Moving Magnet & Moving Coil Cartridges Question...

@yogiboy : You were posting while I was typing! 

RIAA Equalization of a phono cartridge’s signal (boost bass/cut highs) must occur somewhere, and a phono cartridge’s signal strength must also get boosted UP to Line Level strength, then thru a volume control then to the amp.

Unless specifically noted as MC, built-in Phono Stages provide RIAA EQ. They only accept ’sufficiently strong’ Phono signals of two types:

1. MM Moving Magnet typical signal strength

2. HIGH OUTPUT MC Moving Coil, signal strong enough that it does NOT need any pre-preamplification.

IF you ever get a LOW OUTPUT Moving Coil Cartridge, those signals need pre-preamplification, to get up to the strength of MM or High Output MC. After that, RIAA Equalization and normal preamplification up to Line Level must occur.

Step-Up-Transformers (SUT) are made to increase the strength of LOW OUTPUT Moving Coil up to the strength of MM or MC High Output. That pre-preamplified signal then needs to go thru the RIAA Equalizarion process (somewhere). The SUT can be a separate device, OR, it can be incorporated in a Preamp, always labeled Phono MC. Either a separate Phono MC input jack, or a single jack that can be ’switched’ to either MM or MC. The switch can be in the front or back of a unit.

Note: some preamps or receivers have a ’Phono/Aux’ input. They are not true MM Phono inputs providing the needed RIAA Equalization. They are simply NAMED Phono for convenience, they require external prior Phono processing elsewhere.

Hi. Thanks for the response. I thought that would be the answer. As far as the MM vrs MC thing I guess I look like a complete A$$. The worst is that I bought this other pre-amp because I thought the one I had did not support the new cartridge. So I really suck. Thanks for setting me straight.

So my old M91ED and the new M97XE are both Moving Magnet.  Figures. 

Thanks for all your guys help.

Shure 97xe (MM Moving Magnet) is a very good sounding ELLIPTICAL stylus cartridge, incorporating Shure’s DAMPED Brush (use up/inactive or down/active which aids when playing warped LP’s.

I think you should learn about Stylus Shapes before you buy your next cartridge.

https://www.sound-smith.com/articles/stylus-shape-information

Note: all cartridges, but especially advanced stylus shapes require cartridge alignment skills, which involves a few inexpensive tools.

You can have a dealer, friend, ... do it, and then you will benefit for the rest of your life if you acquire those few tools and skills.

Live near me in Central, NJ? I’ll help/teach you.

The most expensive turntable/tonearm/cartridge CANNOT sound superior unless setup properly. A budget TT can sound quite good when a decent cartridge is properly aligned

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The essence of WHY MC Moving Coil? is: magnets are heavy relative to coils, thus moving a small/lightweight coil within a fixed magnet can be more precise than moving a larger/heavier magnet within a fixed coil.

The weight being moved also makes new opportunities regarding cantilevers, suspensions, ....

More involved with any specific cartridge, but that is the essence of it.

The smaller coil generates a smaller/weaker signal (wonderfully refined), that is why pre-preamplification is required for typical LOW Output MC, thus the SUT Step-Up Transformer.

Reminder: all cartridge signals require RIAA Equalization (bass boost/highs cut) to occur somewhere