Succinct Comparison of Cartridge Types

Ron Resnick

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On the PS Audio blog today Paul McGowan posted this interesting and succinct comparison primer of cartridge types he received from his friend, Gary Galo:

“Actually, very few moving-magnet cartridges have the magnets attached directly to the stylus. The old Decca cartridges did, as I recall, but the vast majority have the stylus attached to one end of the cantilever and the magnets attached to the other end, balanced by some kind of rubber or elastomer suspension, forming a “teeter-totter”. The magnets are normally very low in mass, which allows relatively low tracking forces. High output is achieved by using relatively large coils, but the trade-off is that the high coil inductance – normally several hundred mH – limits the high-frequency response and, most importantly, degrades the phase response in the upper audible octave and beyond. The high electrical impedance makes moving-magnet type sensitive to capacitive loading.

Moving coil cartridges must employ relatively small coils – if they’re too large the added mass will limit the cartridges tracking ability and require excessively-high tracking forces. To get any amount of output, large magnets are used. But, there’s a limit to how much output can be achieved with such small coils, even with relatively powerful magnets. The advantage of low coil inductance is extended high-frequency response and, consequently, superior phase response in audible range, giving moving-coil types that sense of air and extension in the top end. But, even relatively small coils have greater mass than the magnets used in moving-magnet types, so MCs typically require tracking forces in the 2 – 2.5 gram range. The low electrical impedances make them insensitive to capacitive loading, but the higher moving mass can put the high-frequency resonance point in the upper octave which, depending on your point of view and your associated equipment, either gives them a wonderful sense of air and space, or makes them sound too bright. Some moving-coil cartridges place the coils directly above the stylus, while other attach them to the back end of a cantilever.

Then there are moving-iron types. Grado has been the best-known proponent of moving-iron cartridges. Both the coils and the magnets are fixed, with a small piece of iron moving in the magnetic gap between them. GE called these “variable reluctance” back in the 1950s (the GE VRII was highly-regarded in the mono era), and Ortofon once made moving-iron cartridges that they described as “variable magnetic shunt” (I was very disappointed when Ortofon abandoned their excellent VMS line decades ago – I owned one and it was excellent). Joe Grado’s implementation of the moving-iron concept allows the cartridges to have much lower impedances than moving-magnet types, and gives them much of the air and dimensionality associated with moving-coil types. Coil inductance is around 35 mH on many of the Grado models, making them insensitive to capacitive loading, while still producing high enough output to feed a moving-magnet phono preamp without any additional step-up. Grado’s moving-iron implementation is a very effective tradeoff. In the old GE cartridges the moving iron was attached directly to the stylus, but it seems that it’s very difficult to make a 45/45 stereo cartridge this way. Grado places the iron at the back end of the cantilever (as I recall, Ortofon did this, as well).

It’s interesting that the moving-magnet cartridge manufacturers have moved away from the ultra-low tracking forces once favored by Shure and other: 3/4 to 1.25 grams was once typical. The best moving-magnet types made by Audio Technica, Ortofon and other now typically have recommended tracking forces in the 1.5 – 2 gram range. Shure placed a high priority on ultra-low tracking forces but, in my view, at the expense of other things. As you note, everything is a compromise. The trick is to find an effective balance.”
 

Ron Resnick

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Respectfully, that is an inopposite criticism. He was not claiming to have written a universal survey of all cartridge types.

I thought people might find the comparisons he made interesting. That's all.
 

Robert Young

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Umm, I don't think I was offering a criticism, but a suggestion that the really good info that Gary Galo presented might make for a good reference for anyone looking for a good description of cartridge type differences. I was suggesting that someone might add to it to make it an even more useful reference. Why you think it was inappropriate (inapposite) as a comment escapes me, as does what appears to be the natural inclination of audiophiles to overreact and behave boorishly when simple comments are made (particularly when they are in support of what was posted).

Have a cookie.
 

Ron Resnick

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I misunderstood your comment, then. I apologize.

"This might make for the beginnings of a great reference, but it ought to include strain gauge and optical too..."

I interpreted the "this" and the "it" to be the piece that Gary wrote, and not the thread itself expanding to discuss other types of cartridges. I mistakenly thought that you were criticizing what Gary wrote for being incomplete in omitting other cartridge types.

I'm all in favor of this thread evolving into a comprehensive, wide-ranging survey of all cartridges types, and embodying deep knowledge and practical explanations and technical information of each cartridge type.
 

Robert Young

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You indeed misinterpreted me. I think the descriptions are great, and I'm really glad you posted it. I think it so useful, that expanding it would make it a great general reference. But to be a general reference, it would benefit from more. Indeed, I'd love to add stuff myself, but I have never experienced either a strain gauge or an optical cartridge, as my budget was blown for a decade with an Allaerts....;)

But I, like many who lurk in the background of audio sites, am not so sure I want to put any of my ideas or opinions out there, as it is more likely than not someone will go into attack mode and remove the joy. Your misinterpretation is minor (and I think your posts are almost always friendly and supportive), so I'm glad (and hopeful) that you see i meant no criticism. I've joined this site because it has a bit less of the macho posturing and angry flaming that other sites have (and the all-around great and generous music fan extreme MikeL posts here lots!) but even here I've read some real lows of behavior that remind me clearly of why I quit the hobby entirely a few years ago. I yearn for the days when people would celebrate others finding joy in music, whether it be live, through a 7-figure statement, of a rega P1 and an old sansui integrated (which is pretty darn good, by the way!).
 
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Ron Resnick

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We will always do our best to make sure that WBF is all of the positive things you enjoy about audio and forums!
 

Robert Young

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We will always do our best to make sure that WBF is all of the positive things you enjoy about audio and forums!


thank you Ron. Like I said, there's a reason I decided to participate here. ;)

Now if anyone wants to loan me a strain gauge to test out, I'm more than happy to report back to add to the body of knowledge and impressions. And when Covid is just a bad memory, I'll host a demo...if people don't mind a rather modest system in a space shared by a 7 year old and her stuff. The whiskey is good though, and she hasn't found where i hide it. Yet.
 
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marty

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I yearn for the days when people would celebrate others finding joy in music, whether it be live, through a 7-figure statement, or a rega P1 and an old sansui integrated (which is pretty darn good, by the way!).
+1
The past few nights I played Tchaikovsky's Piano concerto (Kondrashin/Bavarian Radio Symph/Phillips)' Bruckner's 8th (Thielemann/Vienna/Sony), Shostakovich 11 (Rostropovich/LSO), Beethoven Piano Sonatas (Pollini/DGG) and a few assorted others. I also changed a PC in there somewhere to try. Did I give a crap about the PC compared to the joy of music? Hardly gave it a thought except that these "assignments" are growing weary. The most musical pleasure I've had in the past few months was on a gorgeous autumn day as the leaves were falling in radiant sunlight while I was driving on beautiful small country roads in NJ and PA as Dvorak's New World symphony was playing on the car radio. I was in heaven. That's what it's all about.
 
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