Why are moving coil cartridges considered the "better" choice, when every pre-amp measurement I've seen show you sacrifice significant noise and distortion due to the extra gain needed in the pre-amp?
The design, as always, has tradeoffs. The low output means more noise and distortion, this can be offset somewhat by a step up transformer.
A moving magnet has magnets on the opposite end of the needle, the moving coil has small copper wires. The benefit is that the coil is much lighter than the magnets, so like a see saw with lighter children on it, it is easier to move and has less momentum when the needle sees back to the vinyl. In a MC, the magnets are fixed in the body of the cartridge and do not move.
Do not underestimate the amount of force on the tiny surface area of the needle tip. People say that this makes the mechanics more agile - more responsive to smaller changes in the groove. I like the sound of my Denon 103 ALOT but I couldn't say it is a more accurate cartridge than my Ortofon Blue.
It is as important to get a cartridge that fits with the tone arm mechanically so you don't have resonance coming up near the audible range (not above 12-15 Hz). This means a heavier tonearm requires a less compliant cantilever (the seesaw) and the other way round. Many of the needles are made by one company so again, note what kind of geometry you are buying and compare it to competition ... Audio Technica has really good deals on 'high end' geometry's that last longer according to them than cheaper ones.
Bottom line, most of the benefit of LPs is the interaction with the source. The closer I pay attention, the better the music sounds.
