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Do MC's Need Time To Wake Up?

I know this is gonna sound silly, but what the heck. Has anyone here ever noticed the output level of an MC cartridge increase some time after installation? I've had this feeling before with several carts, but the differences always seemed very small. So I chose to discard it as some sort of psychological adjustment on my part. As if I needed to wake up to the change of sound.

But today I took delivery of a Jan Allaerts MC-1 cartridge. A previously owned sample, but coming from a reliable source and not having been used for quite some time. This MC-1 (the basic ECO version) reportedly has ca. 0.5 mV output, but at first play it required the same volume level as the 0.25 mV Entré EC-30 it replaced. But after playing a few sides I had to turn down the volume several steps to maintain the same sound pressure. This time there's no way I'm fooling myself. Or am I?

Does this sound familiar or should I just put it in the X-files?

edgewear

Showing 1 response by rauliruegas

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rauliruegas
12,781 posts
 
Dear @edgewear @lewm  :  Agree all cartridges need " wake up " time even the one we use day by day but that wake up is mainly for the cartridge suspension not for its output level.

Of course that if in any cartridge the suspension is not yet settle down all frequency ranges will be unbalanced in between and when settle down we could listen that ( example ) high frequencies ( or any other frequency range. )  are louder but in reality are not louder but perhaps with more clarity/transparency or something like that but overall SPL/cartridge output in theory can't change with that " wake up " time. 
Is only our perception the one that changes.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.
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