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Nagaoka mp-110 + Pioneer pl-115d?

Cherubrock79

Cherubrock79

New Member
Hi all,

Long time viewer, but this is my first post.

Wondering if anyone has tried the mp-110 on a Pioneer pl-115d (or a similar table). Trying to determine if it would be a good match before I pull the trigger on the Nagaoka.

My TT has the stock tonearm and I’m running it into a Pioneer SX-750.

Thanks
 
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The measured compliance of the MP-110 is higher than one would expect and it has been suggested that it should be used on tone arms that have effective mass less than 14g. I'd say your arm is probably 15+, so you'll find resonance turns out around or a little over 7, which is slightly less than ideal. Let others offer their suggestions too because I've never used the Nag MP-110 and am going only by the resonance reports of others.
 
I've used an MP-110 on a Pioneer PL12D with a generic headshell (heavier than the stock headshell) and it worked fine. It's worth experimenting with tracking force, as I found the sound was sensitive to it. Also, pay attention to capacitive load. I first used it with a Cambridge Audio phono-stage of capacitance 220pF and it had a nice open sound. Then I tried it with a Musical Fidelity phono-stage of only 50pF capacitance and it sounded dreadful - thick and dull. So, I would advise using it with a phono-stage with capacitance of 200pF or so.
 
Thanks for the replies!

Yes, it seems that my tonearm is 15g, so I guess this isn’t exactly a match made in heaven...

Nevertheless I’m encouraged by your experience, Crab. I’ll just have to check up on the capacitance of the phono stage on my SX-750!

Would love to hear of anyone else’s experiences too...
 
No, in my experience 80pF wouldn't be ideal for this cartridge. You could buy a separate phono pre-amp with a capacitance of around 200pF (or with selectable capacitance) and feed it into the Aux input.

It seems Nagaoka actually recommend a total load capacitance of 150-200pF for this cartridge.

https://www.thakker.eu/en/pickup/nagaoka-mp-110-cartridge/a-5051/

If you take out 150pF for cables, that brings you down to 0-50pF for the phono-stage. So, they think their cartridge needs a very low-capacitance phono-stage. That is the official line but it is contrary to my experience, unless you like a warm, heavy sound.
 
I set my brother-in-law with that exact match table and cartridge - plays very well.
 
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Crab33 said:
So, they think their cartridge needs a very low-capacitance phono-stage. That is the official line but it is contrary to my experience, unless you like a warm, heavy sound.
Click to expand...

Interesting....

I mean, I do like a warm sound, but not at the expense of clarity...

I’m currently using an AT95e, and I like it most of the time, but I find vocals, horns, and cymbals can be pretty harsh. Another issue is inner groove distortion. I read around and found that folks who had these problems with the AT95e liked the mp-110. But ‘thick and dull’ is NOT what I’m after...

Suppose I could try the nag out on my sx750’s phono stage and then look into a preamp if I find it muddy...
 
Cherubrock79 said:
Good to hear! Thanks.
Click to expand...

I think the MP -110 dynamic compliance is about 11-12 x10-6 cm/dyne when adjusted for 10 hz ( its specs are at 100 hz). This puts the resonant frequency right at 10hz. It will track in the 1.5 to 2.0 gram range. Perfect match for your arm actually.

The Pioneer will likely have a capacitive load greater than 100pf. The pioneer cables, if original, are probably another 150pf easily. You should not have any worries.

The MP 110 is much smoother and more balanced than the AT95e IMO.

In time you can put on an MP-200 stylus and get a very big upgrade (boron cantilever and nude elliptical).
 
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