I think the MC carts sound much better even the high output versions. MM carts always have sounded kind of heavy and boxy, they still sound pretty good but to me it always sounds like veils are lifted when you go to MC. I've had carts at quite a few price points and the most expensive I owned was by far the best (shelter 90x) I made plenty of recordings with that cart and there was a magic that I have not heard since but thankfully it was captured on the recordings. Yes the phono stage matters a lot but so does the cart even more so in my experience.
MC versus MM. Which to choose.
I am pretty much a vinyl newbie so bear with me. What are the benefits and drawbacks of both of these types of cartridges. Is there a clear better choice for someone just getting into vinyl? The MM seem to be less costly but how does it compare sonically? Take for instance the Clearaudio Concept cartridge. The MM retails for $200 while the MC retails for $800. Is the MC version a better sounding cartridge?