Nagaoka MP-110, or Ortofon 2M Red...?

penkosey

penkosey

Well-Known Member
Not an arbitrary comparison....I'm really concerned about a decently priced cartridge that tracks exceptionally and handles the inner grooves well (of course, with overall sound quality being important also). These two seem to get good reviews on these characteristics, and are both similarly priced.

Some reviews have championed the Nagoaka MP-110 as keeping inner-groove distortion to a barely perceptible level. I'm curious about this claim. The cheaper, next-level-down Nagaoka MP-100 gets such glowing reviews that it makes think the 110 must be pretty dang good.

Thanks for any thoughts on pros & cons or thoughts on these 2 carts....or any thoughts on other potentially exellent trackings carts in regard to handling the inner grooves. By the way, this would be going on a Harman Kardon T-45 C turntable, if that makes any difference as far as compliance/compatibility....

:)
 
G'day all, I have no experience with the Nagaoka, but I have some experience with the Ortofon 2M Red and my feeling is that the inner groove tracking performance of the Ortofon 2M Red is slightly suspect.

Correct overhang set up can minimise the issue, but not quite completely, in my opinion unfortunately. Regards, Felix aka catman.
 
The predecessor to the newer Nagaoka MP-110 was the Nagaoka MP-11.

It is still available from some sources like LPgear, though the price has gone up a bit lately.
http://www.lpgear.com/product/NAGAOKAMP011.html

The stylus for the

Nagaoka MP-11 is 0.3 x 0.7 mil

Nagaoka MP-110 is 0.4 x 0.7 mil

Don't know which one has the least IGD-inner groove distortion perception.:scratch2:
 
. . . that Nagaoka is a *really* *REALLY* good cart for the money. It would take a lot for me to part with mine. (The only cart I own that beats it, and not by too much, is the AT-120E.)

~Good luck,
Dave
 
i once had an mp11(non boron version)..based on the 'best buy' reviews at the time of its initial release and didn't really take to its sound at all..
top end and high midrange was noticably restricted,high treble in particular sounded muffled and generally absent...detail levels were low and the lumpy bloated bass was devoid of any real articulation...
i was puzzled as to the great reviews i read after i had heard its sound...and glad to see the back of it.:sigh:
my disappointment lead me to what i think are still two great budget cartridges..the at95e and at110e.. both sounded a whole lot better than the mp11..tracked much better and generally sounded very good in comparison with most types of music...both happened to be cheaper at the time too..(late 80's- early 90's)
hopefully the later version of the mp11 has improved on its original incarnation :yes:

recent-ish write up here :
http://www.hi-fiworld.co.uk/index.php/vinyl-lp/25-cartridges/173-ortofon-2m-redortofon-2m-bluenagoka-mp11.html?showall=1
 
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I own an MP11 Boron Body with NOS MP11 Stylus as well as an Ortie Red. If I could only take one to a dessert Island I'd choose the Naga...........
 
melofelo said:
i once had an mp11(non boron version)..based on the 'best buy' reviews at the time of its initial release and didn't really take to its sound at all..
top end and high midrange was noticably restricted,high treble in particular sounded muffled and generally absent...detail levels were low and the lumpy bloated bass was devoid of any real articulation...
i was puzzled as to the great reviews i read after i had heard its sound...and glad to see the back of it.:sigh:
my disappointment lead me to what i think are still two great budget cartridges..the at95e and at110e.. both sounded a whole lot better than the mp11..tracked much better and generally sounded very good in comparison with most types of music...both happened to be cheaper at the time too..(late 80's- early 90's)
hopefully the later version of the mp11 has improved on its original incarnation :yes:

recent-ish write up here :
http://www.hi-fiworld.co.uk/index.php/vinyl-lp/25-cartridges/173-ortofon-2m-redortofon-2m-bluenagoka-mp11.html?showall=1
Click to expand...

I'm puzzled by your comments on the MP11, in my system i found just the opposite to what your comments were. Just goes to show that some cartridges work better in some systems and not so good in others..........:scratch2:
 
I had the MP-110 for a day. I liked it but needed more so I bought a NOS MP-20. I find the Nagaoka's are well balanced, relaxed and have tight bass. I had a mint AT15Sa previously and I find the MP-20 is miles better.

There are some Baron Mp-11 out there a epay once in a while for about $100.
 
Have a Rega p1 and a 1200mkII and use a 2M blue, 97xe w/wo SAS, and an MP110. Prefer the tracking, detail, punch, and bass of the MP110 over the others.
 
Wow, thanks for all the replies...

Always interesting to hear a variety of opinions. I was surprised there was an article specifically comparing the 2 cartridges I've been thinking about.

* Good advice, probably, to spend a little more and just get the Ortofon 2M Blue. But then, I wonder, what would the comparison be moving up to, say, the Nagaoka MP-150...etc. And then....getting into spending more money.

That Hi-Fi World article definitely was interesting, especially the way it put the 2 brands on completely opposite ends of the spectrum. I'm not sure that I'd want cold/clinical OR mushy/blurry sound.....I definitely feel like in-your-face treble can be fatiguing....but I don't want a loss of detail, either.

* Just noticed----that HiFi World review used the older (tan) MP-11, rather than the newer MP-110 (yellow). I wonder how much of a difference that made.
 
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se7enMMBsg said:
. . . that Nagaoka is a *really* *REALLY* good cart for the money. It would take a lot for me to part with mine. (The only cart I own that beats it, and not by too much, is the AT-120E.)

~Good luck,
Dave
Click to expand...

Hmmm. Interesting....in what qualities would you say the AT beats the Nag? How do you feel it handles tracking/inner grooves? Thanks!
 
^ Honestly, I would love to....part of it is just being hard to justify spending a certain amount of money on a cart to begin with (although I do want something rewarding and enjoyable to listen to, and I'm aware that $200-$300 isn't much when there are high-end carts that cost in the thousands). And part of it is, sometimes I can be a clumsy person, and I hate to spend a chunk of change on something, and ruin it. I've noticed the more careful I try to be with nice things, the more likely I am to get nervous and accidentally somehow break them. :)

I am intrigued by the inevitable difference between the 110 and the 200. Makes me wonder how the 150 would sound. Sigh.
 
I'm puzzled by your comments on the MP11, in my system i found just the opposite to what your comments were. Just goes to show that some cartridges work better in some systems and not so good in others..........
Click to expand...
I was genuinely surprised too..but admittedly i was trying to get the best out of it in a Dual cs 505/II with a ultra low mass arm..so i think i had a bad compliance mismatch between arm and cartridge...I must get around to trying one again now i have a better medium mass arm.. so many high opinions of this cartridge can't be as wrong as i first thought...although it does seem to have its own 'character'..and i much prefer the typically detailed and livelier presentation of the better audio technica budget cartridges..

the most interesting aspect of the hi-fi world review for me was the green frequency plot line in the graph of the mp11... the 400pf loading seems to iron out its upper freqency response to an almost ruler flat spec... i'd love to give this cartridge a try if i had adjustable loading..
 
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pk: Actually, I'd suggest neither the 2M Red, nor the MP110 or MP11 for the light arm of your T45C (nice table by the way - would also fit nicely to my hk825/hk870 pre-/power-amp combo...) - the former mostly for being too clunky for the slim headshell design and the latter for being rather clunky as well, but mainly for only moderate compliance.

Hence I'd rather suggest to consider for example the older OM(B)20 or the 520II/VinylMaster Red, if you'd like an Ortofon. As best buy I'd rather consider the Audio Technica AT440MLa, though - or the AT120E, if you want to spend a bit less... And if you really want a Nagaoka, I'd suggest to consider the Nagaoka/Tonar (JT-)555, which LPGear and Turntableneedles still offer for ca. 110/120 bucks.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini
 
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