Nagaoka MP-500 on Pro-Ject 9cc, recommended VTA and VTF

[JimJams]

Hi, all, I just mounted this cartridge today on a Pro-ject 2xperience Classic with a 9cc arm. I've got it at (roughly) even VTA and 1.6 g VTF and it sounds all right to me, but scouring the Internet has ramped up my paranoia that I've got something wrong with this purportedly touchy cartridge. With that in mind, are there any MP 500 users out there running it on a Pro-ject 9-cc arm? If so, what do you recommend for VTA and VTF, all the usual caveats aside? Thanks for your help.

 

[skandl]

Don't believe everything you read on the internet! Based on what you have described for setup and reading through the manual I would say it's a pretty basic cart setup.

Did you use a protractor to get this cart aligned correctly? Does it SOUND good? If you answered yes then sit back, relax and enjoy the music!

 

[Wes_in_VA]

All you can do is play with it and hear what your ears say. I think that's particularly true with VTA and touchy carts. Make tiny changes and pay attention to what you perceive.
Takes patience but totally worth it, imho

 

[JimJams]

Yes, the cartridge is aligned correctly. Adjusting VTA on this table is somewhat of a pain so I am just casting about for opinions/what's worked for others with the same set up. I've got a stack of business cards to help with the VTA adjustment process, so I'll add/ remove a couple at a time to see what's possible.

 

[DC]

I have this cart on this arm. I use about 1.65g VTF and SRA of about 93 degrees. (I don't think I could get it quite down to the prescribed 92.)

 

[JimJams]

Thanks, DC. Did you end up going with heavier mounting hardware or adding weight to the headshell/arm in another way? (I've read that this cartridge likes a bit of a heavier tonearm than the 9cc's 8.5g effective mass.)