MC (moving coil) pickup

Advantages:
• very low moving mass = extremely low distortion
• handcrafted and adjusted
• very good channel separation and crosstalk for optimal stereo imaging

As the name suggests, this cartridge works with a moving coil and a stationary magnet. Faraday's law is fulfilled because a conductor moving in a stationary magnetic field creates a changing magnetic flux. A large permanent magnet is permanently attached and creates a strong, uniform magnetic field in the gap between two pole pieces attached to it. The armature, which carries the generator coil and is in turn connected to the needle via the needle carrier, is suspended from a rubber damper in the gap. As the needle travels along the groove, the coil moves in the magnetic field and creates an electromagnetic field (EMF) in it. Since the moving mass is much closer to the pivot point, inertia is reduced. The transient response is significantly better compared to that of the MM types. At the same time, it is easier to position stereo coils precisely in the magnetic field, and this ensures improved channel balance and better crosstalk values.

To keep mass low, the coil contains only a few turns of wire - so it produces a much lower output than a moving magnet (typically 0.5 mV). For this reason, MC cartridges require a special high-gain phono stage and a lower load impedance. They therefore cannot be used with a normal MM phono input. Because the MC cartridge has both low inductance and low internal resistance, it is not affected by the load capacitance of the phono stage and interconnects, resulting in a straighter, extended frequency response.