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Well, this really is an excellent and surprising little cartridge! There is not much information online about it, but I was swayed by one individual’s review which was tempered with common sense. We all hear things differently, and our audio set-ups and listening environments are all different, so how can we be objective and advise what is the right choice?
All my gear is from the 1970s and in excellent working condition. Only the cables are new, including my turntable phono leads. Most of my vinyl is secondhand—the £1–3 records from charity shops and the like—but all clean and scratch-free! I thought the conical stylus would help keep the pops and crackles down. Yes, it does, and it also still delivers a lovely balanced and detailed sound, extending well in to the bass and up in to the treble. I have experienced spherical/conical and elipitcal styli from the major players such as Ortofon, Audio-Technica and Grado. So far, I have been happiest with the Grado offer. To my ears, most conical tips tend to emphasise the mids and upper bass frequencies—and their is not much wrong with that for extended listening. Quite a rounded (fat) sound. However, the Nagaoka MP-100 sounds like a cross between a conical and elliptical stylus to me, and I really like it! I have even experienced the Nagaoka MP-11, and I think I prefer the MP-100. This is from just the first few hours of listening. Apparently, it gets better!
It currently sits on my 1969 Pioneer PL-41A, and there it will definitely stay! I recommend it. Thanks to Analogue Seduction for a fast and fautless service, yet again. |
Jason 19/01/12 at 11:20 AM |