I recommended this cartridge to my friend for his technics sl1300 and he loves it. He listens to lots of different genres of music so it is a great all rounder and amazing value for money. He bought the version that came mounted on a Nagaoka headshell so he had to move it along 2mm as it comes mounted at 50mm. That was an interesting conversation over the phone lol. Great video Joe!
I just got my Nagaoka MP-100H. Reminds me of the Stanton 681A/EEE in terms of sound with added detail. .6 mil conical. I get why you love yours. Great video, Joe!!!
They are both moving iron cartridges. The MP-110/100 doesn't have a magnet on the stylus. Niether does this series of Stanton. The Swiss made replacements do have a magnet instead of the iron. This saturates the coils in the Stanton. The sound stage is diminished and details are lost but the output is noticeably higher. The Japanese styli are usually the correct iron type amateur. The permalloy in the Nagaoka functions the same way as the pure iron.. Jico does make a nude spherical 0.7 mil stylus for the Stanton. These conicals for Stanton usually track at 3.0 grams
I am no amateur. Please note that. Also, note, I need the same reasonably rugged cantilever suspension as originals have. I recommend Jico to repair customers a lot. The Swiss made conical stylus for the 681A is not as good as Stanton's genuine was.
The Columbia Santa Maria pressing plant pressed vinyl 45’s. Terre Haute, IN and Pitman, NJ plants produced styrene 45’s. The Santa Maria, CA plant closed in 1981 so for the remainder of the 80’s Columbia 45’s were strictly styrene. Atlantic Records used Monarch (styrene) but also used Plastic Products and Specialty (vinyl).
Man, where have you been all this time :) This is the best review of a cartridge I have found, read or listen so far. Just ordered my Nagaoka MP-110, and can't wait to listen it. You helped me a lot to make this decision. Thank you!
The MP-150 measured 33 dB channel separation from Hi-Fi World. Nagaoka greatly exceeds its measured specs. BTW if you shop for an MP-110 replacement styli, you can find them for as low as $60 US.
I have kids that like to bump into everything, because of this I went with the 3600LE as a mix between cheap, yet good. This way I won't be that upset when they destroy another needle. (They've wrecked two already). I can just forbid them from getting near the records, but I'd rather them just learn how to be gentle with them so they know not to be too afraid of old technology when they're older.
GR8 Vid Joe!!! I am shootin' 4 an MP-100 with that .6 mil stylus for under $100. PLUS...I think it's going to look and perform gloriously in my classic Technics SL-D 202 Direct Drive table with a $ 25 Made in Japan cherry red wooden headshell I used with my Shure M97xE. I also saved this turntable from the junkyard by picking it up 4 20 bucks at a local estate sale. It had a horrible headshell. The Ortofon cart was severely damaged. The rubber mat was beaten up. The dustcover has a broken hinge. Yet it is NOW my pride and joy as I placed a cork/rubber mat on it. PLUS what I just told U about the often overlooked underrated "HEADSHELL". It CAN and WILL make a difference in sound quality. I lubed and cleaned platter motor and arm lift as it now is solid and stable speed wise. I LUV the .6 mil stylus shape as it seems to perform way better than most .7 mil styli while being kind to 45s. It is forgiving without lacking subtlety. Besides...I got a lotta 45s too from the 50s 60s 70s and 80s!!! 300 maybe??? I think that RED & GOLD Nagoaka MP-100 is going to look and perform FANTASTIC in the cherry wooden headshel w/LITZ cart leads. GOD BLESS!!! I'll report back 2 U when this happens but for right now...I gotta save up...LOL
I like the Nagaoka MP110 with my system. I have Audio Research amplifiers and they tend to have a detailed sound signature. This cartridge brings a great midrange and high frequencies sound to my very detailed sounding system. I also like the Nagaoka 110 because I can play 45s, mono, and styrene records from the fifties and sixties with it safely not worrying about damaging them. I think the Ortofon or Audio Technica cartridges might be best matched with systems that are less bright in their sound signature.
Permalloy isn't a permanent magnet....that's why it's used as tape heads. Like pure iron it can rapidly take a magnetic charge quickly and discharge equally quick. Permalloy is actually better at it. The MP-110 is a moving iron type just like a the Stanton 680/681 series. The magnet is fixed inside the cartridge providing the magnetic field and this ferromagnetic material is lightweight compared to the standard alnico"V" magnet. They have addressed this mass dierence with newer permanent magnet materials. The operating principles are different enough to consider them as separate classes MM , MI and MC .
Amazing cartridge. The Nagaoka MP-110 has 810mH of inductance @ 1Khz. The manufacturer recommends 100pF. Now, just one hundred picofarads is not a lot: in most cases the tonearm's cabling already will account for that much, leaving you to find a phono stage with zero input capacitance (which doesn't exist). But never mind, Nagaoka's recommendation is way off target anyhow. Increasing capacitance to 520pF flattens the response considerably, at the expense of the -3dB point moving down to a mere 16kHz. Going further to 620pF kills the cartridge resonance entirely, the response now wonderfully flat to 13kHz before plummeting. Calculated resistance for 620pF at 810mH is ideal at 36.1k.
Ah, the "bumblebee" as I call it. Very reliable, all arounder cart. If you hook the 110 up to a really nice phono stage (something around ~$400+), you'll be surprised just HOW great that thing is. I know the mani is the popular phono stage to pair it up with, which is still a nice pairing, but I think it actually holds this cart back... Which is saying something about how nice this little cart is.
Until i bought my technics sl 1200g, I'd never heard of nagaoka, I'd always used ortofon 2mm bronze on my old michell belt driven tt, its now in retirement 😅, so i bought the nagaoka mp 200 and it sounded terrific, lots of bass, music came to life , I'd recommend the nagaoka mp series carts to anyone, although here in England they seem to be getting pricey all of a sudden.
Joe, I for one am thrilled that Nagaoka added that easy grip design. I find myself constantly fumbling with stylus replacement. This will help a lot. Also, I was looking for a good cart for playing 45's. To me, $140 is worth it.
Important to me as well. Fumbling with funky shapes is a bummer. I’m a fan of under $200 cartridges. Breaking an expensive cartridge would not be a good experience. The NP110 is my favorite low cost cartridge.
hmmm..with shure styli for my V15 mk 4 getting hard to find at a reasonable price, its been moved to the play only on certain lps... now this has some impressive specs for everyday playing.... and the price is awesome.... me thinks its time to go look at one..was considerind a Denon ,,but same situation price wise..this meets the need and the pocket book..thanks for the info Mr.Collins
Hold on, at zero 0:35 in Canada today on Amazon (the Canadian web site) this fantastic phono cartridge, still based on moving magnet design, type sells for $180! Up here in Canada we pay more.
This cartridge would have been my pick but decided I could replace most of my LP's with cds for the same amt of money. I settled on the lowly CF3600LE and am happy but when recording to cd I do tone down the treble above 10k as it's very peaky. This catridge is probably very smooth in the high end.
@@robertyoung1777 You mean that you prefer the colonization that a cartridge provides? I ditched all LPs. The shortcomings are never done away with at any cost.
How long Nagaoka 110 last for as ive heard it mentioned that its 300 hours which doesnt seem a lot, then someone mentioned that the 300 hours quoted is when the needle starts to degrade i dont know if that's a normal number. Anyone had any real life experience with the longetivity of this cartridge?
Regarding your knowledgeable understanding of this cartridge , would you also recommend the MP-150 for 45 singles? I always thought a spherical stylus was the preferred choice when aiming to reduce vinyl wear.
Technically, yes a conical is best for polystyrene But... I have never seen much evidence that a well balanced elliptical does any more damage. The 150 should be fine. :)
Greetings! I recently purchased a Music Hall MMF 1.3 TT, that has the AT3600L Cart pre mounted. I mainly listen to Metal music, and was wondering if you think I should upgrade my AT3600L to this Nagaoka? Or should I focus on upgrading better speakers/preamp Any suggestions will be much appreciated!
I don't think the MOP-110 would work well for you... It has a very mellow treble. You may want to look at upgrading to a better AT cart instead. They tend to have sparkling highs. But, you'll have to lay out some real money to do better than the AT3600L. :)
@@EzeeLinux Wow! Okay! Thank you for your reply (: That makes this cartridge decision much harder! Are there any AT’s you recommend for my musical preference? Or I guess, is there an AT cart that’s the same price as the Nagaoka, that would be significantly better than my AT3600L? Sorry for the excess questions!
@@EzeeLinux There are old p-mount Shures out there which have Jico styli available. I have an M110HE in my second turntable with a Jico hyperelliptical, and it's better than original.
The Stanton L727e, L737EE and L747S are TP4 p- mount . These are the same bodies as the 680/681 . All the styli are interchangeable. These are all moving iron, so is the Nagaoka. I have a L747S mounted on a Technics SL-7. It's working good at 1.5 grams using a bonded hypereliptical Lp tunes branded replacement for a 680EES. I have the Nude Steriohedron that the cartridge came with ( low usage got lucky) . The aftermarket performs very well considering that it's bonded . I haven't put the original Stanton back on since. And I did order some more. I wouldn't be surprised if it's a JICO from Japan and there are some Nude mounted from JICO. I like that moving iron sound . The sound stage from these is wonderful.
I recommended this cartridge to my friend for his technics sl1300 and he loves it. He listens to lots of different genres of music so it is a great all rounder and amazing value for money. He bought the version that came mounted on a Nagaoka headshell so he had to move it along 2mm as it comes mounted at 50mm. That was an interesting conversation over the phone lol. Great video Joe!
I just got my Nagaoka MP-100H. Reminds me of the Stanton 681A/EEE in terms of sound with added detail. .6 mil conical. I get why you love yours. Great video, Joe!!!
They are both moving iron cartridges. The MP-110/100 doesn't have a magnet on the stylus. Niether does this series of Stanton. The Swiss made replacements do have a magnet instead of the iron. This saturates the coils in the Stanton. The sound stage is diminished and details are lost but the output is noticeably higher. The Japanese styli are usually the correct iron type amateur. The permalloy in the Nagaoka functions the same way as the pure iron.. Jico does make a nude spherical 0.7 mil stylus for the Stanton. These conicals for Stanton usually track at 3.0 grams
I am no amateur. Please note that. Also, note, I need the same reasonably rugged cantilever suspension as originals have. I recommend Jico to repair customers a lot. The Swiss made conical stylus for the 681A is not as good as Stanton's genuine was.
The Columbia Santa Maria pressing plant pressed vinyl 45’s. Terre Haute, IN and Pitman, NJ plants produced styrene 45’s. The Santa Maria, CA plant closed in 1981 so for the remainder of the 80’s Columbia 45’s were strictly styrene. Atlantic Records used Monarch (styrene) but also used Plastic Products and Specialty (vinyl).
Man, where have you been all this time :) This is the best review of a cartridge I have found, read or listen so far. Just ordered my Nagaoka MP-110, and can't wait to listen it. You helped me a lot to make this decision. Thank you!
The MP-150 measured 33 dB channel separation from Hi-Fi World. Nagaoka greatly exceeds its measured specs. BTW if you shop for an MP-110 replacement styli, you can find them for as low as $60 US.
I’ve had one of these on my SL-1200 for about 6 months now and it’s been incredible
I have kids that like to bump into everything, because of this I went with the 3600LE as a mix between cheap, yet good. This way I won't be that upset when they destroy another needle. (They've wrecked two already).
I can just forbid them from getting near the records, but I'd rather them just learn how to be gentle with them so they know not to be too afraid of old technology when they're older.
GR8 Vid Joe!!! I am shootin' 4 an MP-100 with that .6 mil stylus for under $100. PLUS...I think it's going to look and perform gloriously in my classic Technics SL-D 202 Direct Drive table with a $ 25 Made in Japan cherry red wooden headshell I used with my Shure M97xE. I also saved this turntable from the junkyard by picking it up 4 20 bucks at a local estate sale. It had a horrible headshell. The Ortofon cart was severely damaged. The rubber mat was beaten up. The dustcover has a broken hinge. Yet it is NOW my pride and joy as I placed a cork/rubber mat on it. PLUS what I just told U about the often overlooked underrated "HEADSHELL". It CAN and WILL make a difference in sound quality. I lubed and cleaned platter motor and arm lift as it now is solid and stable speed wise. I LUV the .6 mil stylus shape as it seems to perform way better than most .7 mil styli while being kind to 45s. It is forgiving without lacking subtlety. Besides...I got a lotta 45s too from the 50s 60s 70s and 80s!!! 300 maybe??? I think that RED & GOLD Nagoaka MP-100 is going to look and perform FANTASTIC in the cherry wooden headshel w/LITZ cart leads. GOD BLESS!!! I'll report back 2 U when this happens but for right now...I gotta save up...LOL
On your way to absolutely deserved 100k! Can't wait Man! :-)
I like the Nagaoka MP110 with my system. I have Audio Research amplifiers and they tend to have a detailed sound signature. This cartridge brings a great midrange and high frequencies sound to my very detailed sounding system.
I also like the Nagaoka 110 because I can play 45s, mono, and styrene records from the fifties and sixties with it safely not worrying about damaging them.
I think the Ortofon or Audio Technica cartridges might be best matched with systems that are less bright in their sound signature.
Permalloy isn't a permanent magnet....that's why it's used as tape heads. Like pure iron it can rapidly take a magnetic charge quickly and discharge equally quick. Permalloy is actually better at it. The MP-110 is a moving iron type just like a the Stanton 680/681 series. The magnet is fixed inside the cartridge providing the magnetic field and this ferromagnetic material is lightweight compared to the standard alnico"V" magnet. They have addressed this mass dierence with newer permanent magnet materials. The operating principles are different enough to consider them as separate classes MM , MI and MC .
Thanks for the video Joe. Always informative and easy to follow 👌
Amazing cartridge. The Nagaoka MP-110 has 810mH of inductance @ 1Khz. The manufacturer recommends 100pF. Now, just one hundred picofarads is not a lot: in most cases the tonearm's cabling already will account for that much, leaving you to find a phono stage with zero input capacitance (which doesn't exist). But never mind, Nagaoka's recommendation is way off target anyhow. Increasing capacitance to 520pF flattens the response considerably, at the expense of the -3dB point moving down to a mere 16kHz. Going further to 620pF kills the cartridge resonance entirely, the response now wonderfully flat to 13kHz before plummeting. Calculated resistance for 620pF at 810mH is ideal at 36.1k.
Ah, the "bumblebee" as I call it. Very reliable, all arounder cart. If you hook the 110 up to a really nice phono stage (something around ~$400+), you'll be surprised just HOW great that thing is. I know the mani is the popular phono stage to pair it up with, which is still a nice pairing, but I think it actually holds this cart back... Which is saying something about how nice this little cart is.
Until i bought my technics sl 1200g, I'd never heard of nagaoka, I'd always used ortofon 2mm bronze on my old michell belt driven tt, its now in retirement 😅, so i bought the nagaoka mp 200 and it sounded terrific, lots of bass, music came to life , I'd recommend the nagaoka mp series carts to anyone, although here in England they seem to be getting pricey all of a sudden.
Joe, I for one am thrilled that Nagaoka added that easy grip design. I find myself constantly fumbling with stylus replacement. This will help a lot. Also, I was looking for a good cart for playing 45's. To me, $140 is worth it.
Important to me as well.
Fumbling with funky shapes is a bummer.
I’m a fan of under $200 cartridges. Breaking an expensive cartridge would not be a good experience.
The NP110 is my favorite low cost cartridge.
MP 110 it s a moving iron cartridge..i ve been using it since 2013...it s the best cartridge i have heard
Be careful when replacing the stylus. The tolerances are tight. I found out the hard way and ruined my mp-110. Now I’m running a Sumiko Rainier.
How did it get ruined?
Best cart below $300 that I've heard.
Agreed. :)
hmmm..with shure styli for my V15 mk 4 getting hard to find at a reasonable price, its been moved to the play only on certain lps... now this has some impressive specs for everyday playing.... and the price is awesome.... me thinks its time to go look at one..was considerind a Denon ,,but same situation price wise..this meets the need and the pocket book..thanks for the info Mr.Collins
Jico sas stylus is a great upgrade to v15iv
Great video Joe! Would this cartridge work well on an old Pioneer PL-514? Keep up the great reviews, both Linux and audio!
It should... The cart is a little tall for that arm, though. You might need a thinner mat.
@@EzeeLinux Thanks Joe, much appreciated!
Hi Joe I have been using one on my AR Turntable with a Sumiko FT3 Arm
Best cartridge under $500 IMO
Hold on, at zero 0:35 in Canada today on Amazon (the Canadian web site) this fantastic phono cartridge, still based on moving magnet design, type sells for $180! Up here in Canada we pay more.
This cartridge would have been my pick but decided I could replace most of my LP's with cds for the same amt of money. I settled on the lowly CF3600LE and am happy but when recording to cd I do tone down the treble above 10k as it's very peaky. This catridge is probably very smooth in the high end.
I like cds too but that digital sound just can’t compete with a cartridge like the MP110.
@@robertyoung1777 You mean that you prefer the colonization that a cartridge provides? I ditched all LPs. The shortcomings are never done away with at any cost.
How long Nagaoka 110 last for as ive heard it mentioned that its 300 hours which doesnt seem a lot, then someone mentioned that the 300 hours quoted is when the needle starts to degrade i dont know if that's a normal number. Anyone had any real life experience with the longetivity of this cartridge?
Regarding your knowledgeable understanding of this cartridge , would you also recommend the MP-150 for 45 singles? I always thought a spherical stylus was the preferred choice when aiming to reduce vinyl wear.
Technically, yes a conical is best for polystyrene But... I have never seen much evidence that a well balanced elliptical does any more damage. The 150 should be fine. :)
Are there any online stores which like needledoctor that you can recommend.
Greetings!
I recently purchased a Music Hall MMF 1.3 TT, that has the AT3600L Cart pre mounted. I mainly listen to Metal music, and was wondering if you think I should upgrade my AT3600L to this Nagaoka? Or should I focus on upgrading better speakers/preamp
Any suggestions will be much appreciated!
I don't think the MOP-110 would work well for you... It has a very mellow treble. You may want to look at upgrading to a better AT cart instead. They tend to have sparkling highs. But, you'll have to lay out some real money to do better than the AT3600L. :)
@@EzeeLinux Wow! Okay! Thank you for your reply (:
That makes this cartridge decision much harder! Are there any AT’s you recommend for my musical preference? Or I guess, is there an AT cart that’s the same price as the Nagaoka, that would be significantly better than my AT3600L?
Sorry for the excess questions!
Could you explain, what the break-in time is? Thank you!
Patrick
I can’t explain break in but my 110 sounds great new right out of the box.
It sounds better than the 95E
Is that cartridge a T4P then it might work in the REVOX B975
No.. This a standard half inch cart. For P-mount/T4P your only choice these days is Audio-Techncia but they do make a good cartridge. :)
@@EzeeLinux There are old p-mount Shures out there which have Jico styli available. I have an M110HE in my second turntable with a Jico hyperelliptical, and it's better than original.
The Stanton L727e, L737EE and L747S are TP4 p- mount . These are the same bodies as the 680/681 . All the styli are interchangeable. These are all moving iron, so is the Nagaoka. I have a L747S mounted on a Technics SL-7. It's working good at 1.5 grams using a bonded hypereliptical Lp tunes branded replacement for a 680EES. I have the Nude Steriohedron that the cartridge came with ( low usage got lucky) . The aftermarket performs very well considering that it's bonded . I haven't put the original Stanton back on since. And I did order some more. I wouldn't be surprised if it's a JICO from Japan and there are some Nude mounted from JICO. I like that moving iron sound . The sound stage from these is wonderful.
Some cartridge
Suffers from igd