Needledrops: Ortofon 2M Blue & Nagaoka MP-110

I just did a few needledrops using these two different cartridges.
Set is Pioneer PLX-1000 > Musical Fidelity V90 LPS > Denon AVR-3200 integrated > (via Tape Out) 2010 McBook Pro running Audacity.
No filter, no cleaning, just the rough needledrops so we can hear any noise it may have.
Below you'll find links to Dropbox. Just samples (1 or 2 minutes). Songs with very different styles.
Which one you like better and why?

The Damned - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide - 2M Blue
The Damned - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide - MP-110

Miles Davis - So What? - 2M Blue
Miles Davis - So What? - MP-110

Social Distortion - So Far Away - 2M Blue
Social Distortion - So Far Away - MP-110

Hope I didn't do any mistakes and this works.
Cheers!

 

I'm biased as i have and enjoy the blue
Shame there is some groove damage/distortion that both are picking up- right channel on that Davis
The 110 seems to not be picking up the clicks and pops as much, but it could be the slightly lower mV.
I think both did quite well on the bass from The Damned tune

 

Thanks for listening. I noticed this, brand new record, but also never washed.

That bass is so good!

 

Which do you prefer? Both seem pretty comparable

 

I like the MP-110. A little smoother treble than the 2M Blue.

jeff

 

It's interesting. I had the Nag first than added the Blue. At first I thought the Blue was much brighter than the Nag. My system (including absence of room treatment) is on the warm side so when I put the Blue I found it to sound better. When using headphones, however, maybe too bright.

But now that both these cartridges have at least 30 hours each I guess the Blue broke in and smoothed out. When I put the Nag back to do the needledrops, I was surprised how much they sound more alike now than before. I still think the Blue is a bit brighter but not as much as I thought at first. The difference seems now very subtle to my ears. Other people may find the difference more evident though, it will be interesting to see the opinions.

By the way, I don't get that bass on The Damned CDs, and I have a few. Maybe I have some ressonance on the tonearm making the bass sound more prominent that it really is? If so, I don't wanna get rid of this ressonance too soon...

 

I forgot to say that I didn't attempt to match volumes. I wanted the difference to be noticeable.

 

Kudos on using a Damned song. Criminally underrated.

That’s all I got.

 

Too close to call thru stereo. Nag sounds better on my iPhone

 

I'm sorry, I don't know what this means.

 

Actually it's in the left channel, I just realized that RCA to MacBook was inverted so channels are swapped.

 

Speaking over just the sound and considering other factors like price Id be inclined to go with the Nag since its just much cheaper for me.
Even styli replacements are, so you will save a lot a few years down the line or pay still slightly less for the 150 stylus upgrade.

 

Any opinions on the sound ?

 

Will do once I get access to better sound that my phone speakers ;^)

 

The Nagaoka MP-110 has better bass reproduction and the overall sound is smoother while the 2M Blue is a bit more detailed sounding in the higher frequencies. I prefer the Nagaoka MP-110, personally, and can vouch how it sounded since I own one.

 

Nice, thanks

 

From your samples, I prefer the MP-110. Comparing back and forth, the MP-110 sounds a bit more open (spatial texture) and more engaging to listen to... imho.

 

Kinda how I felt when I dropped from the AT-150MLX down to the Blue. For my tastes- in a good way.
Using the Lounge has helped the taming as well. Some enjoy a detailed high end, I'm not one of them. On new remasters if I see the words-detailed/crisp/clean I usually shy away.

 

Both sound good, but I like the energy of the Nag. I'm hearing punchier transients coming from it.

 

I liked the MP-110 overall.

 

Thanks for this. While I've been considering going quite a bit upscale with a new turntable, I ordered an MP-110 for the current one. The samples helped me decide.

 

I forgot to mention that the Nagaoka went with the stock Pioneer headshell and the Blue went with an Ortofon SH-4.

 

Just to freashen my memory I looked up the specs of the AT110E and was surprised how similar the specs are to the Nag. Id love to hear what difference you pick out sound wise.

 

Did you notice any differences in arm/catridge resonance frequency?

 

No, but since they have a slightly different weight I thought I should register it.