Nagaoka cartridge comparison forum I just don't understand how a cartridge that is $100 would not sound much better than the Audio Technica LP-60 that is $100. For instance, if you have a £200 turntable, then a £50-£70 cartridge should be adequate, while a £650 turntable (such as the Rega Planar 3) will require a cartridge that's about £150-£200 (such as the matching Rega Maybe price for boron has gone up, but here they use 5-6mm length. U-Turn says their newer tonearm (the OA2), which they started using in October 2016, is compatible with cartridges up to 7. Price range: $100 – $200. In the end you'd let your ears decide . Nagaoka’s MP-200 moving magnet cartridge delivers a superb all-round performance that leaves most rivals in the shade. But what is Nagaoka NM11a? It's really difficult to find any info about old Nagaoka cartridges, I suppose they've been in business as long there's been vinyl. Featured content New posts Latest activity. It also seems to be an excellent cartridge to use with the Jelco 750 tonearms and Technics SP10 I purchased a Nagaoka MP-500H cartridge new from cdjapan late last year and I have to say I've been quite disappointed with it. My TT has the original arm, the light straight one. 0 mil conical. Prices were ok, about $530, up a bit given the recent price increase. Instruments seem to be in the exact same place on both cartridges. Surprisingly the overall tone for this permalloy cartridge is not too far from the Denon with slight differences. I will try to summarise the differences (to my old ears). Of course YMMV but it does show the relative qualities of these cartridges with the TT and tone arm not being limiting factors. Henry J That is exactly my experience with the Nagaoka as well on my Technics SL-1500. Any other cartridge recommendations are also appreciated. This is only in comparison and the upside is the lack of any spit, sibilance The Nagaoka MP-500 phono cartridge offers the highest musical and creative expression of the new MP series. I had Amazon gift cards. The idea being that the Technics would be easy to setup, basically idiot and bullet proof - and generally not fussy. I think it would be hard to eat my HS-4 headshell. Like I said before, being outside the ideal zone does not mean it sounds bad, but it does mean that it could sound better. The MP 500 is Nagaoka's top cartridge. audio . His first comment after 30 seconds was, "Boy, it's quiet!" These cartridges are neutral, incredible trackers and very well made. Both cartridges are highly regarded for their performance and Please do not base your cartridge purchases off of YouTube reviewers, or a single song sample on YouTube. When I put the Nag back to do the needledrops, I was surprised how much they sound more alike now than before. Other arms will permit other needles, depending on the characteristcs of the arms. If you don't like treble boost, avoid the 540ML unless you are willing to use parallel resistive loading to load down the cartridge to 39K. Compared it to an Empire 2000Z and had a hard time deciding which was better. ) high dollar LOMC (currently have Koetsu RSP and EMT JSD 6, and listen to a friends Lyra Etna quite frequently), I actually prefer the Steve Hoffman Music Forums. The nagaoka in the vm95ml price tag it's the mp110 and if you say the 110 have more detail than the vm95 i think you'll be very lonely with that opinion. The sound of MP-110 is on that track. In that sense it is the best budget cartridge you can buy, because it does so many things so well. I know it's rolled off in the top octave compared to some of my other carts, and has some differences down low too, but I really like the overall sound, just fits well with the gear I use and the music I listen to most often. In my experience doing direct comparisons on my 1200-GR between the 150 and the 500, the 500 upgrade is well worth it. They list the 200 at 6. The MP-200 stylus you can still get for quite cheap for what it is - AFAIK it's the cheapest stylus with Boron cantilever around. From the first drop it was hard not to notice the incredible separation, sound stage Picked up a MP-500 recently. 7 mil, and 1. I've been upgrading a Rega TT for a bit now (a couple of other threads here in TT Forum) and finally got a real cartridge - the Nagaoka MP-500. Kinda nerve wracking fumbling with all the adjustments & delicate stylus, in order to correctly setup each cartridge. One day I liked to have Soundsmith put a his boron cantilever with NCL onto my spare DL-103R. By current standards, its output into a standard 47kohm load remains a 'middling' 3. but hopefully my comparisons to the Blue are helpful. I’m not certain if one could buy a head shell without the cartridge. displayname, May 15, 2018 #9. AT95E Compared to Many Different Cartridges - Interesting Turntable Cartridge Comparisons: Under 100$ - YouTube AT95E compared to Nagaoka MP-110: ghamilton Super Member. What is the difference between these two cartridges? Has anyone heard both and is the Nagaoka MP500 better than the MP50 I am currently using an old MP50 cartridge and I will be needing a new stylus for it. I owned a MP-110 earlier and thought it was unremarkable compared to others in its price range, but recently bought a MP-200 and love it, as in favorite cartridge to date among many. 3 gram difference. This the same as the JT-1210 that was developed for and came with the 1200GAE sold in Japan 2. If you’re doing calculations keep in mind the difference between the Japanese compliance numbers and the European numbers. I love the overall look and feel compared to the Technics. In the Darlington FAQ, Keith states "A surprising number of clients are, in fact, deciding that the combination of a truly-high-end high-output-level cartridge (often the excellent Nagaoka MP-500 Moving Iron unit, Nagaoka MP-500 Cartridge Review ), mounted on a good turntable, and combined with a Darlington Labs MP-7, represents an “End-Stop My only experience with Nagaoka is with the MP-110 on a Pro-Ject DC Esprit a few years ago. I like the looks 4. I thought I'd go up a level or two, and came to the Nagaoka MP 200. What Hi-Fi Feedback. What's the deal about Nagaoka cartridges compliance, there are given numbers from the manufacturer but when I read about them on different forums some Home. Depends on how well the resonance is controlled. Seems to slow down time just a bit but doesn't quite make up for losing an hour this morning! On Nagaoka’s site, they list the 300 (w/no headshell) at 7. Also tried the MP-150: the 150 is better in every aspect, but the general sound is very similar, and the advantage of the 150 is not that much to justify the hefty price difference. It's been 10 years since they announced new cartridges. The MP-200 really isn't in the same league as the 1042. You After researching a bit I narrowed things down to two cartridges that are readily available in the market down here: the Nagaoka's MP110 and the Audio Technica's AT Signet was made by Audio-Technica, so you can look at current AT models, but ML (MicroLine) stylus is superior to E (Elliptical). Nagaoka has different overhead and markups which is why they charge more for their cartridges. I attribute the MP-500's good detail retrieval and quickness to Hi jurgente, welcome to AK! A decision like choosing a cart can be challenging, but I believe you can't go wrong either way. Well, they do charge about twice as much up front as AT, so obviously a different business model, presumably they are both making a good profit It would be a more interesting comparison if AT still offered a MM cartridge with a boron cantilever, though that shouldn't add too much to the manufacturing cost, maybe $10 to $15 in quantity. Thanks. Love my MP-110 on my Rega P3. It seems the few responders weren't overly impressed. 4. As of now, the Denon/Sony combo is my best. Nicely done video comparing two cartridges. They have ordinary aluminum cantilevers like many other cartridges. Nagaoka Cartridge fans? Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by DaleClark, Feb 15, 2022. I love Nagaoka cartridges, but I really believe that at least lately are way overpriced. Nagaoka MP-500 cartridge. spn_ai. But the more you break it in and listen to it, the more it captures you. Nagaoka prices have definitely skyrocketed within the past JohnMichael Vinyl Rega Planar 2, Incognito rewire, Deepgroove subplatter, ceramic bearing, Michell Technoweight, Rega 24V motor, TTPSU, FunkFirm Achroplat platter, Michael Lim top and bottom braces, 2 Rega feet and one RDC cones. A generator in a high output MM or MI cartridge is nothing but some coils of wire and pole pieces with a piece of plastic or metal to hold it all. Lukas VD New Member. I don't think Nagaoka recommends swapping the MP-500 stylus into the MP-200 Might be the best option/what it is you’re really seeking. Nagaoka Cartridge fans? For what it's worth, I just tried a 200 stylus on my 150 cartridge and didn't hear a difference from the 150 stylus, so I returned the 200 stylus. If it helps at all, I started a thread here (hold onrummages aroundAh! there it is: Comparison between Nagaoka MP-110 and original Pioneer PC-50) [note: I think my free soundcloud account has reached its download limit, so if Everything just sounds buttery and even the surface noise seems to be dampened compared to my old cartridge. Had been using a Denon 301 MKII with a Bob's devices transformer 20x. That’s a 1984 US first pressing of Purple Rain and I can confirm it sounds as good as it looks. The differences were not subtle. I'll put my For a cartridge of mass 7g, in a 12g arm, acceptable matches range from 11cu to 23cu. It performed way above its price level and great value. They present a tangible soundstage and are quite remarkable in their ability to suppress surface noise. The Boron cantilever gets all kinds of praise, as does the line-contact Diamond stylus, and being a 3mv moving magnet design, it would make a good fit for the phono stage in my old McIntosh C26 While youtube comparison videos won't give you an exact idea of how a cartridge sounds, they're probably the nearest thing you'll get to an audition, so should provide a fair amount of guidance. You need to compare the nagaoka 200 with the vm740ml. Basically, you kinda need to distinguish between how something is ‘voiced’ (which the cart has a big say in), and how good a representation of that ‘voice’ are you getting (which the TT/arm has a huge effect on). I agree with stratokaster that at similar prices one can get better cartridge. Specifications: Type: Moving Magnet Hi Guys I was lucky enough to be given from David at Analogue Depot, a the newly released Nagaoka JT-80LB MM ( RR $339 ) cartridge to have a listen to and compare with some of my carts I’ll start firstly by listing the Steve Hoffman Music Forums. I am unfamiliar with the 200, but have a 500. Should I get the OEM pre-mounted headshell with it, or save $100 and use the Technics headshell? Nagaoka have wonderful tagline – ‘the authentic vinyl sound’ which immediately tells you where they are coming from – All Nagaoka cartridges have a characteristic rich and full sound with great bass and dynamics. Would I be better selling my MP-50 and use the funds towards purchasing an MP500 to get the latest specification cartridge. Nagaoka’s headshells look nice. It's entirely possible these new JT cartridges are just those with a new body and some small An advanced stylus shape like microline, micro ridge, fritz geiger, etc. I'm looking to replace with a budget of about $100. The "Ideal" zone however is from 12cu to 14cu. Even with the TT switched off, when exchanging cartridges, all AT remain silent except the Nagaoka. Compared to the Ortofon, it was an improvement, but not sure if it lived up to my expectations based on all the hype I The Nagaoka is more competitive with the 2M Blue in these respects. It sounded MUCH better on this table/arm. The Nagaoka did not sound 'thin' to me. As for the stylus lifespan, I believe the consensus is that their numbers are very conservative. Just moved it from the Micro DD-40 to the BL-91 yesterday and made a recording that I posted in another thread. The prices of the new MM cartridges: • Nagaoka JT-80LB: 229 euros (replacement needle: 149 euros Of course, when we go to high-end spheres, the devices of different configurations do not show significant differences in character, while in the middle class this difference is easily noticeable. LeBud, Feb 19, 2022 #62. First album I played I was impressed. For example, MP300 stylus and MP200 stylus look same, both cantilevers are boron, diamond tips are elliptical. 5x to 2x the Nagaoka number to compare to The magnet is mounted fixed in the cartridge body. Does anybody own multiple Nagaoka cartridges and can test this to see just how much of a difference using the wrong stylus for the body can make vs the proper stylus? It'd be What have you compared Nagaoka to cartridge wise? McLover, bluemooze, RunningWithScissors and 6 others like this. Looking into the Nagaoka MP series cartridges and wondering what the height spec is? In other words, the dimension from the cartridge/headshell interface to the tip of the stylus at recommended VTF. In other way we're talking about different animals. The Nagaoka MP 110 is more often compared to cartridges costing twice, or even higher. I believe this sounds very similar. New posts Trending Search forums. The Sumiko Amethyst is described as warmer sounding with better bass compared to the 2m bronze . Forum. I'd be interested to hear a comparison between the MP500 and a Hana SL . The Nagaoka is luxurious and romantic sounding AudioKarma Audio Forums. Sometimes you get a shield plate. Last edited: Dec 28, 2022. Amp Krell S Steve Hoffman Music Forums. 5dB below Load resistance: 47KΩ Load capacity: 100pF Cantilever: Aluminum alloy Needle tip: 0. MP300 Since they don't sell cartridges by themselves, I'll need to either spring for a full MP200 set or an MP300. I'm really concerned about a decently priced cartridge that tracks exceptionally and handles the inner grooves well (of course, with overall sound quality being important also). The target market for those entry level turntables are people who aren't likely to want to fuss with installing and aligning a new cartridge. Speakers, yes, however I'm coming around that the TT, and in particular the tonearm, play a larger role than the cartridge. 5cm/sec) but the channel balance is rather better than Nagaoka's conservative 1dB rating I did try with other cartridges mounted on AT Head shells, AT-LH 11gr, 13gr, ART9XI, AT33 Mono, and DS-Audio with the Hana Blue, and all are dead silent. A search of AK found many references to the Nagaoka MP-500 and 300 but I couldn't find a specific thread for the TOTL Nagaokas. if I owned both cartridges and played same LP on the same speakers and amplifiers with you not hearing it, but you disagree and state sounds completely different. Not much to it. But the price difference makes it worthy. For whatever reason it sounded blah in my system. comparison with 2M blue imho. I agree with others, on these clips the Nagaoka has a more pronounced midrange & bass although through my DAC & headphones this is quite subtle (nice sound clips by the way). Davey Settings - The cartridges were set with impedance and gain strictly following the manufacturers' recommendations according to the Manual. Turntables . Highs are sweet and very slightly recessed compared to the AT (and very recessed compared to, say, the AT-VM540ML). The Denon is an excellent tracker at around 1. Stanton's disco needles are sized . My first real cartridge on a Dual cs505 2 , it was really good and very forgiving, easy to set up and align too. S. I tried several cartridges, like AT-VM520EB, 2M blue, Concorde MK2 Club, but this is the one I am always getting back to. juno6000 likes this. Offers & Deals. I often think the music used for these comparisons is poor, in that better quality recordings should be used to compare the differences between cartridges: I'm more familiar with those who have combined the MP-110 with JN-P150 stylus, about which I've read good reviews. As high compliance cartridges went slowly away, I replaced my SME III tonearm with a Jelco MMT tonearm. None of these "reviews" are really putting the cartridge under any kind of stress or evaluating real performance. Perhaps he can compare it to other cartridges. You cannot compare the vm95 with the nagaoka 200 that costs 3 or 4 times more. I just couldn’t resist sharing the moment here and glad it brings back some great memories of one of the best performers in my book, but first and foremost one of the best guitarists to have ever rocked our The Nagaoka cartridge line used to be pretty good value, especially the MP-200 but since their gigantic price hike a few years ago, now they are quite the opposite. This tonearm has a published mass of 5. The sound from the MP-500/Reed tonearm combo is impressive. Vocals are very warm on the Nagaoka, but instruments aren't detailed enough for me, and dynamics aren't as good as on the ZYX. Straight comparison is difficult since I don't have MD3, but this has to be more or less same: bold, mids boosted where music is, very strong lows The MP-500 sounds so much better to me on the lighter stock Technics headshell. The retail price for the BK on the Nagaoka site is 50,000 Yen (+ 5000 tax), so around $335 at current exchange rate. ETA - Thanks for the link though. Home Forums > Discussions > Audio Hardware > IMO, we should not swap Nagaoka stylus. Any variation or change to the very important joint between the arm and turntable will alter the sound quality. However, they will be dependent on implementation factors such as the electrical loading, especially capacitive load (to which I have found the MP-110 Quick bump for this thread. IGD is also very low, easily beating the 2M Red and the AT95E. I can hear the difference and correctly identified which was which in the video's final blind sample. Compared to the Stanton TOTL cartridges which had a compliance of 30, the Grado’s were less sure footed and could not track nearly as well as the Stantons. 75 grams. haz2000 Forum Resident. Got a nice tower records platter mat as a dust cover! Well, there are at least half a dozen high quality MC cartridges with boron cantilevers and line contact styli that are less expensive than Nagaoka MP-300, and when it comes to MP-500, I can add just 1 euro to its list price and get a ZYX Bloom 3 which doesn’t have a boron cantilever but is an excellent cartridge in its own right. If it were me I would skip the MOFI carts unless you are getting some kind of substantial package discount. Hi, this is my first post here, i am trying to get a replacement cartridge for my Vintage SL-1500mk1 from 76’. Grado Sonata, Moon 110 LP phono. Currently I'm running a Stanton 680 HiFi with the original stylus - probably about 1000 hours on it. The Nagaoka MP-200 turntable cartridge delivers a warm, rich, and musical sound with excellent detail retrieval, making it ideal for a wide range of music genres. I summed my amp to mono (to eliminate variances in stereo separation) and adjusted the gain of all the files to match. Nagaoka MP200 vs. This is what's moved by the cantilever. From what I can tell, the boron JN-P200 cantilever brings After researching, it seems that the Nagaoka MP-200 is the sweet spot that I'm looking for but I'd like to know what others think, since I won't be able to demo a Planar 6 with MP-200. I stopped into Tower Records in Shibuya today and they had a shelf with lots of Nagaoka cartridges, including MP500, 300, and 200. Something is clearly wrong there. I’ll But now that both these cartridges have at least 30 hours each I guess the Blue broke in and smoothed out. Bought it through ebay from Japan. It's not that huge a difference: Grado Gold 2, for example, is MUCH lower (in spite of being advertised as 4 mV too). Now, these tests can vary due to how different test records are cut but his results on the Nagaoka were WAY out of spec, like 16dB-ish per channel. Denon MC cartridges, for example, are notorious for having distortion above -20 dB starting below 10kHz so don't confuse normal behavior for wear-created Hey all, I have a vintage Pioneer TT (PL-71) that I currently am using a Nagaoka MP-110 on which sound fantastic (pumping it through a Mani Schiit preamp). Home Forums > Discussions If I put a MP200 stylus on a MP150 cartridge would I basically have a MP200 cartridge or are there other differences between the two besides the stylus? you get a less noticeable added touch of air. If you want to hear a comparison of the Nagoaka DL-110 to the Denon DL-110, I have several of them up on my YouTube channel. You will see a comparison between Nagaoka MP110 and Nagaoka JT80BK in 6 different songs. 5g. Nagaoka JT-80 with VPI Classic 3 Lab Report Last tested over a decade ago [HFN Feb '11], Nagaoka's 'Moving Permalloy' pick-up has remained very consistent in production. I have never heard a Nagaoka cartridge before so if anyone has tried the above setup or have any thoughts or opinions on this cartridge please let me know. 5-String , Nov 5, 2023 Steve Hoffman Music Forums. The difference between the 200 headshell and the 300/500 headshell seems to be more like 8 grams, when you math it out. I'm currently using an MP-200. AudioKarma Audio Forums. ダイヤモンドレコード針のナガオカ・NAGAOKA CO. OT, but this explains a HELL of a lot: https://forums. I'm wanting to plunge into the world of vinyl, and was looking to pickup a Technics 1210 turntable, and a Nagaoka MP200 cartridge. Members. 500’s the same. I had a hard time switching from my denon dl110, but when I finally gave the nagaoka a chance I realized i wasn't going to miss anything. I found a UltraDeck in mint/new condition for gross cost of $1,500 and pulled the trigger. Incorporating a line-contact stylus mounted on a boron cantilever, it is designed for connection to a MM phono stage, and costs $699. To check how it would mate up to a SL-1200G and available VTA adjust with the stock mat. Get the best deals on All Nagaoka Cartridges at vinylsound. The beginning will be made with the JT-80BK, which will be available in Germany from November. Home Forums > Discussions > Audio Hardware > Nagaoka Cartridge fans? Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by DaleClark, Feb 15, 2022. 5 grams. You can't really get rid of all the high frequency rise, just minimize it, and the Forums. I bought JT80BK to replace my 200 hours MP110. MP500 = 442 compared to 231 before MP300 = 330 compared to 185 before MP200 = 221 compared to 116 before The manufacturers have released a press statement, saying that the price of the raw materials has increased so much, and this along with the comparatively small amount sold, means that they have had to increase their prices. do some searches on the forum. Topic: Nagaoka cartridges (Read 3229 times) martin_bell. 8g. I'd go for either elliptical. Which cartridge would you replace it with? L. It expertly extracts and reproduces with vivid, colorful and dimensional clarity what others miss. I am looking to replace my audio technica at140mlb with another cartridge. I replaced the stock Ortofon 2m Red cart with the 110. That's glossed over a bit in his comparisons, but it's very important to me when buying a cartridge. AFAIK, Rega carts are about 14mm in height Not an arbitrary comparison. Coming from Rega and Nagaoka cartridges I really want to try an Audio Technica. Dec 28, 2022 #3 I love my VM95 ML & SH . Which model represents the best value in the line? For reference, the MP-150 is an entirely different cartridge than the 110, other than the stylus profile type (. Reactions: Morgan D and Pete B. Steve Hoffman Music Forums. Nagaoka Cartridges I'm not sure what changes were made to yours by Nagaoka but any little difference in construction on a stylus can make large differences in sound. It's your right, of course. Welcome to the AK turn table forum. is always going to do better on inner groove tracking. Sunday spinning the always amazing Lucrecia Dalt ¡Ay! on magenta vinyl, one of my big favorites of the last few years, and sounding very nice too via the Nagaoka MP-500 and Micro Seiki BL-91 into my DIY NOS phono stage, and Conrad-Johnson tube preamp and amp. But I'm not a Nagaoka user so haven't heard either cartridge, just conjecture . Buy a computer, get a free color printer and then be locked into our super high profit margin proprietary replacement ink cartridges. I gave my Voice to another friend who has an older Basis Debut/Graham table. If Cartridge A puts out a 10% greater signal level than Cartridge B, Cartridge A will, indeed, deliver a better signsl-to-noise ratio relative to the preamp's noise. The reason people aren't beating down the doors to buy the MOFI cartridges is that they are basically rebodied cartridges manufactured by Audio Technica. Thread starter jusphish; Start date May 30, 2021; Tags cartridge hana japanese nagaoka rega turntable had considered the Nagaoka MP-200 (or even the MP-150 to save a bit) if staying with MM. anyone have any experience with the Sumiko "but when I alter the VTA I hear a difference" Of course you do. Turns out it's a Czech site. Quick 2-minute clip of "Love For Sale" from Somethin' Else if anyone interested, this from the recent Blue Note Classic series, not the greatest pressing but not bad, only about 5 hours of music playing and another 8 hours of the stylus sitting on Steve Hoffman Music Forums. So much so that I think it might be defective or damaged in some way. yes we compared the Ortofon 2M with Nagaoka MP-50 and Clearaudio Virtuoso Thanks! It was a follow-up earlier discussion between Ilikevinyl & me, re: Nagaoka cartridges. Japanese Cartridge Comparison. Reviews: Turntables: Tonearms: Cartridges: Cartridge Reviews: 2441 . The sound is much better distributed, but not as good as the ZYX's 3D sound. To compare Nagaoka to Ortofon, for example, requires an assumption of a multipliersomewhere around 1. Most Nagaoka users tend to skip the MP-300 and go straight for the MP-500 due to Nagaoka's pricing structure. 7 elliptical), with an improved body/generator, a nude stylus The only thing I can critisise a little is that compared to my last cartridge, that had a Gyger stylus, the treble is not quite so airy and detailed. Model: Nagaoka MP-110 cartridge. ' for the 2M Red/Blue, it should be relatively low, as these cartridges have an advised capacitive load of 150-300pF, compared with I have a Nagaoka MP-150. Forums. The Fluance is a gorgeous-looking ‘table, but sonically is pretty entry-level. Jun 30, 2019 #20 Balifly said: Any difference between Nagaoka MP-11, MP-100, MP-110 Nagaoka Cartridge? spn_ai; Apr 5, 2010; Turntables; Replies 0 Views 2K. Many Japanese sites list it at that price. Digital Sony SCD-XA5400ES SACD/cd SID mat, Marantz SA 8001 Int. I tend to think this is huge reason the Nagaoka MP-110 and Ortofon 2M Red have been suggested as great cartridges to an overwhelming claim. Article Commentary good reviews across hifi press. by mcand. What's new. Possibly the bass a bit more in ones face, but is so minimal I might be imagining it. Gallery. I thought it was worth exploring the sound of a modestly priced cartridge (compared to top-tier MC carts) mounted to a quality tonearm. Page 12 of 35 < Prev 1 Only have 4-5 hours far but am really enjoying it - very different presentation compared to my AT33PTG/II + SUT. The cartridge budget is max £400 (you can get the MP-200 here in the UK for around £340). The MP-110 strikes exactly the right balance to my ears - solid, tight bass, lack of surface noise, and relative (but not too much) warmth seal the deal. Last night, I moved the Nagaoka MP-200 to my other table, a Harman Kardon T60 with an ITO Mircorace tonearm with an effective mass of 8g. in Nagaoka phono cartridges has piqued my curiosity regarding the line. Low end cartridges like an MP-110 or Grado Red do not have fancy cantilevers either. 00 Whether that price For example, my MP-500 is rated at 8. I just ordered one of these from Japan. MP-11 Boron: Great performing cart that can be upgraded even further by fitting a modern MP-200 stylus. With any nagaoka cart my experience and the experience I've read and been told first hand are that at first it's just a nice cartridge. Take a look at this comparison of 11 different MM My conclusions: All three cartridges are good, but sound quite different from each other. Just something to be aware of if you are buying these carts. discussion. The Nagaoka is very smooth, it doesn't call Disco cartridges are offered by Stanton, Shure, and, amazingly, Decca. New Rega mm are not specificly designed just for Rega arms. When it comes to turntable cartridges, the Nagaoka MP-110 and Ortofon 2M Blue are two popular options that often spark debates among vinyl enthusiasts. I think the Nagaoka carts have lower compliance compared to the VM500/700 series. The difference seems now very subtle to my ears. I found it to be a decent cartridge with nothing really that sonically stands out, either bad or good. Whereas the Denon puts a slight emphasis on the edge of the notes, the Nagoaka MP-500 is a bit smoother but still extended in range. about 110. The Nagaoka MP-150 was a replacement for a very good, very well behaved AT-VM95SH. The only Nagaoka I've owned was an MP-110, a cartridge that received high praise. If the cartridge doesn't track, the performance of the body will be lacking. Reminder too that some cartridges can be tricky in these areas. The compliance of 6 noted for is probably the equivalent of around 11 for comparison to an Ortofon. Now I potentially have to go out and spend even more money on this Nagaoka MP-110 when I have already spent over $400 on this new table. Based on reading the forums, I'm considering: Nagaoka MP 110 In this comparison, we’ll closely examine the tracking ability and performance of the Ortofon 2M Blue and the Nagaoka MP-110 cartridges, shedding light on their precision and distortion-free tracking. Then, compare his modified DL-103R on the SME 3009 on Sony 2251 and same cartridge mod on the Technics. robusa, Feb 22, 2024 #540. Member Offline Location: UK Posts: 461. It was not the easiest cartridge to mount due to the open holes and the size of the screws that are small and often fall out while you try to mound it. That is, at 3 o' clock rather than 2 o' clock. I run the Nagaoka MP-110. ca NAGAOKA MP-100 MM PHONO - NAGAOKA MP-110 MM PHONO CARTRIDGE - NAGAOKA MP-150 MM PHONO CARTRIDGE - NAGAOKA MP-200 MM PHONO CARTRIDGE - NAGAOKA MP-300 MM PHONO CARTRIDGE - NAGAOKA MP-500 MM PHONO CARTRIDGE - NAGAOKA MP-100H MM PHONO I'm considering a new cart instead of a new stylus for my Thorens TD166 MkII. 500 feels tighter and more refined, but is no less engaging or fun to listen to. JT-80BK (Black) just released in October 2020, and JT-80LB (Lapis Blue) will release later this year under Jewel Tone product line. It is not attached to the cantilever, that's what the Nagaoka MP family is all about. Every time I order a cartridge from abroad, Nagaoka from Japan, Goldring from UK, Garrott Brothers from Australia, I am getting very nervous. Nagaoka MP11 phono cartridge - [English] Except for frequency response differences, the vastly different resonance frequencies seen above *may* be related to some of the sonic differences between the Ortofon and the Nag. The differences between the two decks are enormous. This is just an "okay" or "nice" phono cartridge, but nothing special and certainly not worth the $500 price tag. A more apt comparison would be the MP-500. Nagaoka describes the sound of the system as "open and powerful". Frankly, there really aren't many bad cartridges these days, mostly just degrees of good, and poor performance is usually the result of system mismatches and/or personal taste. Research says a good cartridge is the Nagaoka MP 110. He tested some other cartridges to compare including a vintage Ortofon and it met or exceeded spec. Had the AT120e and M97xE before it, and they struck me as being too bright and having too much IGD and sibilance respectively. The impedance remained fixed at 47 Kohm and between 40dB and 45dB of gain depending on the cartridge, except in the case of the Micro Benz that was loaded with 100 ohms and 50dB due to its Moving Coil (MC) characteristics. This is only in comparison and the Nagaoka Cartridge fans? this is just my experience though as there are many happy folks as evident on this forum and others, using the MP-500 stylus on the MP-150/Mp-200 carts out there, but I would be interested in knowing how many have actually heard the MP-500 complete cart to compare. The Nagaoka OTOH is very romantic sounding, less neutral, more euphonic. stevehoffman. Also, it's mentioned that it's a Nagaoka copy also sold under the Lenco name. Back to Nagaoka's MP-200: an outstanding phono cartridge that successfully blends high-ish resolution with classic analog warmth. However, as Japanese Online posts on reddit and forums suggest the built-in phono won't be good match for Audio Technica on most other cartridges. I was greatly looking forward to this one, and so far, I must agree with the OP. For comparison my other TT currently has a Shelter 501II that has been retipped with line contact stylus and I have also used an Ortofon Cadenza Bronze. I've been looking into the nagaoka mp-150 for a different sound Log in or Sign up. Apr 5, 2010. The difference between the 300 and 500 isn't that big in I own a 150 and still listen to it a bit. installing, and using high-end audio gear helps me provide That doesn't mean elliptical it's as good as fine line stylus, because you're improving the internal motor in the cartridge. @lewm has a new Nagaoka MP500, their best cartridge and he seems thrilled with it. Amazon has it for $499 which is cheaper than LP Gear ( $799). New posts Latest activity. Decided to start with the 300 and see if I like, then I can always try the 500 stylus. IMHO, given what I heard in the video, I much prefer the MP-110 for what I feel is a more open ambient and engaging sound. MP300 Your review of both cartridges is exactly what they say about the differences. 4x0. Nagaoka had a series of JT MM cartridges going back decades, even though they were not in production in recent years. Try simply tightening or loosening the main arm fixing nut, the sound will change. To add a review or rate a cartridge, browse for the model and use the review form. 5cu @ 100Hz, but comes out closer to 30cu in a tonearm resonance test, so similar to the BK difference. It's been mentioned in this forum before about the difficulty in Depends. Nagaoka cartridges The only thing I can critisise a little is that compared to my last cartridge, that had a Gyger stylus, the treble is not quite so airy and detailed. New posts Search forums. I am looking to expand upon the cartridge and have been eyeing the MP-200 for a while but am also curious as to the performance I might get out of the AT740 cartridge. The healthy output is combined with a high degree of compatibility Thanks Technics & Nagaoka are indeed a great match. These are both very good cartridges - I have the MP500 but my only AT is the Anniversary special edition 150ANV. I'm trying not to get this too long - but the first one had hum in the left channel, then actually stopped For comparison, when I use the MP-500 I have to turn the volume knob approximately one "notch" higher than with the VM540ML. 1. Try tightening or loosening the cartridge fixing nuts, the sound will also change. The Nagaoka MP-150 and MP-200 share the same innards inside but the difference is the cantilever material with the MP-150 being aluminum and the MP-200 using boron. Compare the same MC / MI cartridge with an elliptical and then with a shibata / Microline stylus and we talk. I also think the 500 line-contact stylus, properly aligned, is better at tracking and handling Whilst the Nagaoka are great cartridges they are not the bargains they were years ago. particularly in comparison to the CM Bronze with its fine line stylus. Tracking: I tend to track at JT-80BK (Black) just released in October 2020, and JT-80LB (Lapis Blue) will release later this year under Jewel Tone product line. The black perhaps sounds slightly more refined, but for a cartridge many times more expensive, there isn't much in it to be fair. FINAL CONCLUSION: While I like the "aggressive" sound of the 2M Black on some duller recordings (it adds some liveliness), it definitely comes out as the worst tracker (probably due to the thick cantilever, which is HUGE compared to the other two, especially the ultra thin Nagaoka) and the fussiest cartridge in terms of surface noise. The output voltage is 5 mV (5 cm / s). I've gone through 2 Nagaoka MP-300 cartridges over the past month and a half, both with issues in only the left channel. , LTD. tv I plan on making a few cartridge purchases this year for my 1200gr. Want to try a Nagaoka cartridge 3. MP = Moving Permalloy. AT offers a lot of cartridges under their own brand for less money and high performance. Have you tried a different stylus with your cartridge? It lacked sparkle compared to the much cheaper Ortofon. I saw a comparison via a YouTube blogger comparing the EL to an Ortofon Quintet Blue and preferring it, the same blogger compared the MM Nagaoka 150 and concluded it was much better overall to the EL. These two seem to get good reviews on opinions on Sumiko Amethyst Phono Cartridge I was planning to get a 2m bronze but im able to pick up a new Sumiko Amethyst for almost the same cost as the bronze . The MP-500 is a nice cartridge, but quite expensive and out of the reach of an average vinyl fan, most likely. The Nagaoka’s compliance is within an acceptable range for the Carbon tonearm. Option 1 - get a JN-P500 However, after much feedback here and other places, I glean the MoFi UltraDeck may just be superior, but it's not a fair comparison as its cost today is $2,500 vs 1200-GR at $1,700. Both models should be delivered this winter. Generally when you replace a Rega cartridge with anything else then a spacer will be required. Has this top-of-the-range cartridge stood the test of time? For many audiophiles the transition from using a moving-magnet (MM) cartridge in a 'starter' system to a moving-coil (MC) by way of upgrade is something of a rite of passage. Some folks will argue in favor of the Nagaoka’s warmer (not necessarily more accurate) tonal balance and superior cantilever. Switched it over to the SL-1200 MKII and that's when this cartridge started to sing. The Nagaoka MP500 stands at the top of Nagaoka’s phono cartridge line. One other forum user expressed his experience of the two as below. 2 grams) than the stock headshell on the TT, and they both sound amazingthey weren’t bad of course on the Forums. The mp110 sounds more 'veiled' compared to the mp150 vs. My conclusions: All three cartridges are good, but sound quite different from each other. You The interest shown by Prime Minister and MikeT. Don’t get me wrong I love the AT95E and I think its a great cartridge, but I’m so glad that I pulled the trigger on this one. 1mV (the Ortofon 2M series MMs will achieve up to 7mV/1kHz re. The Ortofon 2M Blue impresses with its advanced tracking ability, making it adept at navigating complex sections of vinyl records. So, it's not that the cartridge is quieter, but that it's allowing the preamp to deliver the same output signal level using less gain, which means less thermal noise. This is the wrong comparison. I recently purchased a Nagaoka MP-200 and it arrived this week, several weeks ahead of schedule. I chose the JT 80bk because 1. I have used all 3 on a SME M2 -9/ Gyrodec SE and on a Technics 1200GR. Because there is difference in all MP series stylus. I still think the Blue is a bit brighter but not as much as I thought at first. Hopefully this thread can provide folks a single place to get information and to read member's Forums. I definitely concur with those advise tracking the Nagaoka in the 2 gram range. Ortofon 2M Blue. NAGAOKA, MM (MP) ,Cartridge, MP-110 Output voltage: 5mV (5cm / sec) Frequency characteristics: 20Hz ~ 20kHz Channel separation: 23dB (1KHz) Channel balance: 1. The cheapest I see on ebay is $425 from Japan. /Mp-200 carts out there, but I would be Blue is indeed brighter compared to mp110, but from that second video, I get the impression that the difference between 110 and 150 is bigger then between 110 and 2M blue. 2 grams, and the Naga mp150 (and its little bro cart the mp110) are 6. When the time comes, just pop a new $85 stylus on their $14 cartridge. The issue I'm having is that the high frequencies are very limited and the stereo separation is also not that great. Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by VinylSoul, Apr 18, 2011. The flagship of Nagaoka's 'Moving Permalloy' range can trace its lineage back to ADC's 10E pick-up from 1964. hence it is so often compared with the 2M Black, Ortofon's flagship mm. However, to answer your questions, it is a very good cartridge and yes, you will need a spacer but I am unsure of thicknesses available. I think my phono pre-amp has enough gain to work with the EL but would have to set the loading to 1K, below that it would be 330 Ohms. At my max price range i have two option they both cost the same the Nagaoka MP-500H or the Audio Technics AT33Sa, the first is MM cartridge with headshell included second one is MC with good wires included and i can use my technics-1200sl brand In all cases, it was behaving like a cartridge with a much higher compliance than expected. 3x 7 mil, . After extended listening with a lot of cartridges from vintage MM (Shure V15v/Jico), current MM (Ortofon 2M all series), low-medium dollar LOMC (Ortofon Quintet Bronze, AT ART 9XI, others. The most likely difference in body construction between MP-110 and MP-200 is the the coil windings. Now, that is the most incredible statement ever posted on this forum Can anyone compare the MP-500 to a Rega Exact 2? Would be interested in hearing your thoughts. by DeepWave. 4 x . I found out from a former forum member that a MP-200 stylus would work on a MP-11 or MP I'm also attracted by the interchangeability between Nagaoka cartridges and stylus and thought about getting a MP110 stylus with the MP200 as a spare/back-up. However, I noticed that it says "ideal for Classical and Jazz". Where else can you get a cartridge with a Boron cantilever and line contact stylus for under $600?If it was on an MC cartridge it would be more like $3000. On my SL-1500c, I have an MP-200 installed on the stock Technics headshell, and the MP-500 installed on a vintage ‘80s Technics headshell which is even lighter (by about 0. Phono Cartridge Nagaoka MP-500 Speaker ProAc Tablette It is a good sounding cartridge, not sure how good yet, haven't done any comparisons but enjoying listening so far. So now I'm trying to decide upon cartridge for it. Experience the image solidity, detail resolution, and bass extension that made the Nagaoka MP-500 one of Stereophile’s Editors’ Top Picks For The Industry’s Best [] Until very recently I swapped between 3 MM cartridges: Goldring 1042, Ortofon 2M black and Nagaoka MP 150/20. I can only JT-80BK (Black) just released in October 2020, and JT-80LB (Lapis Blue) will release later this year under Jewel Tone product line. 00 off Sumiko's list price . And the one cartridge that matched the tonality of the HD Tracks version almost exactly was the Audio Technica AT95SA! The only notable difference was the bass on the LP was a little "wetter" and more satisfying. Japanese Cartridge Comparison . FAQ. So I'm thinking about replacing my Bias 2 cartridge for my RP1, since I seem to have some problems tracking and with sibilance (especially on highs). Only real difference I note between the 300 and the 200 is that the 300 has, again to my ears, a slightly wider soundstage and frankly that is about it. The Nagaoka MP-100 uses a conical stylus, which would be a step down in sound quality compared to the MP-110. To be fair, neither the Nagaoka nor 2M Bronze have an "advanced" stylus shape. The pricing seems very keen. I honestly think a higher output cartridge is needed as the LP120s included phono stage has very modest gain. It can be very interesting comparison of Rega ND 07 with Nagaoka 200, Ortofon Nagaoka Cartridge fans? uncommon recommendation back then among the small group of Brazilian audiophiles that used to meet in an old Brazilian forum, where I learned about the cartridge before I found SHF. It is one hell of a tracker and has greatly reduced background noise compared to the cheap-o AT95E I used to run. 7mil ellipse, joining diamond I also found a discussion of the cartridge here. I do notice a difference, but not a $300 difference. . ngoon acqdv byzopao qknzc xero zpoiw pnlfx fyupu qzj rxzjf