Imitation is the highest form of flattery?

[JohnMichael]

Here is the AR thread where I first posted the image that is now being used elsewhere.

Audio-Technica F7, any users?

[TheHills44060]

Oh wow I can imagine you thinking, "Boy that photo looks awfully familiar!" haha. Which sites are using it?

[blackraven]

JM, is the F7 a high or low compliance cartridge? How would you characterize the general tone of the cartridge-warm, neutral or bright?

[JohnMichael]

JM, is the F7 a high or low compliance cartridge? How would you characterize the general tone of the cartridge-warm, neutral or bright?

A moving coil cartridge is always on the low compliance side of life. AT suggests 2 gram tracking force. I find the cartridge neutral but not colorless as the OM20 can become. You will need a phono preamp with good sensitivity and gain of 60db or more.

I find the sound of MC cartridges to sound more solid than MM cartridges. That may be due to the higher tracking forces.

[Jack in Wilmington]

A moving coil cartridge is always on the low compliance side of life. AT suggests 2 gram tracking force. I find the cartridge neutral but not colorless as the OM20 can become. You will need a phono preamp with good sensitivity and gain of 60db or more.

I find the sound of MC cartridges to sound more solid than MM cartridges. That may be due to the higher tracking forces.

I'm a little confused. The only MC cartridge that I've heard was a Sumiko Blackbird and it was called a "high output" MC cartridge as there was also a "low output" version available. Is output and compliance two different things? I only got back into vinyl a couple of years ago and a lot of the terminology is new to me.

[JohnMichael]

I'm a little confused. The only MC cartridge that I've heard was a Sumiko Blackbird and it was called a "high output" MC cartridge as there was also a "low output" version available. Is output and compliance two different things? I only got back into vinyl a couple of years ago and a lot of the terminology is new to me.

Think of compliance as a suspension. A low compliance cart will have a stiffer suspension and need a heavier arm. A high compliance cart will have a softer suspension and need a lighter arm to perform best.

Output in moving coil cartridges are determined by how many turns of wire and power of the magnet. A low output MC will have fewer turns of wire and therefore can only generate a smaller signal. Having less wire creates a lower mass generating system said to trace the grooves better with maximum information retrieval. The more turns of wire in a high output MC add mass to the generating system. More mass can reduce amount of information retrieved.

Compliance/suspesion is the springs and struts of the cartridge and the output is the horsepower.

[Jack in Wilmington]

Think of compliance as a suspension. A low compliance cart will have a stiffer suspension and need a heavier arm. A high compliance cart will have a softer suspension and need a lighter arm to perform best.

Output in moving coil cartridges are determined by how many turns of wire and power of the magnet. A low output MC will have fewer turns of wire and therefore can only generate a smaller signal. Having less wire creates a lower mass generating system said to trace the grooves better with maximum information retrieval. The more turns of wire in a high output MC add mass to the generating system. More mass can reduce amount of information retrieved.

Compliance/suspesion is the springs and struts of the cartridge and the output is the horsepower.

Thanks JM. More info is always good. Something more to consider when making a new purchase.