MM Bypass
Whether the product provides a path for a moving-magnet cartridge that bypasses its extra MC amplification.
A bypass passes the cartridge signal around an additional gain stage or transformer. It does not replace the phono equalisation and amplification required from the following MM stage.
MM Bypass — MC Head Amp
On a Phono Head Amp, MM bypass lets a suitable higher-output cartridge pass onward without the head amp’s normal moving-coil gain. It can make changing cartridge types more convenient within the same connected system.
“Yes” requires an explicitly provided bypass path. A low-gain setting is not necessarily a bypass, and compatibility with high-output moving-coil cartridges does not establish one. Check which input or control selects the path.
Compare the bypass arrangement with the cartridge and following phono stage. The receiving stage must still provide suitable MM gain and loading. Bypass does not mean that a cartridge can feed an ordinary line input directly or that all internal circuitry is disconnected.
MM Bypass — Step-Up Transformer (SUT)
On a Phono Step-Up Transformer, MM bypass routes the signal around the voltage step-up so that a suitable cartridge can feed the MM phono stage without transformer gain. It can avoid recabling when changing between supported cartridge types.
Read the manufacturer’s description of the bypass path and how it is selected. A low-ratio tap is not automatically a bypass. A transformer with no stated bypass should not be assumed to provide one.
Compare this convenience with the following stage’s cartridge support and loading. The bypassed signal still needs an MM phono input; it is not a line-level output. The feature alone does not establish suitability for every moving-magnet or high-output cartridge.