Audio-Technica AT30E + Fidelity Research MC-44 + Ortofon MC10 Super

Up until 2008, I used to drive over 20,000 miles a year in pursuit of freelance performing and adjunct teaching opportunities. In between rehearsals and studio classes, I'd hit the flea markets, record stores, and HiFi/Radio/Electronic establishments. That's how I acquired these NOS low-output MC phono cartridges.

None of these phono cartridges sounded particularly alluring then, mainly because I was trying to adhere to the high-end audio principle that moving-coil phono cartridges should only be used with high-mass tonearms. Experience has taught me that such rigid audio dogmas can be detrimental to enjoying music, encouraging me to experiment and listen.👂 It was only when I mounted them on my less massive uni-pivot 12" Stax UA3NL tonearm that I began to appreciate each of their sonic virtues. 

Audio-Technica AT30E

Specs

The first low-output MC cartridge I acquired in the early 80s was the AT31E - a model above this one. That’s why I had to have this cartridge when I found it in a small-town electronics store in Maine on my drive home from a chamber music concert in Bar Harbor. I also got the NIB A-T headshell + a Safety Raiser from the same vendor. All at a friendly price.😊

The AT30E features a unique user-replaceable stylus assembly
shared with its AT31E brethren.

This cartridge tracks confidently at 1.8 grams. With an output of 0.4mV and a 10Ω coil impedance, a 1:10 MC SUT works well in the context of my setup.

The AT30E possesses a very even tonal balance. No single frequency range - whether it is the bass, midrange, or treble - overpowers the others. Dynamics and detail at micro and macro levels are well portrayed and resolved. Its neutrality may not appeal to those who require Ortofon SPU warmth in the midrange. OTOH, its neutral character make it easy to blend with a variety of Hi-Fi setups. I wonder how it stacks up to a modern Audio-Technica equivalent?

Fidelity Research MC-44

Specs

Unlike the classic TEAC TC-15/FR1 Mk2 I featured recently, this flea market-found MC44 cartridge wasn't designed by Isamu Ikeda. Instead, it was an early effort by Yasuo Ozawa, founder of Shelter, during his stint at Fidelity Research in the 80s. According to this Japanese Instagram account, the MC44 was an export model contemporaneous with the MCX3 and MCX5.

With the VTF set at 1.5 grams, I have yet to hear it mis-track any LP from my collection. Being a low-output Z (2.7Ω) MC cartridge, to my ears, it worked best with a high-gain 1:30 MC SUT. 

This cartridge sounds more vibrant and vivid than either the AT30E or the MC10 Super below. It’s highly dynamic and has more substance and impact at the frequency extremes. In terms of refinement, it easily outclasses the AT30E and the MC10 Super. Although the midrange is warmer than the AT30E, it isn't broadcast quality like a Denon DL103 or SPU. This cartridge is voiced for the discerning audiophile. Given that cartridge manufacturing was already a mature technology in the 80s, am I hearing what a modern Shelter can do?

Ortofon MC10 Super

Specs

Just like the aforementioned AT30E, the MC10 Super was an entry-level low-output MC phono cartridge in the 80s. I grabbed this cheap at a store closing in the late 90s. This cartridge tracks comfortably at 1.7 grams. With a coil resistance of 3Ω, I prefer boosting its 0.3 mV signal with a 1:30 MC transformer.

The MC 10 Super's beautiful midrange matches the warmth and 3D presentation of a DL103, if not quite SPU-like. However, even if it is fitted with a nude-mounted elliptical stylus profile, the sound gets a bit congested when tracking complex musical passages. There's also a lack of harmonic richness in the upper frequencies, which limits its ability to resolve detail and micro dynamics. Granted, I’m nitpicking, but the stock DL103 with a humble conical stylus resolves more detail, has better upper frequency harmonics, and doesn't congest when tracking complex musical passages. 

What gives?

from Stereo Sound Tube Kingdom

 Whether it's magnetic or moving coil, the sonic character and performance of any phono cartridge is governed mainly by its magnet/coil design and ancillary parts. All of these elements create the phono cartridge's unique tonality. The stylus profile is just one of those elements.