Moving Magnet (MM) cartridges output voltage

[intothedragon]

I recently upgraded the Cartridge on my Rega P3 to a Nagaoka MP-110 that has a 5mV output voltage

I thought I would get much higher volume with the MP-110 but still I’m getting a low volume on my amp. Usually when playing digital when I set volume about 60 is really loud and with the phono I need to go up to 80 to start getting a good volume.

Am I doing something wrong? I tried two different Phono pre amps, the one built in on my amp and the Schiit Mani and in both I have the same issue.

Should I get a higher output cartridge with maybe 7mV or a better phone pre amp?

 

[egellings]

Average output for an MM cart at standard recorded velocity is about 4mV to 5mV, so your cart is average in its output signal. Either the cart is not giving you that, or else the phono section in your phono preamp needs more gain. Be sure you are using MM input and not an MC input, if your pre has that. The phono section has its own specialized preamp & equalization that are not needed by the digital source. My phono section has adjustable gain, so I can match it to that of other sources. If yours does not, then you need a preamp with higher gain. Or, better yet, just adjust the volume the way you do and enjoy the music. Average gain at 1kHz for a phono preamp is about 40dB.

 

[DSJR]

What was on the deck before? I'd probably have gone for an AT VM95ML or 520/530 - BUT - both these have lower output over the Nagaoka (3mV), so would make your issue worse. The Ortofon OM and OM Super series again appears to be 4mV at '5cm/sec' output

AT's seem to typically give 3mV for standard level, so lower still. The Shure 44-7 'nail' has nearly 10mV output and this will almost certainly give cheaper phono stages some headaches, especially with surface ticks and plops.

The Mani has low input overload margins by all accounts, so the sensitivity may well be compromised a bit around that. Some phono stages have more gain with higher output potential, but to keep input overload within bounds, you may need to spend a lot more, as for peanuts as the Mani is, it's a juggling act between good sensitivity, high overload margins and also low enough noise not to be an issue.

 

[sergeauckland]

What you experience I suggest is normal.

Firstly, digital players normally output about 2V at peak output, whilst the input sensitivity of line inputs of most amps is 500mV or less. This wouldn't necessarily matter had digital music been recorded with headroom left, and/or without massive compression and limiting that means the digital player outputs the full 2V much of the time.

LPs, especially those of the 'golden age' before digital, will not have been compressed much, just enough so the loud bits don't overload, or the quiet bits disappear into the noise.

Your cartridge has a healthy output, so unless it's faulty, and the chances of both channels being equally faulty are slim, it's not the cause. Getting a different cartridge or phono amp will not help, it's inherent in the way digital music is recorded.

S.

 

[DSJR]

There are phono stages I believe, with higher mean output though which will 'close the gap' a little (I'm not in the slightest contradicting Serge here), but you're going to have to hunt around for them I'm afraid. I'd suggest starting with the Cambridge which was very well reviewed here to see what that can do and maybe work from there if you don't mind trawling specs. if I can understand the Duo review, at 5mV input, it may again only be outputting half a volt or so, although the overload headroom is very good and double or so that of the Mani...