Grade Master3 cartridge--Moving Iron Design


Posting this because I just bought my first Grado cartridge since my entry level MM decades ago.I chose  the Master3 because it was highly rated and I was intrigued by the Jarrah Wood, boron cantilever and the nude elliptical stylus at a $1,000.00 price point. It's not the most expensive cartridge I have mounted on my VPI Signature table, but it has an excellent balance. Have run it about 20 hours now and it has settled in.

My question is the moving iron system is an excellent design and why haven't more manufacturers seen fit to utilize it?

mervo

Showing 3 responses by lewm

Pickering is listed in the legend to your figure after point #2, as an example of "moving magnet". As I am sure you know, Pickering and Stanton were associated with each other. Most models of Pickering have a corresponding model among Stanton cartridges.  Both companies marketed a low output MM, the Stanton 980LZS (also the 981 variant) and the Pickering XVS7500. These have a much lower inductance and internal R than do the typical high output MMs from anywhere. It IS interesting so see illustrated the differences among MI, variable reluctance, and induced magnet (IM) types.  We usually don't bother to make a distinction among types 3, 4, and 5. For example, in this thread several refer to Decca as MI.

Peter L started out, I think, repairing B&O cartridges, which are all MI types, and the best of them can compete with any modern cartridge, IMO. That, I am guessing is how he got into the MI business. Even now he makes the SMMC line which is a reprise of the old B&O cartridges.  Unfortunately, it does not appear that he can get the hollow sapphire tubular cantilevers of the old B&O MMC and MMC20CL series. That cantilever may be a key to the fantastic sonics of yore. I love MI cartridges and have yet to hear a bad one. All of mine are high output types.