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van den Hul MC-10 Special

Cartridge

Relative price

typical

Among the 89 cartridges in the catalogue, this one is typical.

A band places a component against its peers and carries no price. It is deliberately the only price indicator on this page: a second one, measured against a different set, would narrow the two together far enough to give the figure away.

What it is

vdH MC-10 Special — entry MC, made-to-order. Low-output → MC stage ~200Ω.

Competition record

Assessed against 17 rivals across the sixty systems: 3 head-to-heads won, 62 lost.

Where it gives ground

The dimension the engine names as the weakest link, counted across every head-to-head it lost.

  • bass control ×39
  • quietness at rest ×7
  • rhythmic grip ×4

Who it comes up against

van den Hul The Frog

20 lost · Anchored, Artisan, BBC Sound, Cavity-Native, Characterful, Intimate, PRaT, Reference, Romantic, Twin Arms

Against the Anchored brief, the van den Hul The Frog keeps the slot clearly.

With the Vertere Groove Runner X, the pairing gives up most on bass control.

On its own merits the van den Hul MC-10 Special is the weaker cartridge for that brief.

It sits well below the share of the budget this brief aims at the cartridge position.

impact in general is not what this cartridge does bestHi-Fi Choice (group test)

van den Hul The Crimson

15 lost · Anchored, BBC Sound, Cavity-Native, Characterful, Intimate, PRaT, Reference, Romantic, Twin Arms

Against the Characterful brief, the van den Hul The Crimson keeps the slot clearly.

With the Vertere Groove Runner X, the pairing gives up most on bass control.

On its own merits the van den Hul MC-10 Special is the weaker cartridge for that brief.

It sits well below the share of the budget this brief aims at the cartridge position.

impact in general is not what this cartridge does bestHi-Fi Choice (group test)

Goldring Eroica HX MC

4 lost · Silent Path

Against the Silent Path brief, the Goldring Eroica HX MC keeps the slot decisively.

With the Whest Audio 60Se Pro, the pairing gives up most on quietness at rest.

On its own merits the van den Hul MC-10 Special is the weaker cartridge for that brief.

It sits well above the share of the budget this brief aims at the cartridge position.

Hana EL MC

4 lost · Anchored, Characterful, Intimate, Romantic

Against the Anchored brief, the Hana EL MC keeps the slot decisively.

With the ProJect Tonearm 8.6 Carbon (Debut PRO), the pairing gives up most on bass control.

On its own merits the van den Hul MC-10 Special is the weaker cartridge for that brief.

It sits well above the share of the budget this brief aims at the cartridge position.

Sumiko Blue Point No.3 Low MC

4 lost · Artisan, Cavity-Native, PRaT, Reference

Against the Artisan brief, the Sumiko Blue Point No.3 Low MC keeps the slot clearly.

With the ProJect Tonearm 8.6 Carbon (Debut PRO), the pairing gives up most on bass control.

On its own merits the van den Hul MC-10 Special is the weaker cartridge for that brief.

impact in general is not what this cartridge does bestHi-Fi Choice (group test)

van den Hul The Colibri

3 lost · Artisan, Reference

Against the Artisan brief, the van den Hul The Colibri keeps the slot decisively.

With the EAR Yoshino 88PB MM/MC, the pairing gives up most on quietness at rest.

With the Vertere Groove Runner X, the pairing gives up most on bass control.

On its own merits the van den Hul MC-10 Special is the weaker cartridge for that brief.

Etsuro Urushi Gold MC

2 lost · Vocals-First

Against the Vocals-First brief, the Etsuro Urushi Gold MC keeps the slot by a whisker.

On its own merits the van den Hul MC-10 Special is the weaker cartridge for that brief.

It sits well below the share of the budget this brief aims at the cartridge position.

Etsuro Urushi Cobalt Blue MC

2 lost · Vocals-First

Against the Vocals-First brief, the Etsuro Urushi Cobalt Blue MC keeps the slot by a whisker.

On its own merits the van den Hul MC-10 Special is the weaker cartridge for that brief.

It sits well below the share of the budget this brief aims at the cartridge position.

van den Hul MC One Special

2 lost · Romantic, Twin Arms

Against the Romantic brief, the van den Hul MC One Special keeps the slot by a whisker.

On its own merits the van den Hul MC-10 Special is the weaker cartridge for that brief.

Linn Kendo MC

1 lost· 1 won · Twin Arms

Against the Twin Arms brief, the van den Hul MC-10 Special takes the slot clearly.

On its own merits the van den Hul MC-10 Special is the weaker cartridge — yet it wins here on fit: the way it sits with the rest of this system under the Twin Arms weighting.

It sits well below the share of the budget this brief aims at the cartridge position.

Koetsu Azule Platinum MC

1 lost · Twin Arms

Against the Twin Arms brief, the Koetsu Azule Platinum MC keeps the slot decisively.

On its own merits the van den Hul MC-10 Special is the weaker cartridge for that brief.

It sits well below the share of the budget this brief aims at the cartridge position.

Koetsu Onyx Platinum MC

1 lost · Twin Arms

Against the Twin Arms brief, the Koetsu Onyx Platinum MC keeps the slot decisively.

On its own merits the van den Hul MC-10 Special is the weaker cartridge for that brief.

It sits well below the share of the budget this brief aims at the cartridge position.

Ortofon MC Quintet Black S

1 lost · Vocals-First

Against the Vocals-First brief, the Ortofon MC Quintet Black S keeps the slot by a whisker.

On its own merits the van den Hul MC-10 Special is the weaker cartridge for that brief.

Rega Nd3 MM

1 lost · Silent Path

Against the Silent Path brief, the Rega Nd3 MM keeps the slot by a whisker.

On its own merits the van den Hul MC-10 Special is the weaker cartridge for that brief.

It sits well above the share of the budget this brief aims at the cartridge position.

Linn Koil MC

1 lost · BBC Sound

Against the BBC Sound brief, the Linn Koil MC keeps the slot clearly.

With the ProJect Tonearm 8.6 Carbon (Debut PRO), the pairing gives up most on bass control.

On its own merits the van den Hul MC-10 Special is the weaker cartridge for that brief.

rounded bassPROXY: AT-OC9 platform

Goldring Eroica LX MC

0 lost· 1 won · Twin Arms

Against the Twin Arms brief, the van den Hul MC-10 Special takes the slot decisively.

On its own merits the van den Hul MC-10 Special is the weaker cartridge — yet it wins here on fit: the way it sits with the rest of this system under the Twin Arms weighting.

It sits well above the share of the budget this brief aims at the cartridge position.

Goldring 1042 MM

0 lost· 1 won · Twin Arms

Against the Twin Arms brief, the van den Hul MC-10 Special takes the slot decisively.

On its own merits the van den Hul MC-10 Special is the weaker cartridge — yet it wins here on fit: the way it sits with the rest of this system under the Twin Arms weighting.

It sits well above the share of the budget this brief aims at the cartridge position.

What the reviewers said

warm vdH range / owner consensus (MC One & MC10 Special)· Tonal body
detail vdH owner consensus· Spatial resolution
musicality van den Hul house DNA· Harmonic texture
30dB channel separation at 1kHz SPEC: channel separation 30dB @1kHz (manufacturer)· Spatial naturalness
best stereo imaging here, precise and stable Hi-Fi Choice (group test)· Spatial naturalness
the most civilised, treble audibly less bold Hi-Fi Choice (group test)· Tonal body
its treble is audibly less bold than any others Hi-Fi Choice (group test)· Spatial resolution
impact in general is not what this cartridge does best Hi-Fi Choice (group test)· Transient attack

How it scores

Clarity

  • Spatial resolution 66 from listening evidence

Voice

  • Tonal body 76 from listening evidence
  • Harmonic texture 71 from listening evidence
  • Spatial naturalness 80 from listening evidence

Rhythm

  • Transient attack 64 from listening evidence

Specifications

cartridge typeMC
output mv0.65
internal impedance ohm9.0
recommended load ohm200
tracking force g1.35/1.5
compliance dynamic um per mn10
compliance static um per mn28
weight g8.2
stylus profilevdH-1
cantilever materialboron
body materialanodised aluminium (CNC)
frequency response hz5/50000
channel separation db30.0
notes