Where's my Nagaoka peeps at?!?

Unless my searching abilities suck i'm noticing mainly years older posts on the Nagaoka MP30 (MP300) and MP50 (MP500) so thought i'd start a new one. If i missed something please do let me know and i'll post there instead....

So about 8 months back i found a crummy turntable in some guys garage. What this unremarkable turntable did have mounted to it however was a Nagaoka MP30 which looked brand new......the guy said $50 and i couldn't pull money out of my wallet fast enough!

Brought it home and it sounded beeee-autiful!!!

Fast-forward to a couple weeks ago and i posted a few photos on the facebook vinyl group i'm on and someone commented that they had a MP50 that they did not like (said it was thin in the bass dept.). No idea of hours but to them besides the bass it sounded good. So i says "how much?" and he says "$120"....and again i super fast pull money out of my wallet (well, i sent him a brand new HE stylus for his V15iv actually in trade).

Had it checked under a microscope by the tonar/nagaoka rep (who i deal with *coughshamelessplugcough*) and he said it looked well polished and mildly worn. I take it home, mount it, and she sings beee-utifully!!!

My first impressions were very detailed, smooth, and musical. I've had no tracking issues and it runs quiet.
The bass didn't seem lean to me, but it also didn't seem as "boomy" as the mp30, which in comparison i also found a bit "faster" sounding.

For $120 i feel like i did alright and will save up some pennies for a new mp500 down the road

Anyway, i was just wondering if anyone else here has a MP30/300 or MP50/500 and your impressions?
If you have/had both i'd love to hear your side-by-side impressions as well on the two.

Thanks for reading!

 

I haven't been able to find much on the Mp-300 either. Let alone a comparison between the two. One or the other will be my next cartridge, so I am interested in any comparisons/user comments on either as well.

 

its not a comparison, but this is a pretty good review on the nagaoka mp500
http://wallofsound.ca/audioreviews/review-the-formidable-nagaoka-mp-500-phono-cartridge/

 

Question: If I purchase the mp300, does it share the same body with the mp500? Can I later replace the stylus with a mp500 replacement stylus? I love saving money.

 

The MP300 and Mp500 share the same body, the difference is the stylus. so yes

I'm crazy frugal too haha

 

I'm a huge fan of Nagaoka cartridges. I had the MP-110 first and then upgraded to the MP-500. It must be said that these cartridges are definitely NOT for those who like a discotheque-type of sound, with the typical "smiley" EQ curve. On the other hand, if you like a natural and warm sound with an even frequency response along the whole spectrum, you definitely want a Nagaoka. 25 years ago, the "smiley" EQ curve was my preference and back then I would have liked something along the lines of an Audio-Technica AT440MLa/b. But time made me realize that middle frequencies, which are typically less prominent than lows and highs in what the average listener associates with "hi-fi" sound, are where the "meat" and "soul" of the music lives (I even stopped using equalizers, which were a must for me to get the sound I liked when I was younger). That "average listener" may not be impressed by the sound of Nagaoka cartridges, but they rule in my book.

 

That's is a big jump from the 110 to 500. Did you notice a significant upgrade? (i obviously know there is one, but just wondering to your ears where you felt the upgrade in sound came)

 

Yes, absolutely. I even made a video trying to show the differences:



(Of course, the differences are more noticeable now that the MP-500 has some mileage)

 

super cool!! I'll check it out tonight (as my work doesn't allow for the yoootube )

 

I've had an MP500 for awhile and like it a lot. I also have a 2mblack and since it is very highly thought of here, I'll compare to that. The Ortofon is stunning with pristine records, but the MP500 is easier to listen to for hours. It has a great, full sound that is extremely satisfying, pretty similar to my Blackbird, but it does not have the black background of the Sumiko LOMC. It is more forgiving than than the 2m but does not hide flaws like I have heard the 110 does

 

Because the mp500 is a fine line it digs deeper in the grooves, so it def is going to pick up more detail, and more flaws. Hence why i think the elliptical seems to cut down on surface noise a bit better.

I find the same, its so very easy on the ears and kinda draws you in. I did love the denon dl110 though (and sometimes miss it)

 

I have been running an MP200 for a while now on my P5. Quite like it.
sometimes i wonder if i should consider upgrading it... either with a 300 or 500 stylus... or not

 

I have the MP200, up from a 110. I love the sound.

 

Nice job on the video comparison! You can definitely hear the difference between the two. I really like the way the MP-500 fills everything out while clearing up the vocals also. Much more presence and air to my ears, though my wife thought she slightly liked the MP-110 better. Now that your MP-500 has some time on it, I'm sure it sounds even better.

 

I remember watching your video when I was looking into the Nagaoka line and was super impressed! Comparing the two cartridges the MP-500 sounds much better than the MP-110 (Which it should considering it's the flagship model). I ended up having to settle for a MP-200 and I absolutely love it! Eventually I think I want to upgrade to a MP-500. My Nagaoka paired with my Phonomena II+ sounds amazing! The soundstage is crazy detailed on some of my records! The first time I put on my Sinatra at the Sands I was blown away.

 

What kind of lifespan are Nagaoka owners getting from their styli?
There are concerns on the web about short stylus lifespans since Nagaoka states 150-200 hours. Is this fact, or fiction?

 

The guys at Nagaoka are very conservative. Any diamond stylus should be able to perform with no problems for at least 600 hours of use. I'm running mine since August 2014 and this is how it sounds today (recorded yesterday):

 

Thank you!

I always enjoy your videos BTW!

 

with my mp50, the previous owner wasn't sure on the number of hours as it came off a previously bought table, so i imagine its on the higher end of things, but honestly it sounds great! I think like he says above, Nagaoka is conservative in their estimate (or just wants you to keep buying more needles from them

 

I'm quite keen on a Nagaoka MP 200. With @kazu seemingly out of the picture right now, does anyone have any recommended sellers (preferably one that will under-declare value for customs) from where I could source one and save myself some money on the UK price?

 

This thread pertains to my interests.

Has anyone heard most or all of the Naga lineup? How big are the quality jumps between carts in their range?

For example, with the Ortofon 2m line, some say the Blue and the Black are the 'standouts'. Any particular standouts in the Naga range?

Also, I assume the Naga 'house sound' is maintained throughout the range?
.

 

It is easy to see the quality difference if you look at the bottom of the range and compare it to the top of the range specs. The 110 has a bonded .4 x .7 elliptical stylus - nothing special by any stretch. The top level 500 has a nude line contact stylus mounted on a boron cantilever. I would never buy the 110 because I'm very sensitive to inner groove distortion and the 110 isn't going to deal with that well, especially on aggressively cut records. No cart with a stylus like that would. I'm sure the 500 is very nice but it is also a very expensive cart (around $700 IIRC).

You can easily see the difference in the 2M line by looking at the specs also. You don't get an advanced stylus shape until you move up to the Bronze, which is a lot more expensive than the much cheaper Red. The nasty sibilance problems of the Red should be non-existent on the Bronze and Black also.

 

I am hooked up with the nagaoka supplier here in Canada but I can only get the styluses (the cart/stylus combo he keeps exclusive to brick and mortar stores, of which I am not).

Nagaoka (cdn funds)
110 $ 115.00
200 $ 300.00
300 $ 385.00
500 $ 470.00

Right now I can also get a few nos osawa branded mp11’s (they are nagaoka mp11's, just branded under who I believe was the carts original designer). Those are $100cdn

The prices above include tracked shipping to CANADA and the USA. I do ship airmail overseas for around $12 but to track a package is really pricey (so you'd either have to be ok with the risks of non-tracked airmail, or pay for tracking)

I do have an extra mp30 body too if anyone's interested, would prefer to sell it with a stylus.

(Mods: I realize I just promoted stuff but it was based on a question asked....I'll happily delete this if I overstepped)

I sent you a pm back by the way Norliss

 

I had a Nag MP110 on my old Rega P1 and it was an amazing cart. Amazing value and performance for the money. Doubt you can find a better cart in that price range. Cant say enough good things. Running an Elys 2 on my Rega Planar 3 but am tempted to swap it out for a MP300 soon.

 

I can speak to the mp30 (300) and mp50 (500) which I currently have. They beat the pants off the mp110.
The mp30 sounds great, I find it's a very warm and musical cartridge that handles everything well and I find it excels at jazz. When I went up to the 50 the warmth and musicality was still there, but my god the detail really shone out.

I had a hard time switching from my denon dl110, but when I finally gave the nagaoka a chance I realized i wasn't going to miss anything.

With any nagaoka cart my experience and the experience I've read and been told first hand are that at first it's just a nice cartridge. But the more you break it in and listen to it, the more it captures you.

Anyway, I'm bias though haha