advertisement


Best MM cart for around a £100?

The Nagaoka MP 110 is a great cartridge. The 2M Red sounded terrible on my Technics, a screechy dog of a cart in my opinion. Would recommend the DL 110 but these can’t be had for £100 these days.
 
My system is a Brio-R and some RS3's. Do you think the Nag could sound too woolly with this system?

Nothing woolly about them to my ears, I have a valve preamp/phono stage, 303 and a pair of absolutely massive Tannoys and no complaints with the MP-500.
 
obviously system / deck dependent (I would imagine), but I had the MP-110 and suffered with 'static' issues - you could hear a 'fizz' through speakers / headphones when lifting the cartridge from the surface of a record after it had been playing a while. Did a search and found a couple of threads concerning it, so it's not just me. ATs and ortofons (when I was using them) didn't seem to exhibit the same issue.
Had to return mine - but definitely YMMV territory.
 
AT VM95 EN, no contest. The Goldrings are AT cartridges in disguise.

The Ortofon Red is old news now. Nothing special.

Beware, old Nagaokas are a bit lacklustre and will tame bright speakers, but not so the AT VM, which is a tad bright, more CD-like if you will.

If you can spread to the VM 95 ML at £ 150, do it. This is a magical device.

This. The ML is an astounding cart for the money.
 
obviously system / deck dependent (I would imagine), but I had the MP-110 and suffered with 'static' issues - you could hear a 'fizz' through speakers / headphones when lifting the cartridge from the surface of a record after it had been playing a while. Did a search and found a couple of threads concerning it, so it's not just me. ATs and ortofons (when I was using them) didn't seem to exhibit the same issue.
Had to return mine - but definitely YMMV territory.
That is interesting - I've had static issues with mine on my 1210 - pops and clicks while playing. Not with other cartridges.
 
AT VM95 EN, no contest. The Goldrings are AT cartridges in disguise.

The Ortofon Red is old news now. Nothing special.

Beware, old Nagaokas are a bit lacklustre and will tame bright speakers, but not so the AT VM, which is a tad bright, more CD-like if you will.

If you can spread to the VM 95 ML at £ 150, do it. This is a magical device.

Agree entirely.

...and the Goldring 2000 series are Nagaoka in disguise.
 
Goldring E3 predates the release of the AT-VM95 series, and, in other than dimensions, its specifications exactly match those of AT95E.

I'd love to be a fly on the wall after some of these reviewers sat down thinking they were auditioning the E3, only to find out that they had been listening to a 40 year old AT95E with fresh ATN95E on!
 
Last edited:
That is interesting - I've had static issues with mine on my 1210 - pops and clicks while playing. Not with other cartridges.

right - although as I said in my previous post, the most notable aspect of my problem was the 'fizzing' when lifting the stylus from the record surface - it would slowly wear-off over the course of a few seconds. Actual static-y pops during play may well have been worse with the cartridge accordingly, but I suffer that regardless so didn't try to assess it in that respect particularly.

the one thing, in a completely uninformed way, that strikes me from this thread is that the MP-110 is a moving iron, whereas the others I mentioned are not ...
 
Hard to beat the VM95 series. Nice upgrade path. Easy mounting with threaded holes. Micro-Linear stylus for very little money.
 
right - although as I said in my previous post, the most notable aspect of my problem was the 'fizzing' when lifting the stylus from the record surface - it would slowly wear-off over the course of a few seconds. Actual static-y pops during play may well have been worse with the cartridge accordingly, but I suffer that regardless so didn't try to assess it in that respect particularly.

the one thing, in a completely uninformed way, that strikes me from this thread is that the MP-110 is a moving iron, whereas the others I mentioned are not ...

Certainly sounds like a grounding issue to me - static energy building up and not having an exit route. I’ve never had the slightest issue with the two Nags I’ve owned (Stilton MP-11 & MP-500) but maybe significantly these both have a metal body so may behave differently in relation to arm earth. I’m very particular about turntable earthing too, e.g. I always make sure the turntable main bearing has continuity to earth as I’m convinced it kills static. I actually use a multimeter to check everything I think should be grounded actually is!

PS The times I have experienced this kind of thing all traced back to issues with the tonearm earth, i.e. the arm-tube/headshell not having continuity back to mains earth. FWIW I’ve had it with MC carts, not MM or MI, but I suspect that was fluke as it was an arm ground issue.
 
Certainly sounds like a grounding issue to me - static energy building up and not having an exit route. I’ve never had the slightest issue with the two Nags I’ve owned (Stilton MP-11 & MP-500) but maybe significantly these both have a metal body so may behave differently in relation to arm earth. I’m very particular about turntable earthing too, e.g. I always make sure the turntable main bearing has continuity to earth as I’m convinced it kills static. I actually use a multimeter to check everything I think should be grounded actually is!

PS The times I have experienced this kind of thing all traced back to issues with the tonearm earth, i.e. the arm-tube/headshell not having continuity back to mains earth. FWIW I’ve had it with MC carts, not MM or MI, but I suspect that was fluke as it was an arm ground issue.

yes, that all sounds correct to me Tony. Been looking at various threads on VE and SHF recently, and beginning to realise that working out what, and in what combination, is earthed from one's turntable is vital to sorting out static issues ... but beyond me unfortunately.
Underlining yet again, that if 'paying a man' is unaffordable / impractical, getting into vinyl playback these days is unwise if you can't fettle.

I would say again, however, that the 'fizzing' (very distinct from static crackles while actually playing a record) was something I've only noticed in recent times with the Nag.' : ATs and Ortofons on the same deck / arm (an old Technics SL-Q2 btw - so not a million miles from the 1210 James Evans mentions above) seem immune.
 
@pcikwickpapers,

I notice that you mentioned having returned your MP110, so this info may or may not be of interest, however, it may be of help to others.

The lack of a low resistance ground connection between cartridge shield and one -ve pin (usually the right channel -ve or 'green') can allow the cartridge to act as antenna, picking up the micro electrical storm that is present as static charge on the record. This can also cause hum and/or susceptibility to picking up electromagnetic emanations from the turntable motor (i.e. hum and noise gradually increasing as the stylus approaches end of record side). Such a cartridge shield connection is typically made in one of three ways: 1) via direct internal metal contact (e.g. Ortofon F/FF/VMS, via an internal washer positioned at the base of the Rch -ve pin that bears upon the inner wall of the metal shield; 2) a soldered wire connection between inner wall of shield and -ve pin (Rega, so likely Lch -ve); or via a metal tab extension of the shield metal that wraps round the rear terminal plate and encircles the base of the -ve pin (the vast majority of MMs, including Ortofon LM/OM on up).

There exists a couple of methods for testing the shield ground connection, a quick and dirty method being to touch the shield with a metal probe (a pin or unfolded paper clip will do) and should hum not be heard then the shield is working. A more thorough test would be to use a multi-meter set to impedance testing and place one probe on the Rch -ve (possibly left should it be a Rega) and the other probe on the metal shield, reading should be less than 1Ohm.
 
Last edited:
I've actually got an Ortofon Red on my GR right now. I don't recognise any of the above comments about it being screechy. For the cost, I would say it's remarkable and provides a very balanced and listen-able experience through my system. Well worth the loose change it cost imo.
 
Rega Carbon - ridiculously musical

Audio Technica- classic sub £100 cartridges. Very precise, they boogie but a bit sterile

Nagaoka MP110 - juicy and musical
 
It seems that the new production makes it softer.
The Carbon is alright on outer grooves then sound quality goes downhill to be almost unlistenable on difficult inner grooves.
But at the price it’s a tour de force.
 
There exists a couple of methods for testing the shield ground connection, a quick and dirty method being to touch the shield with a metal probe (a pin or unfolded paper clip will do) and should hum not be heard then the shield is working.

I remember many vintage cartridges having a thin copper link that clipped between a ground pin and the metal case. I think mainly so it could be removed in situations where there was a ground-loop/buzz. Pickering/Stanton certainly had this.

I've actually got an Ortofon Red on my GR right now. I don't recognise any of the above comments about it being screechy. For the cost, I would say it's remarkable and provides a very balanced and listen-able experience through my system. Well worth the loose change it cost imo.

All the 2Ms have really low capacitance requirements so if used with a phono stage that has >100pF onboard they tend to sound horribly bright and drag everything along by surface noise and hi-hats (i.e. grow a response spike at about 8kHz). Load them correctly, ideally <150pF total including arm-lead, and you won’t hear it.

One of the things I really like about the Nagaokas is they seem way, way less sensitive to this. My MP-500 sounds great into my Verdier valve pre that I think is optimised for old Shure’s etc, it sounds terrible with Ortofons, just so bright. Yet the Nag still sounds great into my spare Quad 34 that has had it’s phono card modified for modern Ortofon or AT carts so is 39k/30pF IIRC. It just doesn’t seem to care. The Ortofon sounded awful into the standard 47k/220pF Quad board. Just so bright and thin.
 
All the 2Ms have really low capacitance requirements so if used with a phono stage that has >100pF onboard they tend to sound horribly bright and drag everything along by surface noise and hi-hats (i.e. grow a response spike at about 8kHz). Load them correctly, ideally <150pF total including arm-lead, and you won’t hear it.

One of the things I really like about the Nagaokas is they seem way, way less sensitive to this. My MP-500 sounds great into my Verdier valve pre that I think is optimised for old Shure’s etc, it sounds terrible with Ortofons, just so bright. Yet the Nag still sounds great into my spare Quad 34 that has had it’s phono card modified for modern Ortofon or AT carts so is 39k/30pF IIRC. It just doesn’t seem to care. The Ortofon sounded awful into the standard 47k/220pF Quad board. Just so bright and thin.
Looking at the physical differences between Ortofon's and Nagaoka's take on IM (i.e. Ortofon's VMS, which they've been doing for so long that they don't even mention it anymore, simply calling theirs MM), combined with combing through the verbiage within the two makers catalogues (both MPxx and MPxxx in the case of Nagaoka), one can deduce that the relative loading sensitivities come down to magnetic field strength vs. coil length.

Nagaoka employ a relatively large Samarium Cobalt button magnet within the cartridge body proper, whereas, Ortofon have always employed their tiny (also 'rare earth') ring magnet built into their removable stylus assembly and encircling the forward part of the permalloy cylinder that is fit within the back end of the cantilever. Nagaoka mention that their powerful magnet allows for shorter coil length, but you really have to slog through their catalogues to get this info.

Nagaoka's current published specifications aren't as telling as Ortofon's, however, if we go back to the glossy Nagaoka MPxx catalogue* and user instructions sheet, these include near full specifications (including internal resistance but lacking any mention of coil inductance); plus, reading the descriptions of each model within the catalogues (not just the top MP50/MP500) reveals extra bits of detail.

* both the old MPxx and the current MPxxx catalogues are available for download via vinyl engine.
 
Last edited:


advertisement


Back
Top