Nagaoka JT-1210 (and the rest of their new product line)

i only wonder why the new cartridges are also .4 x .7 elliptical ... it's the standard size ... a refined elliptical it's more common in .3 x .7 (like ortofon blue or at vm95e)

i'm not saying nagaoka are bad cartridges (far from that), but it's strange that elliptical size. Maybe a finer profile changes the signature sound they want, but .4x..7 are more prone to IGD.
i'll buy a nagaoka to know the truth ... but i'll wait for the new versions.

 

Anyone else using the JT-1210?

 

How does the JT-1210 compare to... lets say the Ortofon 2M range? 2M Blue? Or more like Bronze or Black? Its really difficult for me to get the quality level of this cartridge (whats so special about a "Boron cantilever"?).

It cant be too entry-level or Technics would not have it selected to match it with the SL-1210 GAE.

 

Really nothing like any of those.

People like boron because it's lighter and stiffer than aluminum. Aluminum works very well as a cantilever material though.

Typically boron cantilevers are reserved for fancy, extreme cut stylus shapes. Not elliptical styli. Nagaoka is one of the few manufacturers that pairs them with elliptical styli.

 

Thanks for the explanation!

So you're saying the JT1210 is worse then all the 2M? Even the SL-1500C comes with a 2M Red (and most people say a 2M Blue would have been better for that kind of turntable). And then Technics pairs it with a $5000 Limited Edition turntable?

(Sorry, that is all a bit new to me, so forgive my questions )

 

It's different. I never said it was "worse". Please don't put words in my mouth.

 

I'm sorry, I misunderstood you... as the JT1210 cannot be bought separately I'm just trying to guess the quality level of that cartridge. Is it a £100 entry level cartridge? Or more in the upper price/quality range (> £500)?

There are not really many reviews for the catridge (only for the SL-1210 GAE), so its difficult.

 

You can't really use price as a proxy for cartridge quality, because all of these cartridge companies are working with different stylus suppliers, have different overhead, and different economies of scale. Not to mention price points are often different in different parts of the world.

The JT cartridges are sold separately, but I don't know if you can buy one at the moment without buying them directly from Japan. I forget the prices but they were not exactly cheap. But again, I would not use price as a proxy for cartridge quality, IME.

 

As mentioned on the first page, the JT1210 is just the new Nagaoka JT80BK rebadged for Technics, so it goes for around $600 via ebay JPN sources, more if you buy from US/UK dealer, give or take. Kinda pricey, but not quite as pig ugly in the all black JT80BK guise ...

 

Thanks, this makes much more sense to me now.

 

Since it is a MM cartridge, can you get a replacement tip, like you can for Ortofon 2M?

 

Yes, the pig nose part is replaceable ...

 

I wonder how it sounds

 

I’m thinking of purchasing one and see how it sounds. If this thing was originally designed with the 1210 GAE in mind ( under a different model #) this may be a winner on my 1200GR.

 

I’m really happy with the JT-80bk. The cheaper version has a couple of good reviews as well if you dig for them on google.

 

There is another thread dedicated to this cartridge, and I have posted this information also in that thread.

I have bought the Technics SL-1210 GAE set last year, which came with the Nagaoka JT-1210 cartridge. Since I have a MC system already, I do not need the JT-1210. At first I thought I should just keep it to have the complete set, but giving it some more thought, it does not make so much sense to me (I don't plan to sell the SL-1210 GAE).

And I didn't want to just try it out, knowing that I probaly wouldn't be using it, and then the cartridge is not brand new anymore. So it is brand new in the box, never removed from the box.

To make a long story short, I decided to sell it. I can ship worldwide. I listed it on eBay in Germany, my eBay handle is the same as my name here. Starting bid is just 1 Euro and I just let it go. In the end, it doesn't matter to me if it sells for a low price, it will still be extra money compared to have it sitting in the box.

I would prefer selling it to a forum member, and it will probably go for a real reasonable price.

 

Those are certainly nicer in the looks department than JT1210 grey nose, not pig-ugly as MP range.
Exiting if they will introduce a fineline stylus tip variant than Elliptical.?

I've read the JT80BK sound smooth like in Smooth.

 

Hello,

Is the Cartridge still available?

 

No, it has been sold.

 

I have bought Tonar Birdie DJ cartridge and realized that it is made in Japan by Nagaoka. It looks like from 1982 and came without a stylus. Most probably stylus was stolen, not that this would be a normal thing. Luckily, I could find Swiss made stylus for the same cartridge for 16 eur. It sounds amazing and very powerful (5 mv output).