Music Maker mk3 MP500 comparison

[Clint H]

HI Folks

My second post since joining recently. Currently running a Nagaoka MP200 on my Rega RP6 & they just work together so well. Just dipping the old toe in the water & was just wondering if anyone had heard the Nagaoka MP500 & Cartridge Man Music Maker 3, both get great reviews, both a similar price. I'm not interested in going MC yet & the deck one of these cartridges would be going on will be along the lines of a Funkfirm LSD or Rega P8. I was lucky enough to hear a MP200 on an RP6 before I bought mine but I don't know anyone with the Music Maker or MP500. Cheers people.

Clint H

[chris@panteg]

I once had a music maker mk1, I used it on an SME 310 mounted on a Voyd. 5 and it was superb, sounding more like an mc with low surface noise and excellent tracking, one caveat is that the tracking force needs to be precisely 1.56 grams, it's really fussy.

I've only heard the mk3 at a show but it sounded very good to me.

[WESTLOWER]

HI Folks

My second post since joining recently. Currently running a Nagaoka MP200 on my Rega RP6 & they just work together so well. Just dipping the old toe in the water & was just wondering if anyone had heard the Nagaoka MP500 & Cartridge Man Music Maker 3, both get great reviews, both a similar price. I'm not interested in going MC yet & the deck one of these cartridges would be going on will be along the lines of a Funkfirm LSD or Rega P8. I was lucky enough to hear a MP200 on an RP6 before I bought mine but I don't know anyone with the Music Maker or MP500. Cheers people.

Clint H

I've had the Cartridge Man Music Maker 3 (Copper coils) and I now have the Cartridge Man Music Master LE (Silver Coils).
I have to say, I loved them both. They have a pretty sophisticated tip profile. The only down side is the body construction is nothing to shout about, Grado (plastic)

I find them Precise, clean with extended, detailed bottoms and tops. They track really well. Real toe tappers too, which for me is very important.
I have no experience with the Nagaoka MP500.

[Clint H]

Thanks for the replies gents, most appreciated. I'm looking at possibly upgrading my deck sometime & have had demo's of the new Rega P8 & heard the Funkfirm LSD when I was in the market for my current RP6. The LSD was in another league to my RP6 but I didn't have the funds at the time to get one. But rather than getting an MC cart & all the extra boxes that would entail, I was thinking of just putting either the MP500 or Music Maker 3 on which ever deck I end up with. It's difficult if nigh on impossible to demo carts. Cheers again chaps.

[Brownlow]

Hi Clint,

Sorry for the delay in replying to your post.

I have a Music Maker 3 too. It is a very good cart to my ears and is one I'll be holding on to for a while. I am using it with a Technics EPA-501H tonearm mounted on a Sony TTS-8000. Highly enjoyable.

Sadly, I do not know much about the Nagaoka cart, I hope you find the answers you need.

Cheers

[ElTwang]

I'll second this: 'I find them precise, clean with extended, detailed bottoms and tops. They track really well. Real toe tappers too, which for me is very important.'

I'm a big fan of the MM3 on my NAS Spacedeck. A rocking combo.

I've heard the MP200 which sounds great too on a Spacedeck. I'd say that the MPs are very clean and detailed and could easily imagine they would sound great on a Rega turntable.

[Clint H]

HI Mark

Thanks for the reply. I've read a lot of positive reviews on the Music Maker 3 & am thinking when I upgrade my current deck (RP6) I would put either an MP500 or MM3 on it. I'm more of a music lover than hifi tweaking fella plus the shear cost of exotic MC carts & the extra boxes puts me off getting one. I have heard some wonderful sounding MC carts but they were £xpensive!! Thanks again for the reply.
Hi Clint,

Sorry for the delay in replying to your post.

I have a Music Maker 3 too. It is a very good cart to my ears and is one I'll be holding on to for a while. I am using it with a Technics EPA-501H tonearm mounted on a Sony TTS-8000. Highly enjoyable.

Sadly, I do not know much about the Nagaoka cart, I hope you find the answers you need.

Cheers

[Clint H]

HI Lars

Thanks for the reply. Toe tapping is so very important for me too, if my foot isn't tapping, something is not right with the system I'm listening to. My MP200 sings on my RP6, Nagaoka carts do work well on rega arms. My next upgrade will be my deck, not sure yet which one it will be. I've had demo's of the new Rega P8 which is fabulous & the Funkfirm Little Super Deck which is fabulous too. I had a demo last November with a NAS Interspace Junior & the Rega RP8 & preferred the Nad, so, so musical. The same dealer has just got a Spacedeck in & is waiting on a tone arm delivery. Once tone arm is delivered I'm going for a demo. Interesting you say the MP200 works on the Spacedeck as when I had the demo with the Interspace, I was thinking if I put something like the MM3 or MP500 on it I could forget about upgrading my deck ever again. However the Spacedeck is step up again in sound quality (So I've read) NAS build quality is very good too. How do you find your own Spacedeck? Thanks again for the reply, most appreciated.

Regards

Clint


I'll second this: 'I find them precise, clean with extended, detailed bottoms and tops. They track really well. Real toe tappers too, which for me is very important.'

I'm a big fan of the MM3 on my NAS Spacedeck. A rocking combo.

I've heard the MP200 which sounds great too on a Spacedeck. I'd say that the MPs are very clean and detailed and could easily imagine they would sound great on a Rega turntable.