JVC MC1 Moving Coil Cartridge - Heritage?

The MC-1 places its signal coils way out on the business end of the cantilever, only a millimeter or so away from the stylus. Since the coil position bypasses most of the cantilever's length, the MC-1 is a good performer with excellent dynamics and immediacy. But in return it is tricky to set up (body clearance is minimal and stylus visibility poor), and the 0.2mV output and moderately high self-impedance will pose a challenge for many phono stages.

When the stylus wears out, or if the MC-1 breaks, it may or may not be repairable. The signal coils are micro-circuit boards and delicate in construction (so are the lead-out wires, which run up the length of the cantilever), and their proximity to the stylus leaves them comparatively unprotected. Also, the magnetic circuit's nearness to the LP surface tends to suck up dirt, which over time can clog up the magnetic gap that the signal coils move in. Finally, the close proximity of signal coils to stylus may turn out to be a headache for retippers.

With all that said and done, if you own a low-noise high-gain phono stage and relish the thought of listening to something exotic and rare (I'd be surprised if there are many functioning MC-1s left, even in Japan), go for it.

Enjoy what life brings your way!

kind regards, jonathan

I’m happy to add some fresh info in this old thread:

After a brief experience with my NOS Victor MC-L10 i have to say i love this cartridge. Spend a night listening to records on my Luxman PD-444 with two tonearms and two LOMC cartridges. To my surprise the MC-L10 on Victor UA-7082 with subweright was very impressive compared to my long time favorite FR7fz or FR-64fx with N-60.

I think now i realized what is a top of the line Victor system sounds like.  
UA-7082 toneam was designed for Victor LOMC, so it’s a perfect match with MC-L10. It’s been said many time how good is the Victor tonearm, but before my favorite was shorter UA-7045 (still amazing for MM), now i’m using a long UA-7082 with MC-L10 MC (superb) on Ortofon Resonance Free headshell.

Direct Couple Victor MC-L10 (30 Ohm impedance) impressed me the most with a silver toroidal SUT (Luxman 8025 for 3-40 Ohm) between the cart and my Gold Note PH-10 in MM mode. It seems like the 8025 SUT is Rare (it was the latest in a bunch, released 1981), i’ve seen only 8030 and 8020 before. I have 8025 and 8030 to cover any cartridges with impedance anywhere from 1,5 to 40 Ohm.

For some reason the LUX 8025 SUT opens up the sound of the MC-L10 to surreal level. It’s pure magic!

I must say that MC-1 is not far in performance, i have it for a long time too, but never tried with the SUT, because my 8085 SUT has arrived only in May, 2019.

I don’t know what to think, because my phono stages are all have more than enough gain for LOMC, but the LUX silver SUT really does some magic!

To reduce the moving mass micro-circuit coils are used with very
weak signal wire connections. Those break very easy by soldering
''points''. As J. Carr suggested broken coils connections are not  reparable. The actual invention was to glue the stylus near the cantilever ''nose'' avoiding this way the influence of the cantilever. However  the genius Ikeda san invented ''cantileverless'' MC kinds
 in his series 9C cartridges. This is much better and ''simpler'' solution for the  involved problem with cantilevers. My first was Ikeda 9 C II but I  now own his (latest) REX of the same series which is in my opinion the best MC cart ever produced. Anyway the most dynamic and musical MC kind. 

I haven't tried my IKEDA 9 III , but it's here waiting in line, looks cool on its original IKEDA headshell (superheavy combination). Will be on my FR64s with B-60 one day. 

However, the price for Ikeda 9 III and related cantileverless models are much higher than for Victor direct couple MC.  

This thread is about Victor and Victor toneam is the most underrated (imo), it's incredibly cheap compared to FR tonearms. Maybe it's not easy to find a perfect sample, but it is well worth the effort (imo). I really like the Victor 7045/7082 arms.  

I have no problem with Victor MC-L10 (luckily), i wish to run one of my Victor TT-101. 

A brand new ($5k) Audio-Technica ART-1000 based on Victor's Direct Couple MC principle. Audio Technica's Mitsuo Miyata interview here.  

My dear Slavic brother, The English have this curious saying:
"I am not rich to buy cheap stuff''. The suggestion is that ''good
stuff'' is never cheap. However you are always trying to prove
the opposite. I nearly got the impression that you are ''some
poor Russian'' in need for financial support. But your enumeration
of new gear that you have ''just'' bought is such that I think that you
must be at least in some close relation to Putin or Medvedev
who seems to be in the same hobby as we are. 
I posted my first JVC MC -1 to Axel because of those ''soldering
points'' I mentioned. Axel wrote to me that the ''thing'' was 
not reparable.  But I also own an functional sample but there
is no comparison with Ikeda Rex. The best ''direct drive'' there
is. I am not sufficient  brave to install this ART 1000 on any
of my headshells. Those coils on ''the outside'' look dangerous
and threatening to me.