How does cartridge loading affect sound?

The effect of different impedance loading on a moving coil phono cartridge frequency response. The audible effects of using an overly high load impedance setting can typically be a lack of low frequencies, a slightly hard or ”unmusical” sound with poor imaging.

What does cartridge loading mean?

Define MC load; the resistance added across the coil portion of the cartridge, normally added at or in the phono amplifier. This means that a resistance value must be applied to the cartridge coil to get the best most accurate sound possible.

Do moving coil cartridges sound better?

They are preferred by audiophiles due to their measurable and subjectively better performance, however. The moving coil cartridge produces a low output level which requires an additional stage of gain to play at sufficient volume.

How important is cartridge loading?

For an MC cartridge resistance loading is very important. The manufacturer will give a recommendation range (usually). Load it with too little resistance and the sound will be too bass heavy and rolled off at the top end. Too much resistance and the treble becomes more prominent.

How is cartridge output measured?

FAQ

Remove any wires connected to the cartridge.
Set the ohmmeter so it can read up to 10,000 ohms.
Connect the ohmmeter leads to the white pin (L) and the blue pin (LG).
Connect the ohmmeter leads to the red pin (R) and the green pin (RG).
Connect the ohmmeter leads to the white pin and the red pin.

How does a phono cartridge work?

Cartridges turn movement into signal with a magnet attached to the top end of the cantilever (the thin rod with the stylus at its tip). When the stylus moves the cantilever moves the magnet and this induces a voltage in a coil of wire placed very close to it.

How do I know if a cartridge is compatible?

If you’re unsure, take a look at the end of your turntable’s tonearm (the part you lift and set on the vinyl to play the music). If you see screws mounting the cartridge to the end of the arm, then the cartridge can be replaced. If you don’t see any screws, then you’ll only be able to replace the stylus.

How do I choose a moving coil cartridge?

The key to choosing a cartridge is whether you want a moving-magnet (MM) or moving-coil (MC) design-both great, but for completely different reasons. In a moving-magnet cartridge, the magnet is attached directly to the tiny cantilever that holds the stylus. The magnet sits adjacent to two coils of wire.

What does 100pF mean?

100pF = 0.1nF. 1000pf = 1 nF. 100nF = 0.1µF. When designing circuits or using capacitors in any way, it is often useful to have these capacitor conversions in mind as values transition from picofarads to nanofarads and then nanofarads to microfarads.

What should the impedance be for a moving coil cartridge?

The good news is that the likely fixed load impedance will be between 50 and 100 ohms – a useful ballpark figure suitable for many moving coil cartridges. The bad news is that you may need a different cartridge or more flexible pre-amp or transformer after all.

Is it possible to step up the voltage of a moving coil?

The moving coil cartridge is a truly low impedance voltage generator. Because of this it is possible to use a transformer to step up the voltage by factors of 10 or more times without causing any impedance interface problems with conventional phono preamplifiers.

Can you amplify a moving coil phono cartridge?

It is difficult to amplify the microvolt level signals present at the output of most moving coil phono cartridges without adding audible noise. With transistor-based preamplifiers it is possible to do so using special techniques; it is even more difficult to do with tubes.

Why are moving coil cartridges not prone to resonance?

In the case of moving-coil cartridges, their coil inductance is so much lower than their moving-magnet counterparts that capacitance will have little effect on the frequency response unless grossly excessive capacitance is added – the circuit would be not so prone to resonance because of the low inductance of the cartridge. Summary.