MM to MC back to MM

A direct comparison between MM and MC is difficult, because in common practice phono preamps have an extra pre-preamplifier stage or a step-up transformer to satisfy the extra gain required by MC cartridges. This introduces a sufficient loss of transparency as well as colorations, that will render the direct comparison useless.

For this test to work, both phono preamps should have identical number of stages, components, working conditions and signal response. This is of course not possible (due to the mentioned gain issue), but it can be approached within reasonable limits. With a good topology, it is possible to duplicate most of the circuitry without needing to have an extra stage (or transformer) for the MC cartridge, effectively rendering the differences between MM and MC phono stages irrelevant.

Having said this, I must also express that I still prefer MC cartridges. I have yet to hear an MM cartridge approaching the soundstage definition, the attack speed, and detail resolution of the best MCs (love the Dynavectors). Whether this has to do with the MMs having so much inductance, or its higher mass, I don't know for sure. This has to be investigated further.

Regards,

Eldartford, how do you know this? Do you have the schematic or something?

Regards,

Eldartford: I see. This appears to be a good way to switch the gain between MC and MM. However, the amount of gain change seems extreme IMHO.

Audiofeil: Thx for the info.

Regards,