Now that the Technics SL-1210GAE turntables have been shipped with the new Nagaoka JT-1210 catridges, we can definitely say that Nagaoka has come up with a new cartridge. It was announced that it's part of broader product line that Nagaoka will be introducing. Does anyone know when that new product line will be released? Also, has anyone burnt in their JT-1210 already? How does it sound? Been dubbing for a while now if I should get a Nagaoka MP-500 or wait until they release their new lineup.
Will be interesting to see if this is truly a new design or just a tweak of an existing one. Nagaoka also does OEM MM carts for various brands that are different from their own MI line. I wouldn't be surprised if this new line is just that, with some different stylus options we don't normally see. That said, there is very little info on these new carts ATM.
True, it might as well be old wine in new bags. It’s not that unusual to put the same driver/generator and stylus in a new case... but even the outside can change the cartridge compliance and weight.
Yea, has that pig snout out front, does seem kinda odd shaped. At least the colors aren't bad, they aren't really known for their tasteful color coordination ...
I doubt they will get rid of the old line. The new line will likely just supplement it. Years back Nagaoka used to sell many more models under their brand which went away over the years and then for some time only the MI line remained. You can get some clues of what the new line will be like once more details and specs are out. A couple years ago they made a cart for Pioneer that was MM. It was very similar to a Tonar Diabolic, which is just an Excel ES-70 on DJ Steroids - and the ES-70 basic design has been around forever.
I expect a cartridge made for a 4k turntable to be of a higher quality than one made for the PLX-1000 though. Just looked it up and found the PC-X10 which is a conical DJ stylus : https://www.pioneerdj.com/en-us/product/accessories/pc-x10/black/specifications/#info 9.5mV output, now that is... strong.
Of course. Over the years there have been a number of "fancy", "audiophile" versions of the ES-70. Output will be more modest, better cantilever, better diamond, lighter magnets, etc. Here's one extreme example: Optim FGS Ruby | Garrott Brothers
Aii those candy colors... Origin live recently released their “Aladdin MKII” cartridge that looks almost as hideous as that one: Origin Live Aladdin Cartridge | Origin Live Would be fun on a Disney themed Crosley though
Looks like rebadged Soundsmith ES series...actually that's exactly what it is. Very few companies actually make cartridges. Lots of rebranding and OEM work for various brands though.
Jup it’s a Soundsmith, so it probably sounds much better than you would expect at first sight! I think it’s a Soundsmith Zephyr both high output MI; very similar
I thought it would be useful to post the specs here as they're still hard to find. Nothing special from the looks of it, except for the relatively low recommended load capacitance.
@Oelewapper Based on the specs, it uses the same boron cantilever and stylus tip from the MP-200 cartridge.
NAGAOKA MM RECORD CARTRIDGE JT-80BK | eBay You can buy one. I've seen at least two others in the line that are not the JT 1210 model, I see very little info online other than some articles in other languages ( than english ) saying that the JT line is an 80th anniversary line. Since these are labeled as MM then my guess is that these are coming out to help bring in more profit their way from people who would maybe be shy about getting a MI cart. They have the reputation to get people to browse their products, and by all accounts Nag has some great product, I really don't see a mm line out performing their mi line, but they probably figured that putting some effort into a few mm carts will generate more sales.
They are listed on the Nagaoka site with specs as below for the 80BK model (the BK is boron/elliptical, while the BL is aluminum/elliptical) ... the BK is shown on their site priced a little above the MP-200 ... Product Specifications format Moving magnet type (MM type) output 3.0 mV (5 cm / sec) Frequency characteristic 20Hz-20.000Hz Channel separation 25dB (1Khz) Channel balance 1.0 dB or less Cantilever boron Needle tip 0.4x0.7mil ellipse / diamond Stylus pressure 1.3g-1.8g ダイヤモンドレコード針のナガオカ・NAGAOKA CO., LTD.
Not a fan of the new look either ... they're just missing two dots for eyes and the pig look would be complete. Specs look similar but I'm wondering will they still have the Naga house sound ?
Funny how they're only mentioned at the Japanese Nagaoka website. Looks like they're still hard to get over here. I think it's the same thing as the JT-1210 but with a dark stylus part instead of grey. Makes it look a bit less like a pigs snout, so that's an improvement.
Technics Selected Nagaoka cartridges on new models Not AT Nagoaka are the only cartridge company to make every part in house Including the Stylus & Cantilver & No1 for diamond styli World standard We are proud of one of the world's leading technological capabilities in microfabrication of difficult-to-cut materials. "Nagaoka" boasts the top share in production as the number one in the record needle. Since its founding, our company has been doing track record mainly on precision processing of jewelry for 80 years. We are proud to say that microfabrication technologies for difficult-to-cut materials such as diamond, cemented carbide and ceramics are at the world level. We respond to the demands of the evolving era and expand the field further pursuing them. We are always challenged to develop and create new technologies Advantages of working with the highest degree of diamonds on earth Diamond · sapphire · ruby etc. Starting with jewels, cemented carbide, various ceramics .... Although these hard hard materials are superior in abrasion resistance, they have a property that they are brittle and easily chipped, and advanced processing techniques are required for processing. Thirty years after working on micro-processing of the hardest diamond on the earth, Nagaoka applied multidisciplinary technology that is proud of the world. We are steadily responding to requests that are highly accurate and high quality with the times, from 1 / 100th of a millimeter to 1 / 1000th of a millimeter, and even finer