We all love vinyl! There’s a real connection and sentiment to records, and for some of you, you want to wring every last detail out of your collection. Look no further than moving coil cartridges. These additions can make a world of difference, so if you’ve been intrigued by an upgrade like this, let’s get straight into it!
Last week we briefly discussed some of our moving magnet cartridge lineup. This is a direct continuation and we’ll dive straight into moving coil cartridges.
INTRODUCTION TO CARTRIDGES
For those who haven’t read last week’s cartridge blog, cartridges sit at the end of the tonearm and transfer the ridges in the vinyl record into audio through your speakers. This is done through the needle (stylus) attached to the end of the cartridge. The better the quality of the cartridge, the more detail you can pull out of your vinyls.
Ortofon and Rega are two fantastic brands we have here at West Coast Hifi that develop moving coil cartridges, and I’ll be using them as examples down below.
HEADS UP!
If you are wanting to retrofit a new moving coil cartridge to an existing turntable, it’s important to check whether it’s compatible both with the turntable and the phono pre-amplifier (phono stage) you have or are looking into. Moving coil cartridges in particular need more amplification/power to output at the same level as moving magnet, so you need a high quality phono stage to support that. If you are unsure, please contact your nearest West Coast Hifi store to discuss with one of our friendly AV consultants. 😊
MOVING COIL
Moving coil cartridges, in design, are almost the opposite of moving magnet cartridges. Tiny coils move inside a fixed magnet. These coils help the stylus follow the grooves more accurately. Moving coil designs are known for having even more impressive retrieval of detail, and this is mostly due to the weight reduction of the hardware. The lightweight design boasts transfer of a wider range of frequencies and faster response. This is the choice for audiophiles because of the natural and lifelike qualities moving coil brings to vinyl records.
Now as I stated earlier in the piece, both designs need their own particular hardware to perform their best, and this rings especially true for moving coil cartridges. They are less sensitive than their moving magnet counterparts, which means they won’t be as loud. Moving coil cartridges need special Phono Pre-Amplifiers with additional impedance and gain adjustment to bring them to the same volume as moving magnets
Lastly, it’s important to know that MC cartridges are more fragile, and there is no stylus replacement available in the design. Treat these with care and they will with you.
ENTRY
As an honourable mention in this blog, a lovely introduction into the moving coil world is the Ortofon MC Quintet Red. It’s got an elliptical diamond tip and brings all the benefits of moving coil design to a more affordable price point. It’s a great starting point for those wanting natural reproduction and clear, dynamic performance, with a touch of warmth to round off the sound signature.
HIGH-END
The Rega Ania is a stunning high performance cartridge designed for exceptional detail and balanced musicality. Featuring a beautiful transparent design and high quality material like an elliptical diamond tip and polymer-glass blend body, the Ania utilises hand-wound micro coil and a neodymium magnet for precise tracking and rich sound output. If you decide to purchase this, you’ll be blessed with tight bass, a smooth warm mid-range, and a clear high-end. Equal parts as impressive is its sibling, the Rega Ania Pro. Featured as a pre-fittable cartridge on the Planar 6 and Planar 8, the Ania Pro builds on its cheaper sibling by using a Vital profile nude diamond stylus. Every element of the Ania’s performance is expanded with the Ania Pro, with greater clarity, refined bass and treble performance, and increased stereo imaging.
If the idea of the MC Quintet Red interests you, but you’re looking for more refinement, the Ortofon MC Quintet Bronze is the logical choice. Incorporating a Nude Fine Line diamond stylus to dig deeper into grooves and retrieve more detail, plus higher quality copper coiling, the MC Quintet Bronze brings clearer high frequency reproduction, a tighter bass response, and a nice open soundstage. It elevates the experience of the MC Quintet Red by being more true-to-life in its performance in comparison. This would be the better pick for enthusiasts who listen to more complex genres or have Original Master Recording vinyls and want to hear as much of that upgraded detail as possible.
PREMIUM
From the Rega Ania Pro, you begin to step into audiophile luxury. The Rega Apheta 3 is a uniquely designed refinement of the moving coil series at Rega. The Apheta 3 upgrades its stylus to that of a fine line nude diamond, and like that of the Ania and Ania Pro, features a neodymium magnet and one of the smallest zero-tolerance MC generators on the market to lower its weight and and improve transient response. Moving up to the premium range of cartridges focuses on micro-details and purifying the sound coming from your vinyl records. There’s no denying that the cartridges I’ve mentioned previously are fantastic, but here, this cartridge still has tricks to show off. The Apheta 3 has a smoother tone over the Ania Pro, and presents better separation, soundstage, and realism. Subtle textures begin to surface due to the precision of the stylus, and you’ll notice details possibly previously lost in translation.
The Ortofon Cadenza line of cartridges are stunning. Their Ortofon Cadenza Red Moving Coil Cartridge is a brilliant entry into the series, with upgraded componentry to exceed the bar the MC Quintet Black S Moving Coil Cartridge set, and bring it into true audiophile territory.
However, my focus in this category is its big sister, the Ortofon Cadenza Blue Moving Coil Cartridge. The cartridge changes the script by using a ruby cantilever with its Nude FG-70 fine line diamond stylus. This is a major improvement over the aluminium used in cheaper alternatives. The result is a highly precise cartridge with a “grandiose” soundstage. The deeper bass reproduction, clearer treble response, and superior imaging mean no stone hiding in the grooves of your records is left unturned. Microdynamics and ambience become more apparent as the cartridge digs deep into the grooves and maximises the amount of detail transferred through the system. Compared to the Cadenza Red, the Cadenza Blue is slightly more analytical in nature, and heads towards reference-grade performance. It’s a clean, clear, and exact cartridge, and perfect for those wanting to hear the truth.
If you’re an audiophile with a high-end/audiophile level system, this is the prestige I would recommend looking into.
REFERENCE
The epitome. The flagship. The reference. The Rega Aphelion 2 REF Moving Coil Cartridge. A graded zero tolerance black anodised aluminium body, boron rod cantilever, fine line nude diamond stylus custom-designed with Ogura Japan, and iron micro cross and coil combine to create Rega’s best cartridge to date. The Aphelion 2 REF is extremely fast because of further weight reduction, and fidelity surges to reveal tight deep bass, and finer micro-detail retrieval. As a reference level cartridge, every single detail is revealed, and realism peaks with lifelike dynamics and stunningly wide soundstage.
This cartridge isn’t forgiving, but what it is is for those looking for the highest level of resolution. It presents a faithful and neutral tone, meaning you’ll hear your vinyls in their truest form. Pairing this to a Planar 10, or even factory fitting it to Rega’s new Naia reference-level turntable, means you’ll hear every beautiful ounce of detail from your collection. There’s a reason Rega recommends their cartridges with their turntables, and you get to reap the benefits.
State-of-the-art design, world class performance, and flawless sonics. This is what Ortofon strived for, and succeeded, in their reference level MC Verismo Moving Coil Cartridge. On paper, this cartridge features their Replicant 100 diamond, a Line Contact type stylus that distinguishes itself from most styli by having a long and narrow contact surface that gets as close as possible to the original cutting stylus used to form vinyls as we know it. To round out you have a meticulously designed titanium housing, Ortofon’s highest grade 6NX oxygen-free copper coils, and solid diamond cantilever to create a cartridge that will show you truth and precision like nothing before it.
The keyword to this cartridge is “truth”, which rings right through the name. “Verismo is derived from the Italian [word] “vero”, meaning “true”, and is Italian for “realism”.” This is a hyper-transparent cartridge, especially due to the Replicant 100 diamond stylus. This brings out a level of detail rarely seen in cheaper cartridges. It’s neutral and honest in its presentation of the music, and won’t colour the sound. You’ll find an extremely expansive soundstage to wrap your records around you, while also being so exact that you can pinpoint exactly where each element sits in the mix three-dimensionally. Hearing that type of precision really is jaw-dropping, and it’s simply something you have to hear to believe.
Choosing the right cartridge can seriously transform your listening experience, unlocking hidden depths and nuances in your beloved vinyl collection. Whether you’re just starting your audiophile journey or you’re a seasoned enthusiast seeking the ultimate in resolution, there’s a perfect moving coil cartridge waiting for you.
Contact us or come in store to explore our range of moving coil cartridges! If you need guidance on which cartridge might be right for you, our experts at here at West Coast Hifi are more than happy to guide you through our recommendations and find your perfect upgrade.
GLOSSARY ^
Bonded Elliptical Diamond Stylus: consists of an elliptical-shaped diamond tip that is attached to a metal shank, which is then joined to the cantilever of a turntable cartridge.
Cartridge: The housing for the stylus that attaches to the tonearm on a turntable.
Moving Coil (MC) Generators: Moving coil generators are electromechanical devices that generate an electrical signal by physically moving an electrically conductive coil within a fixed magnetic field
Nude Elliptical Diamond Stylus: a type of stylus where the entire diamond tip and shank are made from a single piece of diamond, without any bonded parts.
Nude Fine Line Diamond Stylus: Similar in fashion to the nude elliptical diamond stylus, but with reduced mass.
Stylus: The needle at the end of the cartridge that sits in the groove of the vinyl.
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