Nagaoka MP-500 cartridge

I see LP gear has these for $600, they look nice, metal body, set screw holds stylus to body, boron cantilever, linear contact stylus.
Anyone here heard one or own one? I'd like to read a review of this cartridge by someone that owns or has heard the AT150MLX.

 

One of my compadres on the long and winding "What Are You Listening to on Vinyl Now" thread uses a Nagaoka, but I'm not sure if it's the model you're interested in. Hopefully, he'll see this thread. . .

 

M Fermer, made a comment about it in one of his recent Stereophile columns.

M~

 

Bumping this thread, any comments on the MP-500? Very interested in this cartridge...

 

I have one and like it, but it doesn't seem to handle IGD as well as my Shure M97xE w/Jico SAS. Superb sound overall, though.

 

Really, thanks for that tidbit, I have a Shure M97xE w/Jico and was looking to get something with a different "flavor" . One requirement is its gotta handle IGD as well as the shure/jico. Hmm now im thinking something else....Ortofon Black, Dynavector 20X2....

 

Its Hard to find a good tracker anymore. 2m black I owned for a few months was not good at all, that chubby aluminum cantilever = high tip mass = mistracking, waste of a shibata IMO. Ortofon quintet black has thin boron cantilever, tracks nicer.

 

I'm going to try one (Mp-500), I don't think that tracking will be an issue in my setup. The other cartridge that is on my radar is the Cartridgeman Music Maker.

M~

 

Not quite in the same price category, but on my cheaper turntable (Dual CS5000) I run the Nagaoka MP-110. It is one hell of a tracker and has greatly reduced background noise compared to the cheap-o AT95E I used to run. IGD is also very low, easily beating the 2M Red and the AT95E.

I've never used the MP-110 with my VPI Aries - too much hassle to swap out the Dynavector there.

 

An extra armtube is your friend. Well worth it's weight in gold.

M~

 

true that!

 

any comparison in how the sound differs between the two? much appreciated on any insight...

 

I have an MP-500 and haven't noticed any inner-groove distortion on my Well Tempered Amadeus. You can get the cart for $400 if you want to order it from Amazon in Japan and go through a proxy service. There's a little risk involved, though, because proxy services make returns difficult.

 

How many days will it take for a MP-500 to arrive from Amazon Japan?

 

This guy says about a week. Disclaimer --- I don't him from Naruto.



M~

 

This guy is me
Maybe Proxy service will take 3-4weeks to arrive for you. Because Amazon Japan has no stock of Nagaoka.
Moreover I worry about their packing. It's still for domestics shipment, very poor packing for international shipment.

I can dispatch Nagaoka within a few days. My packing is perfect!
http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threa...nd-new-at-the-lowest-price-from-japan.357493/

 

You're everywhere.

M~

 

I'd say the MP-500 has more tangible midrange and bass. Just a really nice tone to it.

 

Yes, midrange of the MP500 is worth $1000-$2000.

 

I've not had any issues with IGD, but I set mine up with the Feickert protractor.

 

I use an MP-500 on a simple Rega RB-250 tonearm (just about a perfect mass<->compliance match) and it tracks great. I run it near the upper end of the tracking range (forget exactly what). Indeed its strength is a wonderful midrange, but it's also very balanced. I think it punches above its price class.

I use an Ortofon 2M Black on my other TT (Pro-Ject 9c carbon-fiber tonearm) also with good results. Perhaps the user above had a tonearm mismatch? I have no mistracking problems with my Black at all, even on an arm that is probably a little bit too low-mass for a perfect match.

Eh?

 

Yes that's what I've heard.

M~

 

MP-500's very small line contact stylus seems to require very precise alignment.

 

The things I've ordered from Amazon.jp have arrived in about ten days. Around three days to ship from Amazon to the proxy service, and a week from the proxy service to Los Angeles. My Nagaoka was actually shipped from Joshin, a large consumer electronics chain; I just bought via Amazon.jp because I already had a Japanese shipping address registered with them.

But if were the OP, I'd just buy it from you : )

 

I'd say the MP-500 is similar to the AT33-PTG in that both are approx. $500 cartridges that sound like $1000 cartridges. In my experience the AT is a bit more detailed and the Nagaoka is a bit warmer and weightier.

And let's not forget that the Nagaokas have replaceable styli. (Kazu, can you also get the replacement styli?)