First impressions of the Nagaoka MP-110 phono cartridge

It should be like that, those cartridges are in a completely different league. Sometimes it takes a long time getting used to something good to realise when you go back to what you had before how much better your new purchase is.

 

I'm kind of returning to a theme for a moment. This is amazing. I can honestly say that the DL eliminates one particular crackle right at the of side 1 of an early copy of Joy Division's Still. It’s only audible on the AT95e. Now, I’ve played the AT a hell of a lot more than the DL-110. Will never know if it’s down to the DL vs AT or just the AT being worn if I don't buy a new stylus for the AT. But the DL doesn’t fix the IGD at the end of the UK Presence. The soundstage is definitely wider or more noticeable on the DL, too.

 

A worn stylus can cause more noise but a smaller stylus would go deeper inside the groove and won't be affected as much by surface hairlines or scratches. To some point of course, a damaged/noisy record is just that and no cartridge will fix it.

 

I couldn’t agree more. The tracking is an empirical fact, but that is not directly correlated to enjoyment of a cart. Personally I enjoy both carts but I appreciate the Denon much more as it behaves better across my collection, and the neutral open qualities have really won me over. The Nag is a great listen and does very well with classic rock. I find that it’s a great choice for people who love that genre.

The best test for IGD is always going to be a new LP, as there’s no chance of wear. Despite what some will claim on here, no stylus profile is going to eliminate wear; some thinner cuts can mitigate its effects, but I wouldn’t get your hopes up. As for the surface noise, I do notice quieter backgrounds almost universally with the Denon vs some of my other carts, but the Nagaoka blocks a good deal of noise as well.

My early U.K. repress of Still (traditional gatefold) is also a bit noisy despite being a visual VG++, the Denon and the Nag are pretty comparable in repression of noise on this record, compared to my Shure. I just caved in and bought a visual VG++ A3/B3 matrix UK press of Closer after frustration at never finding a A1/B1 for a decent price in years. Hopefully this one has a quiet background on my system.

 

That's irrelevant as far as you're concerned as you don't even comprehend my use of the term muffled.
Trying to find the reason for something you don't understand in the first place is a bit pointless.

 

Im saying it doesnt mean anything without proper context and understanding.

 

I still wish someone would clear up this 200 hour life span on the Nagaoka 110. Can that really be? I just bought one and if it is only 200 hours I will feel like I need to throw on a tuxedo, take a long pre-listening nap, and all sorts of other ceremonial things because subtracting from its precious life.

 

No, its an error in translation or understanding of the text. Any Elliptical diamond will only last 200 hours before it distorts a little on HF grooves. It last just as long as any other Elliptical which is to the point where you you notice or care to fix the distortion, typically 1000 hours. But after 200 hours its not considered as "new" anymore.

 

This just in... a $750 cart is (gasp) quite a bit better at some things than a $120 cart.

Film at eleven...
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I found my cartridge, Nagaoka MP-500

 

Any thoughts on how an MP-110 would compare to an Audio Technica VS245LP? That's what I have on my Pioneer pl-518 and it sounds great -- using a 4212-DEC stylus from EVG Japan, as original linear contact needles are very pricey. Lots of detail and good bass and no IGD I have noticed.

But this MP-110 looks cool, and I've seen it listed as a good pair for the Pl-518. And someone described its "thick analog sound," which caught my attention...but then I work in marketing so I'm a sucker for a good slugline! I also like the note that it reduces the presence of ticks and pops on less than pristine records.

 

I have used an MP-110 on a Technics SL-1200mk5 and I love the sound but would not describe is as "thick analog sound." The first descriptor I would use is "natural" and then maybe "balanced." AT carts are great trackers but they all have that upper treble lift which gives the illusion of air. They all sound lean to me. Bass is there just no weight and nuance. You will never struggle to hear the bass line with a MP-110. In fact, I was doing a comparison between the 2M Blue and the MP-110 yesterday because I'm thinking of replacing the former with the latter on my Planar 3. Most people would think that's a downgrade. The Blue is neutral and does nothing terribly wrong but I was finding its etched presentation off putting. It does grab the attention of the listener at first but after a while you start focusing on it and nothing else.

I have just upgraded to the MP-200 and only have about 15-20 hours on it. It's a far superior cartridge but I still have the MP-100 mounted on a spare headshell and store it in the cozy that's at the back of the table. I'm going to use it on sub VG+ records to preserve the MP-200. Why am I telling you this? Both carts + headshell weigh the same, so I don't have to do anything except swap them out (i.e., no rebalancing, changing VTA or VTF). On a few occasions, I have left the MP-110 on the deck when I put on a nice MOFI or Analogue Productions album, and it does not make me want to change it out for the MP-200. That should tell you something.

 

Yep, it tells you that both have no soundstage depth, so you don't miss it when you swap them out .

 

Actually, this is fair. The system I have the Nagaokas in is not the best for appreciating the depth in recordings anyway, so the Nags are not holding anything back. But when I was doing my comparison with the 2M Blue in my other system, where I can appreciate those kinds of things, the MP-110 has a much wider soundstage, which is something I do enjoy hearing since it makes things over all clearer. I have yet to hear a sub $200 cart that is noted for a deep and wide soundstage. If you know of one, please tell us. I have not tried the MP-200 in my other system. Who knows, maybe it does do depth.

 

My personal experience is that a micro line (or line contact) stylus does deep soundstaging better than ellipticals. My explanation is that you get more detail retrieval with such a stylus, details like reverb trails, ambiance in the recording...etc. These happen to be very important in (re)creating depth. But I could be totally wrong, having tried all the wrong ellipticals....

 

It’s a good sign that Nagaoaka is starting to get haters, means they’re getting noticed.
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Nah you're not wrong, that's just basic knowledge.

 

Did you not find that the blue was brighter and more upfront than the 110, or was that precisely what you were looking for?

 

I didn’t find it brighter in a bad way, I found the Nagaoka too veiled, and not nearly as effective as bringing forth the detail that the 2M Blue does. Never looked back. Perhaps it just works with the synergy of my system.

 

Super, thanks for your honest reply! I might just 'downgrade' to the 110 for that reason.

 

That's the impression I got when moving from MP110 to AT440MLB, and what I was hoping for.

 

I haven't waded through the 10-pages of this thread, but I will offer this endorsement to the OP:

I bought a Nagaoka MP-11 in 1980 and never felt the need to change. I have never suffered from IGD, brightness, sibilance, mistracking, or VTA-sensitivity. Record noise is non-existent. At 2g in a Hadcock GH228, it is all the fidelity that I could ever wish-for from vinyl. I'm buying a new TT next year, but the cartridge will not change (beyond becoming the MP-110 that-is).

A cartridge for a lifetime...

 

You must have some pretty non demading records.

 

The AT440 is definitely next in line for me to try.

 

See this is a great point. One of the main things I ended up disliking about the Nagaoka is that it wasn’t an all around workhorse. Some LPs sounded great and others just fell flat.

Once I got the 2M Blue I stopped worrying about the sound and the TT disappeared into the background. The Blue handled anything I threw at it.

The one good thing I can say about the Nagaoka is how forgiving it was with surface noise.