Interesting Review of Cartridges on YouTube

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by allied333, Mar 7, 2018.

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  1. allied333

    allied333 Audiophile Thread Starter

    Location:
    nowhere
    I bought an Audio Technica AT-120 & I find on youtube this person from Hi-Fi Vinyl News who has compared a lot of cartridges. His lot of 3 TTs looks to cost ten of thousands of dollars. In the $99-120 price range he stated the Nagaoka MP-110 crushes the AT120e. Should I sell the AT-120e and buy a MP-110 for my medium mass tone arm? I read on this site the AT-120 was preferred to the MP-110.
     
    Last edited: Mar 7, 2018
    Francois likes this.
  2. loki7177

    loki7177 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    NYC
    I have watched all of his videos. Love his content. Spends his own money on the gear. No hidden agenda. I have a Schiit Mani because of his review. I will be buying a MP-150 later this year when I visit Japan from his review too.
     
  3. punkmusick

    punkmusick Amateur drummer

    Location:
    Brazil
    This guy is funny. His review helped me when I bought my phono stage (Musical Fidelity V90 LPS)
     
  4. punkmusick

    punkmusick Amateur drummer

    Location:
    Brazil
    I've seen it, he put Schiit Mani as better than Musical Fidelity V90 LPS, which he put in second among 6 good options. Since V90 was easier for me to buy I chose it over the Schitt.
     
  5. Helom

    Helom Forum member

    Location:
    U.S.
    Keep the AT if it sounds good to you.

    Did this guy use preamps that allow for different capacitance loading? Did he optimize VTA and tracking force for each cart? Did he compare them after a substantial break-in period? I doubt it.

    I've owned enough carts in this price range to know the differences are not earth shattering when properly set up and given some break-in time. Elliptical stylus' on aluminum cantilevers can only perform so well.
     
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  6. allied333

    allied333 Audiophile Thread Starter

    Location:
    nowhere
    He appears very technical. So, I suspect set up of cartriages was correct. PF loading, not sure. But, break-in is questionable. And, break-in is important as some cartridges do improve a fair amount more vs others per what I read.
     
  7. JustGotPaid

    JustGotPaid Forum Resident

    If you like it bright keep the AT. If you want a bit more relaxed top end with less surface noise get the MP110.

    Nagaoka makes good carts. I personally don't like the sound of AT's.
     
  8. punkmusick

    punkmusick Amateur drummer

    Location:
    Brazil
    Why? What are his reasons?
     
  9. punkmusick

    punkmusick Amateur drummer

    Location:
    Brazil
  10. allied333

    allied333 Audiophile Thread Starter

    Location:
    nowhere
    See his review on youtube. Just enter at120e and a comparison comes up on his site.
     
  11. allied333

    allied333 Audiophile Thread Starter

    Location:
    nowhere
    The Ortofon Blue sounds wonderful & better than the MP-100 IMO. Ortofon is $279 for it at LP Gear, but $200 on ebay from Japan. I keep moving up in cost. $99 AT-120e $127 MP-110, now $200. Oh boy!
     
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  12. loki7177

    loki7177 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    NYC
    Yes he did all of those things. Check out his vids. He is very detailed. He has videos for setting up TT and carts. He knows what he is doing.
     
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  13. allied333

    allied333 Audiophile Thread Starter

    Location:
    nowhere
    Based upon your reply, he knows & hears a lot better than myself. He said the AT12oe is excellent on treble, but upper midrange accentuated, vocals shrill & sharp, bass transient leading edge soft & loss of dynamic punch plus impact. Flabby & woolly bass. Unnatural presentation. Damn!

    So, out goes the new AT-120e and in comes the ML-110. I learned a lesson on this one.
     
  14. Helom

    Helom Forum member

    Location:
    U.S.
    I checked them out and didn't see anything of the sort. He simply shows them being used on the same table.
     
  15. Helom

    Helom Forum member

    Location:
    U.S.
    o_O
     
  16. patient_ot

    patient_ot Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    His reviews need to be taken with a grain of salt. You can search for my old posts where I bring up problems with them. I'm convinced he has loading/capacitance issues with almost every AT cartridge he reviewed. There is a reason he likes Grado and Nagaoka cartridges so much - they are moving iron designs and not sensitive to capacitance. If his Technics 1200 still has the original cabling or something like it, that would mean he has over 300pf of capacitance before you count the tonearm wiring and the phono preamp capacitance. Doesn't matter if he can adjust his phono preamp down, still way too much capacitance for many cartridges.
     
    Sir Talbot Buxomly and c-eling like this.
  17. patient_ot

    patient_ot Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    Just don't move anywhere near a radio station with that Mani. Odds are you will get RFI and have to sell it. Been there.
     
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  18. patient_ot

    patient_ot Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    I have personally had exchanges about capacitance with him. He has one preamp where he can adjust the loading, but it doesn't according for tonearm and cabling capacitance, as I said in my other post. He doesn't appear to measure that with a capacitance either.

    Whenever I hear people complain about certain AT carts being too bright, 9 times out of 10 it's a loading issue.
     
    Helom likes this.
  19. Done A Ton

    Done A Ton Birdbrain

    Location:
    Rural Kansas
    I love my AT120Eb, but it did take a long time to break in. allied333, how many hours have you put on your AT?
     
  20. allied333

    allied333 Audiophile Thread Starter

    Location:
    nowhere
    I am far from radio station, but if I get interference I will use conductive spray on the cartridge. It will be shielded when attached to aluminum shell.
     
  21. allied333

    allied333 Audiophile Thread Starter

    Location:
    nowhere
    It is new in box, no hours use.
     
  22. Sir Talbot Buxomly

    Sir Talbot Buxomly Forum Resident

    Location:
    Glasgow, Scotland
    That's right. He doesn't seem to like AT MM cartridges, and that's his prerogative. Thousands would disagree.
     
    patient_ot likes this.
  23. allied333

    allied333 Audiophile Thread Starter

    Location:
    nowhere
    How much capacitance does the MP-110 want? I can change cables to get it perfect if necessary. I also know the MP-110 wants 68K input vs the 47K I have right now. A simple resistor swap in tube receiver. .
     
  24. patient_ot

    patient_ot Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    I don't know offhand, you'll need to consult the manual. Bear in mind that if you adjust the resistive loading that may affect the amount of capacitance needed.
     
  25. allied333

    allied333 Audiophile Thread Starter

    Location:
    nowhere
    I finally found the elusive MP-110 recommended capacitance. 150-200pF. I believe my TT is about 125pF & receiver adds another 30-40pF. 47K is value in this capacitance range per Nagaoka. My receiver is 47K. I am all set as is.
     
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