MC load resistance
The resistance presented to a moving-coil (MC) cartridge by the input it connects to, measured in ohms (Ω).
Manufacturers often call this input impedance. It is an external load. The cartridge’s internal resistance describes its own coils, not the input’s loading value.
In an MC headamp
The cartridge feeds the headamp, which feeds a moving-magnet (MM) phono input. The headamp’s input sets the cartridge load; its output impedance and the following MM input’s load are different specifications.
With conventional resistive loading, match the headamp’s fixed value or available setting to the cartridge maker’s recommendation. The load affects delivered signal voltage. Gain controls amplification separately; the MM phono stage still supplies record equalisation.
Current-mode headamps use very low input impedance without a conventional adjustable resistive load. Follow the headamp maker’s cartridge-compatibility guidance instead of copying resistance settings. The missing loading control does not mean the cartridge has no electrical load.
Sources
- Piccolo MC: input loading and gain — Hagerman Audio Labs
- Piccolo Zero: current-mode input and cartridge compatibility — Hagerman Audio Labs
In a phono preamp
Choose a fixed load or setting that meets the cartridge maker’s recommendation, which may specify a range or minimum. Controls may offer discrete steps or a continuous range.
Use the value for the MC input you actually connect to: different input types can load differently. With a transformer input, check the load seen by the cartridge, not the following MM input’s value.
Loading affects the signal voltage delivered by the cartridge; higher resistance is not automatically better. Current-mode inputs use very low impedance rather than conventional adjustable loading, so check the preamp maker’s cartridge-compatibility guidance.
Sources
- Phono Box DS3 B manual: cartridge settings — Pro-Ject Audio Systems
- P1: voltage- and current-sensing inputs — CH Precision
Sources
- MC Quintet Red: internal resistance and recommended load — Ortofon
- Cartridge Loading: input loads and transformers — Hagerman Technology