Generator Inductance
Generator inductance describes how strongly a cartridge’s coils oppose changes in current flowing through them. It is specified per channel, in millihenries (mH) or microhenries (µH).
One millihenry equals 1,000 microhenries. Compare figures in the same units and at the same stated test frequency. Inductance is separate from the coil’s DC (direct current) resistance and the phono input’s load.
Generator Inductance — Cartridge
In moving-magnet cartridges especially, coil inductance interacts with the cable and phono input’s capacitance—their ability to store electric charge—and the input’s load resistance. Together, these can change treble response: how strongly high frequencies are reproduced.
Use the cartridge maker’s recommended load resistance and capacitance. Include cable capacitance in the total; the input setting alone is not the whole load. A higher or lower inductance figure does not, by itself, mean better sound.
Sources
- AT-VMx cartridge electrical specifications — Audio-Technica
- Cartridge loading and electrical response — Hagerman Technology
- Metric prefixes — NIST
- What is capacitance? — Fluke
- What is an inductor? — Coilcraft