT33PTG/II Microline on aluminum? Then, swap in the MM AT440ml I now use in my office, nearly new OEM Microline on aluminum, find the precise volume difference, now what?

I am buying new LP’s of worn LP favorites, and new LP’s of favorite CD’s, and new LP’s with superb engineering, some I learn about here.

So far, I am finding the MC to have everything and more than the MM, and find this particular MC’s superior separation and tighter channel balance giving more enjoyable imaging. That is also true between the two MM, the AT’s imaging just slightly better than the Shure’s, although I prefer the Shure’s brush feature in the main system to catch air borne dust just in time.

There’s also the MM Shure 97xe, elliptical on aluminum to compare, it might have some punch, or apparent punch, because of it’s different positioning in the grooves, who knows.