Nagaoka MP 110 Hi-Fi turntable cartridge systems

Given the similarity of pricing between the MP 110 and the Ortofon 2M Red I think its probably worthwhile offering my thoughts and comparisons having just replaced a 2M with the Nagaoka on my Rega.Having owned a 2M Red for a couple of years I have to disagree with comments regarding its "Over-analytical" nature.The 2M is a very fine first upgrade cartridge. It has a refined sound, solid bass and its slightly "rolled-off" top end, contrasting sharply with its bigger brother 2M Blue which offers an almost CD- like sound.In short, it is an extremely good-looking, easy to fit cartridge, that gives a controlled performance across all genres of music.My first impressions of the MP110 were firstly its classic square style but nonetheless nice looks. Despite not having the captive screws of the 2M it was again easy to fit and set up.Initially listening to a familiar recording like Fleetwood Mac's rumours I felt the output of the Nagaoka was below that of the ortofon and I found myself increasing the volume on my Arcam fmj A19 amp to compensate.That said, the Nagaoka offered a much fuller bass and a very musical and involving mid band. Everything has a downside and I found the treble of the 110 a little brittle and metalic, very unlike the smooth understated nature of the Ortofon.With a little perseverance,and half a dozen albums later the top end was softening a little and by day two I was listening to a very nice top end and surface noise levels comparable to the OrtofonI'm now firmly of the view that the 2M's strong point is its ability to play any genre of music competently.The MP 110 offers a similar performance, but just shades it if your record collection is predominantly rock as it is the more musical of the two and although slightly less detailed, is just a little bit more exciting.

I wanted a new cartridge for my upgraded Rega Planar 3 TT (arm rewired, metal sub-platter, new motor) which originally had the Rega Bias cartridge. Without being to able to listen subjectively I took a bit of a gamble based on the very favourable web reviews, but also considered the Ortofon 2M blue and AT-440 MLB. The Nagaoka seemed a good compromise on quality and price as I didn't want to spend a fortune, especially on a replacement stylus when the time comes to renew.The sound from the cartridge in my system is fantastic and at the price I paid (£81) it is a bargain! There is no hum, which I noticed with my old Rega cartridge, and sibiIance is very much reduced. Set up with a proper protractor was also easy due to the square sides of the cartridge. I did need to raise my RB300 tonearm by about 4 mm to keep level as the Nagoaka is quite boxy, but would suggest you buy cycle headset washers at 50p each rather than the £££ charged specifically for similar "audiophile" items!I would thoroughly recommend.

Bought this to replace my ortofon pick it 25 and when I first installed it I didn’t notice much of an improvement but liked the sound being a little less harsh. 9 months on and I popped the old cartridge back in to try and what a difference, I immediately swapped back in the mp-110.I liked the Ortofon but I Love the Nagaoka MP-110. It’s sound is crisp and bright without the harshness. The bass is deep and solid and it is the best cartridge I’ve tried.Rock music is my main listening.Is it worth £110 pounds? Well I think that depends on taste as much as anything to me it is worth it.

I upgraded my previous cartridge (rega elys 2) to the Nagaoka 110 having read all of the possitive feedback it was getting.My advise to potential buyers; Do not expect everything to improve. This is not to say that the cartridge is bad, just that you will get a very different sound. Id say that 87% of my music collection sounds better having switched to the nagaoka but there where a few things the elys captured better, even if i cant put my finger on exactly what. The nagaoka improves ambience, smoothness, bass and vocals. It reduces surface noise yet the quiet parts of my music are crystal clear. Unlike the eyls 2 it needed break in of 35 hour's although it was a pleasure to listen to from the start. Realism is generally better. I think ill make this my permanent turntable cartridge.Music better with Nagaoka mp110;Beach House- "Depression cherry"Grizzly Bear - "Yellow House"Tangerine Dream - "Zeit "Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith - EuclidGood Morning - ShawcrossNat Adderley - Work SongMogwai - Ten RapidAlain Goraguer - La planète sauvageRadiohead - OK ComputerDaniel Bachman - The Morning StarSun Ra - Of Abstract DreamsAnything by composer Arvo PartBetter on the Elys 2Miles Davis - 'Round About MidnightMarvin Gaye - What's Going OnBADBADNOTGOOD - IVHope this helps you make a decision.

I'm using this on a Linn LP12 turntable fitted with an Alphason tonearm and running through a Musical Fidelity V90-LPS phono stage. This is paired with valve amplification. The Nagaoka replaced a Lyra Clavis da Capo low output moving coil which cost over £1,000 new. I don't really miss the Clavis as my record collection (mostly second hand and hand me downs rather than Audiophile pressings) sounds better through this having lower surface noise and a less analytical and more forgiving sound. I like vinyl to sound like vinyl not just another digital source. The fact that it's only £70 for a new stylus is a big bonus too.

Sounds great.