Nagaoka MP-200 on Rega RB251

[samz]

Are there any compliance issues I should be concerned with this combination of cartridge and tonearm?

The tonearm is on my Linn LP12 and I have a Heed MM Phono Pre Amp.
Thanks

[dantheman91]

Hi

Welcome to the forum before you continue could you pop over to the welcome section and introduce yourself and your hi-fi taste in music ETC. it states in the activation email.

Thank You!!


Thanks
Daniel

[samz]

Hi

Welcome to the forum before you continue could you pop over to the welcome section and introduce yourself and your hi-fi taste in music ETC. it states in the activation email.

Thank You!!


Thanks
Daniel

Thanks, I have just done that.
Thanks again

[hifi_dave]

No problems but you might choose to add a spacer under the arm to raise it.

[samz]

No problems but you might choose to add a spacer under the arm to raise it.

Ok thanks, that is reassuring to know.

I have a VTA adjuster under the arm collar as I am using a 2M Blue by Ortofon. Would you know if the height of the Nagaoka and Ortofon are approximately the same ?

[DSJR]

Hope the exit cable has been properly dressed. Those thin Rega 250 series wires aren't best please with Linn's P clip and either need doubling up or matchsticks added to pack the space out. As long as the cable is anchored firmly in the p clip somehow, doesn't impeed the suspension and is possibly tied to the pillar too as we did the Grace 707 way back when..

[hifi_dave]

Depends how fussy/anal you are. Not a lot of difference but you can drive yourself mad playing around with the height.

[samz]

Hope the exit cable has been properly dressed. Those thin Rega 250 series wires aren't best please with Linn's P clip and either need doubling up or matchsticks added to pack the space out. As long as the cable is anchored firmly in the p clip somehow, doesn't impeed the suspension and is possibly tied to the pillar too as we did the Grace 707 way back when..

Thanks,
I had the RB251 completely rewired by Audio Origami, this included Cardas rewire and upgraded phono cables and foam fill in the armtube. Superb job I must admit and what a difference it has made to the sound, really superb. The arm was fitted very professionally by John at Analogue Innovation who took great care to ensure the cable was anchored and isolated from the suspension etc. John previously made and installed a Sole Sub Chassis for me, also resulting in a massive improvement in overall performance.

My next step is to replace my almost 3 year old 2M Blue. I have just bought a Heed Questar phono pre-amp after a recent home audition. Really enjoyed the warmth it added to the sound.
Samz

[samz]

Depends how fussy/anal you are. Not a lot of difference but you can drive yourself mad playing around with the height.

Thanks Dave,

How well do you think the Nagaoka MP-200 will match with my Heed Questar MM Phono Pre Amp? I have read so many good comments about the MP-200 I am thinking about getting one.
My 2M Blue has really been great fun to have and have enjoyed it very much. On the downside it is not so good on well used old records of which I have many.
I do like Jazz, prog rock etc but listen to most kind of music.
Thanks

Samz

[DSJR]

Ah, then you don't own an LP12, nor do you really own a Rega 251 either, since both have been "altered" :)

Why on earth go for a Nagaoka of all things when you could simply get a 2M Black stylus?

[hifi_dave]

I'm not that familiar with Heed, they're not widely available in the UK. I don't envisage any problems though.

Dave does have a point. The Nagaokas are very expensive nowadays, not sure why and you do already have a good cartridge, which can be dramatically upgraded with a Bronze or Black stylus assembly.

[samz]

Ah, then you don't own an LP12, nor do you really own a Rega 251 either, since both have been "altered" :)

Why on earth go for a Nagaoka of all things when you could simply get a 2M Black stylus?

Yes they have been altered but I cose my options carefully and have made significant improvements which have been cost effective and am very pleased with the outcome.
The Black stylus will not fit my 2M Blue Cartridge and the 2M Black is extremely expensive.
Also, the replacement stylus for the MP-200 is approximately half the cost of the complete cartridge. Compare that to the Black Stylus is more like 80% approx the cost on a new 2M Black.
The MP-200 would be top of my Budget but then when the time comes to replace the stylus it should prove to be more cost effective.

Thanks
Samz

[samz]

I'm not that familiar with Heed, they're not widely available in the UK. I don't envisage any problems though.

Dave does have a point. The Nagaokas are very expensive nowadays, not sure why and you do already have a good cartridge, which can be dramatically upgraded with a Bronze or Black stylus assembly.
That's interesting, I wasn't aware that I could upgrade the Stylus assembly from Blue to Bronze or Blue to Black.

[hifi_dave]

They share a common body.

I've nothing against the Nagaokas except the price. At one time they were in the budget to upper budget price range but are now very expensive. Not sure why..:scratch:

[julesd68]

Nagaoka carts range from around 60 - 600 quid. Don't think you can accuse them of being overpriced. They are just not very fashionable because they only do a moving magnet range ...

[DSJR]

They're not fashionable I suspect because they're rather high in compliance and can sound a little thin toned and wishy-washy in the wrong system. With respect, I feel an MP200 will be a sideways step rather than a move forward, but then, you may want a change for the sake of change.

Ortofon re-jigged their good and long standing OM and 500 range into the 2M models, which offer correct compliance for modern day tonearms, top quality diamond finishing and polishing and yes, I agree the prices are through the roof, but they are consistent, sound great and offer a nice compromise between Shure levels of tracking and enough balls in the sound to get your feet tapping on decent percussive music. The treble isn't tinny sounding either IMO...

[samz]

They're not fashionable I suspect because they're rather high in compliance and can sound a little thin toned and wishy-washy in the wrong system. With respect, I feel an MP200 will be a sideways step rather than a move forward, but then, you may want a change for the sake of change.

Ortofon re-jigged their good and long standing OM and 500 range into the 2M models, which offer correct compliance for modern day tonearms, top quality diamond finishing and polishing and yes, I agree the prices are through the roof, but they are consistent, sound great and offer a nice compromise between Shure levels of tracking and enough balls in the sound to get your feet tapping on decent percussive music. The treble isn't tinny sounding either IMO...
Thanks Dave,
It really is difficult choosing a new cartridge as I have not had the opportunity to try many. I am enjoying my new Heed Questar MM and the warmth it has added to the presentation.
As I don't know much about system matching I am not sure weather I should go for a similarly warm sounding cartridge or one that is more articulate to be able to blend nicely with the Heed's qualities ?

[DSJR]

I could go a bit further and say that you haven't heard the Ortofon yet, irrespective of the phono stage used, but you may not want to hear that from a Spacedeck fan (subtle hint there :lol:)

[RobbieGong]

A 2M Bronze or Black stylus will not fit / work then in the Blue. The bodies of all the 2M's look the same however the insides are different. The red and blue will fit and work in each other, the Bronze can be upgraded with the Black stylus. I've had the Blue and liked it a lot. I upgraded to the Black which is all the cartridge I need - wonderful ! It is very fussy about vta / sra hence I love the on the fly vta adjust of my Techie - I just take my time to turn in while tune playing eventually you'll just hear and know. Without easy vta adjust it is hard to get the best out of this cart in my experience - dont ask me why it just is. Once set up right the Black is worth every penny and is rightly said to display the realism of instruments on a par with the best mc's which I'd agree with. When set up right the parp of horns is so 3d and wonderful to the ears, samely percussion, keyboards, strings, vocals, you name it. Bass is not deep deep but tuneful and maybe a tad light on some recordings but not a problem as one reviewer commented as the other stuf is so good in respect of the listening pleasure :) Look on ebay. I've seen them go on da bay with low hours for not much over £200 which is a bargain - worth waiting for ;)

[samz]

A 2M Bronze or Black stylus will not fit / work then in the Blue. The bodies of all the 2M's look the same however the insides are different. The red and blue will fit and work in each other, the Bronze can be upgraded with the Black stylus.

Thanks for clarifying this. The 2M Black is going to be way out of my budget as I will be needing a cartridge quite soon as there is a drift in the performance of my 2M Blue which I estimate has done way in excess of 1,000 hours.
My budget will be approx £200 for a new cartridge and will need to be better than my 2M Blue and be good on used records (handle surface noise well). My shortlist was :-
Nagaoka MP150 or MP200
Denon DL110
Goldring 2500
Ortofon 2M Bronze

If I am unable to decide, I may get a cheaper low hours used budget cartridge for now.

[DSJR]

First choice out of that lot would be the Bronze I think... I'm happily using an old M20FL Super which I understand is a direct ancestor of the OM30, 530 and 2M bronze. Great sound and given a few hours to run in, offers great tracing of inner grooves and low surface noise.

I read somewhere that the Goldring 2000 series is made for them by Nagaoka, but I have no proof... In my opinion - "Me Too" pricing.............

The DL110 is a perennial favourite, still fairly well priced but a bit long on the tooth. Twenty five years ago when it cost £60 or so, the K9 was judged better I remember. The K9 was a funny one though, it never sounded bad, but never really scaled the heights either. Had a good tip though.

One smoothy which rarely gets mentioned is the Rega Exact. "Vital" tip as fitted to top Linn cartridges for decades, livelier balance to the Bias and Elys models and good tracing/tracking ability. Perfect for the arm you have, but you might find it a bit too safe?

Sumiko Blue Point? I love the "Special" although its skeletal construction is a pain and the sound may be a bit too "energetic" for older or worn records perhaps?

Oh, just get the bloody 2M Bronze and have done with it. You know it makes sense really :lol:

[julesd68]

Once set up right the Black is worth every penny and is rightly said to display the realism of instruments on a par with the best mc's which I'd agree with.

Interesting - could I ask what MC carts you have compared it with?

Like the Ortofon, my Nagaoka is a range-topping MM cart and when time comes to replace it, MC is the obvious way to go but am wondering how much I will need to spend to get something significantly better than what I have now ...

[RobbieGong]

Interesting - could I ask what MC carts you have compared it with?

Like the Ortofon, my Nagaoka is a range-topping MM cart and when time comes to replace it, MC is the obvious way to go but am wondering how much I will need to spend to get something significantly better than what I have now ...

Hi Julian, Good question and i'm glad you've asked. I have never owned an mc but have read loads including here and all over the net from a ton of different sources. Mainly because I needed to decide if I really needed to go down that road. To cut a long story short, over the years I read loads of reviews from audiophiles, customers, hifi mags etc where it was expressed that the Black displayed a fair number of characteristics usually associated with good mc's. I had a number of mm's in the past (some so long ago i cant remember the names), in latter years mainly Ortofon, ie Pro S, 2M Blue and then the Black. It was when I purchased the Black that I perceived what this mc thing might be about. Although the Blue was good I found the Black when set properly is a different ball game in my system displaying a realism to the instruments, holographic / 3Dness (lol) air around voices / instruments and seperation of parts that I had never experienced before - addictive and so enjoyable. I've attached a link to this regard from Hi fi News back in March this year where basically everything the reviewer expressed is exactly my experience of this cart.
The following which I've copied from the article particularly relates to your question:
But it was natural recordings of full orchestra that confirmed that the 2M Black is a stellar moving-magnet cartridge. Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances with the Dallas Orchestra [Athena ALSW-10001] was reproduced in truly holographic fashion and the description of instrumental timbres – cellos, oboes, strings – was wonderfully lifelike. Just like that delivered by the finest movingcoils. :)
http://www.hifinews.co.uk/news/article/ortofon-2m-black-pound;460/9344

[julesd68]

But it was natural recordings of full orchestra that confirmed that the 2M Black is a stellar moving-magnet cartridge. Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances with the Dallas Orchestra [Athena ALSW-10001] was reproduced in truly holographic fashion and the description of instrumental timbres – cellos, oboes, strings – was wonderfully lifelike. Just like that delivered by the finest movingcoils. :)
http://www.hifinews.co.uk/news/article/ortofon-2m-black-pound;460/9344

That's just what I feel when listening to my MP-50 and Rachmaninov!

I suspect that both our carts are near the top of the MM tree but I think that we will both need to dip our toes into the dark arts of the MC world at some point in the future. This will either confirm that our current carts are amazing value for money or that we have been kidding ourselves all this time ... :lol:

Unfortunately it's an experiment that I cannot afford to do properly right now!

[DSJR]

Interesting - could I ask what MC carts you have compared it with?

Like the Ortofon, my Nagaoka is a range-topping MM cart and when time comes to replace it, MC is the obvious way to go but am wondering how much I will need to spend to get something significantly better than what I have now ...

Less than £300 should do it! I'm thinking BPS Evo 3 here off the top of my head...

The MP50 was criticised for being far too compliant for most tonearms but having an impressive sound and impeccable tracking. Separation wasn't too hot on the review sample (never bothered a Decca :lol:) and the cartridge was cable-capacitance sensitive, much more then 100pF total causing treble rolloff to increase (most total values including cables are around 200 upwards...).

In fairness, I don't know if the MP500 has a lower compliance and greater overall stability, but come stylus replacement time, this may well be where you'd have to go..

[julesd68]

Less than £300 should do it! I'm thinking BPS Evo 3 here off the top of my head...

The MP50 was criticised for being far too compliant for most tonearms but having an impressive sound and impeccable tracking. Separation wasn't too hot on the review sample (never bothered a Decca :lol:) and the cartridge was cable-capacitance sensitive, much more then 100pF total causing treble rolloff to increase (most total values including cables are around 200 upwards...).

In fairness, I don't know if the MP500 has a lower compliance and greater overall stability, but come stylus replacement time, this may well be where you'd have to go..

Please forgive my ignorance but could you explain compliance and why it is important, preferably in simple terms??

I have a Kuzma Stogi tonearm which I believe is fairly high-mass, what tech-spec in an MC cart should I be looking for?

Apologies to the OP for temporarily hi-jacking this thread!

[AlfaGTV]

Enough of the BS! :scratch:

I currently own and use Ortofon 2M Red, Bronze and Black. I also have a Blue stylus.
THESE ARE PERFECTLY INTERCHANGEABLE!!!

The coils and material of the housing is a litte different however, Red/Blue is plastic and the coil windings are less refined. Bronze/Black house is made of Noryl and contain coils of very pure mono crystalline copper wire.

All are very recommended! All are also very sensitive to VTA, beware!

Regards
/Mike

[Marco]

They're not fashionable I suspect because they're rather high in compliance and can sound a little thin toned and wishy-washy in the wrong system. With respect, I feel an MP200 will be a sideways step rather than a move forward, but then, you may want a change for the sake of change.


Eh??? :scratch:

Surely we can't be talking about the same cartridge, Dave, which to my ears sounds the polar opposite of what you've described? Indeed, the "wrong system" would have to be utterly broken beyond redemption, before sounding like that!! :nono:

When did you last hear an MP200 and in what context, matey?

For the record, I'm a big fan of the current Nagaoka range of cartridges and would use the better ones (of which the MP200 is one) well ahead of anything Ortofon (or Goldring) make these days, save the 2M Black, which is superb. I find the rest too 'hi-fi sounding', in the current modern tradition, which is a style of voicing of equipment I dislike with a passion.

Sorry to be the odd one out, chaps!

Marco.

[Macca]

I had an MP30 for a long time and am currently using an MP11 - I've put about 400 hours on it in 2 months. I'd describe Nagaokas as rich sounding and a little bit 'beefy'. Incidentally I moved from the MP30 to a Goldring Eroica low output MC - it was a sideways step, ultimately, allthough the top end was more delicate and filagree with the MC. I'm currently toying with the idea of getting a better Nag (MP250 possibly). My only reservation is the cost of stylus replacement as my deck gets a lot of hours on it.

[DSJR]

Eh??? :scratch:

Surely we can't be talking about the same cartridge, Dave, which to my ears sounds the polar opposite of what you've described? Indeed, the "wrong system" would have to be utterly broken beyond redemption, before sounding like that!! :nono:

When did you last hear an MP200 and in what context, matey?

Sorry to be the odd one out, chaps!

Marco.

Actually, I don't think we're poles apart on this, but here goes anyway.. The bodies of these cartridges appear to be sensitive to capacitance which will affect treble reproduction in some systems. Perhaps this is where we differ? The "wishy-washy" bit is concerned with a very high compliance cartridge wobbling around in an arm too massive for it. The Rega is a medium mass arm but should be stable enough.

I'm generalising again - sorry chaps.....

By the way and to AlphaGTV (used to love the old ones :)), Thanks for clarifying that all the Ortofon styli work in all the bodies,although the better bodies have some refinements inside too.

[DSJR]

Incidentally I moved from the MP30 to a Goldring Eroica low output MC - it was a sideways step, ultimately, allthough the top end was more delicate and filagree with the MC. I'm currently toying with the idea of getting a better Nag (MP250 possibly). My only reservation is the cost of stylus replacement as my deck gets a lot of hours on it.

Is your Eroica microphinic in handling? I seem to remember it was awful for this and it messed with the overall purity of sound..


I found an MP11 in my bitty-box and the diamond looks to be good. I now have a spare mount for the Dual and will give it another go.

[Macca]

Is your Eroica microphinic in handling? I seem to remember it was awful for this and it messed with the overall purity of sound..


I found an MP11 in my bitty-box and the diamond looks to be good. I now have a spare mount for the Dual and will give it another go.

Is it microphonic? I dunno, would have thought all carts were? :scratch: I still have it but my Croft pre does not have an MC stage (do any of them) so would mean hooking up thru an LK1pre instead which is throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Give the MP11 a go and reprt back, I'd be interested to hear your take on it.

[DSJR]

Some cartridges used in more ordinary tonearms do seem to have handling issues. My B&O SP12 is terrible for this in the Dual, yet tracks sublimely and sounds smooth and cultured. The Ortofon MC30 Super I have, which sounded flabby in the bass and over-exposed in the treble when mounted in the LP12/Ittok of the late 80's, sounds properly integrated and handling-inert in the Dual and tracks well too at 1.8g or so. Crofty phono stages lack an MC option (I understand he doesn't like them), but I'm wondering if he couldn't experiment with an FET/Valve hybrid type one day when he's not so busy making what he does :lol:

I'll give the MP11 a go and report back :)

[hifi_dave]

I still have it but my Croft pre does not have an MC stage (do any of them)


Glenn is not a fan of MC cartridges, so his pre's and Integrateds have excellent MM phono inputs but not MC. If you want to use a MC, you will need to use a 'good' transformer.

[Marco]

Hi Dave,


Actually, I don't think we're poles apart on this, but here goes anyway.. The bodies of these cartridges appear to be sensitive to capacitance which will affect treble reproduction in some systems. Perhaps this is where we differ? The "wishy-washy" bit is concerned with a very high compliance cartridge wobbling around in an arm too massive for it.

I guess you hear what you hear, mate, but I don't get that at all. Do the figures suggest that the Nagaoka is a very high compliance cartridge? I don't know, as I haven't looked.

However, sonically, we're poles apart on this. I tried a friend's MP200 on my old Jelco SA-750, which is more high-mass (and "massive") than a Rega, and it sounded fantastic, in fact just like Martin's description of "rich sounding and a little bit 'beefy'", which is why I prefer it to current Ortofons and Goldrings, which I find somewhat 'brightly lit', a little 'tinny' and 'hi-fi sounding', for my tastes.

Nagaokas have always had more body and depth than other MM cartridges (they lead with their bass, rather than project 'false excitement' with a hyped-up 'shiny' top-end, which is the type of presentation I generally prefer) - the polar opposite of "wishy-washy" (at least my understanding of the term).

Anyway, dude, don't worry about it. Much of what is heard with any cartridge will depend on the influence of the partnering system, and how we interpret what we hear :)

Marco.

[DSJR]

Yep, many of the lower model Nags seem to have a treble which gently slopes off, although I do remember an MP11 Boron sounding rather acidic, which could well have been the systems we used back then. Today, the favourite (then) Rega R100 cartridge (the relative of the A&R E77 and current cheaper Sumiko's) sounds dull as ditchwater to me. Upper model Nags seemed crisper to me, but the delicate lengthy cantilever needs care IMO. Te Jelco 750 offers a tad of damping which must be a good thing. Glad the current models seem more friendly though and thanks for correcting me :)

[Macca]

Yep, many of the lower model Nags seem to have a treble which gently slopes off, :)

Indeed, the only issue I have with the MP11 is that the very top is perfunctory in nature, not noticeable on most rock and blues but play something a little more acoustic in nature and it is much more obvious. The MP30 I recall as having a superb top end, hearing the rivets on the cymbals sort of stuff. One thing both models do well is the reproduction of electric guitar - they get it just exactly right, with all of the body, tone and harmonic reproduced intact. Luvverly :)

[julesd68]

Well I think my MP-50 sounds rather fine on my Kuzma arm ... The treble is a massive leap forward from my old MP-10, as it should be! But if a significant improvement can be had by getting a better technical match, that could well be my next upgrade.

I emailed Franc Kuzma and he tells me that a cartridge with compliance below 20cu is an ideal match with the Stogi arm. I'll need to get the Puresound SUT and then maybe the Shelter 501 or a ZYX - all the Kuzma cartridges are actually made for Franc by ZYX I believe.

[DSJR]

The worst thing for high compliance cartridges in high mass arms is records with "ripply" kind of warps. Playing such can set all manner of instability issues off and these are clearly visible, the arm wobbling on top of the cantilever styruggling to keep the stylus in the groove. If your combination DOESN'T do this, then PLEASE don't worry..

SOME phono stages have marginal overload levels and the arm cartridge resonance is always around 8 to 10db high if not higher in some combinations. Attempts in some stages to filter this out often lead to a mechanical quality in bass reproduction, a sort of tight thump rather than a free breathing quality - I can't describe it better - but if the phono stage and the rest further downstream can cope with it, it ceases to be a problem apart from cone travel on small speakers and possible power wastage on smaller amps.

Hope this helps a bit and that I'm not spouting total bullsh*t :rolleyes:

[freefallrob]

Is your Eroica microphinic in handling? I seem to remember it was awful for this and it messed with the overall purity of sound..


I found an MP11 in my bitty-box and the diamond looks to be good. I now have a spare mount for the Dual and will give it another go.

I've used a Goldring Eroica LX LO recently on a RB300 mounted to a Heybrook TT2, it sounds(ed) very fine indeed although i'm certain the phonostge was holding it back (Cambridge audio 640P).

I haven't noticed any microphonics at all in use in this set up (BTW it matches the Rega very well), in fact it's very quiet.

ATB, Rob.

[Kt77]

Are there any compliance issues I should be concerned with this combination of cartridge and tonearm?

The tonearm is on my Linn LP12 and I have a Heed MM Phono Pre Amp.
Thanks

Hi samz,

Now what makes you think I wouldn't find you?, I'm just about on every forum out there. But here's the real deal as several have mentioned here - unless you're willing to push your budget towards say an Ortofon 2M Series Black or Clearaudio Maestro Wood?, don't bother.

Some might write the Nagaoka's off as being out of fashion, but I beg to differ, to my ears isn't just like the Denon DL103 series made years ago - but still have a loyal following to this very date. It has nothing to do with price - in so much as they're musical - it's as simple as that.

Yet some people love listening to HiFi - while others enjoy the sounds of music above all else. Many modern components have lost their way and are aiming towards a sound that's based upon Hi-Rez - detail at the overall expence of beauty - tonality - texture - timbre - timing - tempo and pitch of the notes themselves.

If you merely wish to have a cheap and HiFi'sh sounding system?, get an Audio Technica AT-95e and call it a day.

But if like me, you're into beauty of notes?, then the upper levels of the Nagaoka models would suit your ears to a "T". But then again - I'm biases.

Regards,
O_o scar

[DSJR]

Oscar, please watch out for the forum police. They're strict around these parts regarding introductions....

By the way and with respect - who says the AT95e ain't musical? It's a bit dull and dives in with both feet, but it's heart is in the right place and I think it sounds fine for what it is. Apparently the HE stylus available in the US is a great upgrade too :)

[The Grand Wazoo]

Hi Oscar,
It's the forum police here! We have you totally surrounded -step away from the keyboard, slowly raise your hands above your head and walk directly to the Welcome section (http://theartofsound.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=15). When you get there, please start a new thread to introduce yourself, your system & musical taste to the community. As you joined in April & haven't posted until now, we'll have a word with the judge & ask him to overlook that you forgot your joining email which asked you to do this.
In the meantime, you ought to know your rights (http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=17333)

[Tarzan]

l use a Nag MP110 in the standard arm , on a tweaked Techy and it sounds superb, smooth, full-bloodied, musical and is kind to surface noise- me likey:)

[samz]

I have an update on my pursuit of a new cartridge. I have read so much lately on the variety of websites and good feedback on Nagaoka Cartridges and paying particular attention to understanding their tonal palette, it is for this reason I have purchased and will collect tomorrow a used MP11-Boron.
This I think will be a sensible option as I have purchased it at a very low price and will give me every opportunity to learn wheather the Nagaoka character sound is the one for me.

Based on what I have read the, it seems perfect. I have read it provides a warm sound, laid back but without loss of detail, handsles surface noise extremely well and so on.

Ultimately I am a music lover first and foremost and I want whatever I choose to listen to music to get me to understand and appreciate the performance of what I am listening to. I want a sense of occasion when I play my records and that is where system matching and tailoring to suit what I want is so important.

I will try the MP-11 Boron for a couple of months and see how it fits in with my system and my preferred sound. If all is well maybe to move on up the Nagaoka scale and buy an MP-200.

Thanks again
Samz

[Audioman]

I have an update on my pursuit of a new cartridge. I have read so much lately on the variety of websites and good feedback on Nagaoka Cartridges and paying particular attention to understanding their tonal palette, it is for this reason I have purchased and will collect tomorrow a used MP11-Boron.
This I think will be a sensible option as I have purchased it at a very low price and will give me every opportunity to learn wheather the Nagaoka character sound is the one for me.

Based on what I have read the, it seems perfect. I have read it provides a warm sound, laid back but without loss of detail, handsles surface noise extremely well and so on.

Ultimately I am a music lover first and foremost and I want whatever I choose to listen to music to get me to understand and appreciate the performance of what I am listening to. I want a sense of occasion when I play my records and that is where system matching and tailoring to suit what I want is so important.

I will try the MP-11 Boron for a couple of months and see how it fits in with my system and my preferred sound. If all is well maybe to move on up the Nagaoka scale and buy an MP-200.

Thanks again
Samz

Don't buy or play with a used cartridge unless you can verify the stylus condition. Worn stylus is not a bargain. I guess you can get replacement stylii for the Mp11 though.

[DSJR]

The MP110 I believe, which turns it into a new model unless I'm very much mistaken :)

[samz]

Just to update.
I have received and installed the Nagaoka MP-11 Boron. The stylus appears to be in good condition under close inspection.
I fitted the cartridge, adjusted VTA set up as best I could. I have the downforce set at approx 1.9g at present.
Also used the Hi-Fi News Test Record which I find really useful. The way it handled the tests on the record was far better than the results I was getting with the Ortofon 2M Blue, so all appeared very promising.
Having played some vinyl for about 3 hours now my initial observations are much more realistic cymbals, they rung very sweetly without any harshness or splashing, very impressed. The bass is more defined, warm sounding but not wooly if that makes sense. A much better texture to the overall sound, laid back without noticeable loss of detail. Another bonus was in the way is greately reduced surface noise, this is great for me as I have a lot of used records.
Overall, very impressed and looking forward to spending some time over the weekend enjoying the improved sound.

[Tarzan]

Nice, warm and very kind to surface noise is the MP110:)

[Tarzan]

Sorry- you are talking about the MP11, l need a holiday asap:doh: