MC cartridge output measurements

I give credit to A'gon member Nsgarch for first bringing this issue to broader attention. He's posted about it here a number of times. Where he first learned about it I don't recall.

One resource for "all" things phono (or tube)? That would be nice.

Here's what I do: read any-thing posted by any-one, any-where. Then try to remember each tidbit when appropriate!

I have the sneaking suspicion that most manufacturers now adhere to the 5 cm/sec standard, since that makes it appear that their cartridges have a higher output compared to ones with rated output based on velocity of 3.54 cm/sec. I don't even know where the 5 cm/sec standard came from or why it was introduced at all, since in the good old days everyone used the lower velocity as standard for rating cartridge output (at least to the best of my knowledge). It's kind of like turning the volume up to 11, a distinction without a difference.

Wouldn't that be .48JVC = .68CBS (vs .77CBS)?

Bonarigo, you're correct. It's .6777 and I was looking at the wrong digits. Good catch.

David

Lewm,

manufacturers usually list the spec followed by the scale, for example:

0.48mV (3.54cm/second, 1 KHz)

for the Transifuration Orpheus, which, as has been pointed out, would translate to 0.68mV (5cm/second, 1KHz) rounded up to the nearest 1/100th. You just need to notice and know the implications.