What innovative, unconventional cartridge designs can you recommend?

@elliottbnewcombjr 

you need one or the other, not both

Thanks for the clarification.  I thought Step Up Transformers were required for Low Output Moving Coil cartridges, but I’ve never even owned a Moving Coil type.

I’ll have to check the specifications of my antique entry-level Krell pre-amplifier, which definitely handles Moving Magnet and Moving Coil inputs.

Is there an output voltage demarcation line which separates Low Output Moving Coil from Moving Coil?

@larryi 

"An older design, and one cheaper than magnetic cartridges is the piezo-electric cartridges where the cantilever pushes against and bends material that emits electrons when bent."

Yes, it was a ceramic element and were commonly used in "record players" and you can still find them in use in Crosley products and other off brand offerings on the lowest end of the vinyl hobby.

In the 70s and 80s a company named Micro Acoustics applied the piezo principal in a more sophisticated designed for audiophile use which used a beryllium cantilever attached to the ceramic element and advanced stylus geometry. The advantages were higher output, compliance and lower cartridge mass. They had a following for a while into the mid 80s or so but higher mass and lower compliance MCs were becoming the norm when the trend moved away from low moving mass and high compliance.

@elliottbnewcombjr 

What do you take issue with here? The statements you quoted are salient, technically correct and excepted as standard practice by any authority in the hobby! 

"I don’t trust AI, this is what came up this time:

 

Understanding "Safe Limits"

Nominal Output: Most MM cartridges have a typical output of 3mV to 5mV at a standard recorded velocity of 5 cm/sec. This is the expected signal level the phono input is designed to receive.
Overload Margin (Headroom): This is the critical specification that defines the "safe high limit." It measures how much louder the signal can get than the nominal level before the phono stage introduces audible distortion (clipping). A good phono stage should have an overload margin of at least 20 dB (decibels). This margin accounts for loud passages and peak dynamics in modern recordings, which can be several decibels hotter than average.
Maximum Input Voltage: While not always explicitly stated in user manuals, a 20 dB overload margin above a 5mV nominal input means the phono stage can likely handle peaks up to around 50mV (since 20 dB is a 10x voltage increase). Inputs can typically handle even higher voltages before component damage (usually in the volts range), but audible clipping will occur long before that. 
Key Considerations

Matching Components: The primary concern is using a cartridge that is compatible with your phono input’s design. Using a cartridge with a significantly higher output (e.g., some high-output moving coil (HOMC) cartridges can reach 2.5mV to 4mV, which is close to the bottom end of the MM range but can have high peaks) will immediately reduce your effective overload margin, leading to distortion on loud tracks.
Audible Distortion: The most practical indicator of exceeding the "safe high limit" is audible distortion, compression, or a "squashed" sound during loud musical peaks.
Input Impedance: Standard MM inputs have a fixed input resistance of 47 kilohms (kΩ). The input capacitance is also important and typically ranges from 100 pF to 400 pF (picofarads). Matching these to your cartridge’s manufacturer specifications ensures proper frequency response and operation. 
In summary, as long as your cartridge’s output is within the standard 3-5mV range and your phono preamp has a decent overload margin (typically >20dB), the input is operating within its safe limits. The danger point is generally not equipment damage, but rather poor sound quality due to signal clipping. 

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PASS

Always look for a SUT or MC Phono Stage to have a PASS option, so you can play a higher output MM or HOMC cartridge, bypassing the internal transformer, skipping the pre-boost. This lets you use the same arm/wires/inputs."

I’ve owned or heard most types—MC, MM, Decca London cantileverless, DS Audio  light shade, strain gauge, Sao Winn field effect transistor cartridge, Audio Technica coil-near-the-stylus cartridge—and I cannot say that any particular approach sounded dramatically better.  I also heard the turntable that employs laser beams to scan and read the grooves without anything touching the grooves (not great sounding but great for record wear).  I currently own MC cartridges.  If I were to buy something new today, it would be the Audio Technica ART 1000x; I heard it in a system I know well and liked it a lot.

+1 londondecca very very musical and “live”

but the arm has to match it for sure. I found that out the hard way lol 

faustuss

I often try and give my source of info

AI can be amazing, it all seemed good, so I posted it.

however mistakes can be made, and the possibility of quoting a mistake as FACT, and the potential of a mistake being found and quoted for ever is what I want to avoid, thus I wanted people to know it was AI sourced, and I advise restrained trust.

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from a current discussion about Holbo

frazeur1

@richardbrand Yes often I see review specs that are questionable, almost like one review got it wrong and others are just copy/paste from wrong info. I try to just use manufactures spec as much as possible, not that they can’t be occasionally wrong as well!