What constitutes a "high output" moving coil cart?

The "highest" of the "LOW output" moving coil cartridges have an output of about 0.7mV maximum -- that's seven tenths of a microvolt! Whereas the "lowest" of the "HIGH output" moving coil cartridges have, as noted above, a minimum of 2. mV AT LEAST; which is roughly three times that of the highest output of the low output (standard) moving coils.

And further, it should be noted that high output moving coil cartridges are really offered as a convenience for people who hope to obtain the 'magic' of a moving coil, but using the moving magnet input of a receiver or integrated amp. The problem is that high output moving coil cartridges really can't provide that 'magic' -- because in order to obtain a high output, they must have coils with many, MANY times the windings of 'regular' moving coils; and with such a heavy coil, their transient response is nothing like that of a 'real' low output moving coil.

In my opinion, there are many moving magnet and moving iron cartridges that out-class most of the high ouput moving coils (and some low output moving coils too!) and would be a much better (sonic) choice than a HOMC, if it's simply that a person just doesn't want to mess with (or pay for) an outboard MC phono amplifier or step-up transformer -- mandatory hardware if one wants to "do moving coil right", since most preamps or receivers only provide for MM cartridges, if they even have phonostages.
.

Mechans, please don't feel we're 'dissing' HOMC cartridges across the board. For example, the Decca line of HOMC cartridges has been almost a cult favorite for decades, but it's mechanism is totally unique to that cartridge, and doesn't suffer the high inertial mass characteristic of the coils of typical HOMC cartridges. And new wire-making techniques combined with ultralight metals and coil cores have enabled some manufacturers to keep the inertial mass down. But there are still (unavoidable) issues like higher inductance (magnetic 'lag') when coil windings increase. So you see, there were/are reasons why the best MC carts remain low output.

I'm not surprised your 20X sounds better than the Goldring, but they're not in the same league, and so those results don't really tell us anything ;--) If you decide to upgrade your cartridge one day, I would recommend (based on your self description) that you keep you gear simple as it is now, and check out some of the finer MM/MI cartridges out there.

Remember, Joe Grado invented the moving coil cartridge -- but decided not to manufacture them in favor of moving iron designs. Now, that doesn't mean (as some people have assumed) that he thought MC's weren't good reproducers; but his philosophy was always about his products providing the best sonics per dollar (and himself the most profit ;--), and felt he could achieve both with the moving iron designs. Judging by the age and success of his company, he seems to have been right!
.