Magnet Material
Magnet material identifies what a cartridge’s generator magnet is made from. It describes a component, not a sound-quality grade.
The magnet supplies the magnetic field used to turn groove movement into an electrical signal. Materials such as neodymium can help designers make this magnetic system compact.
Magnet Material — Cartridge
Material and generator type describe different things. A moving-magnet (MM) cartridge moves its magnet beside fixed coils; a moving-coil (MC) cartridge moves coils beside a fixed magnet.
The material name alone cannot tell you the output voltage, sound quality or suitable phono preamp. Coil design and the rest of the cartridge also matter. Check the specified output voltage and recommended electrical load instead.
Optical and strain-gauge cartridges sense movement without a generator magnet. An absent magnet-material entry for these designs does not indicate an inferior cartridge or a missing part.
Sources
- Moving-magnet operating principle — Ortofon
- Moving-coil operation, output and loading — Ortofon
- Magnet system and cartridge specifications — Ortofon
- Optical cartridge sensing — DS Audio
- Strain-gauge sensing — Soundsmith