A typical MC (Moving Coil) cartridge has an output voltage that is about 1/10th that of an MM (Moving Magnet) cartridge. Therefore, when using an MM cartridge phono equalizer amp, a pre-stage amplifier called an MC head amp or a step-up transformer is necessary.

With the MCZ1, the head amp is integrated into the headshell, allowing the MC cartridge to be used in the same way as an MM cartridge. The advantage of this configuration is that by amplifying the weak voltage signal from the MC cartridge at the closest point, the influence of external noise picked up by the internal wiring of the tonearm and the phono cable can be minimized, resulting in low noise. Additionally, since the GND reference points for L and R channels are closer to the cartridge, stereo imaging becomes clearer.

The built-in lithium battery helps achieve low noise and can be easily recharged with a dedicated charger. The MCZ1 can be used by connecting it to a standard MM cartridge phono equalizer amp or the Phono input (MM) of an integrated amplifier.