Cartridge MP Series - MP-150 Record Cartridge

The NAGAOKA MP-150 Record Cartridge completely won me over. Thanks to my Fluance RT85N, I became a fan of Nagaoka cartridges, and this one sits right in the sweet spot of their lineup. I also picked up the NAGAOKA MP-110 Record Stylus (the stock cartridge on the RT85N) and the NAGAOKA MP-200 Record Cartridge, and together they form an ideal rotation depending on what I’m playing. The MP-110 is my go-to for older or less-than-perfect records; it’s forgiving and smooth, making imperfect pressings still enjoyable. The MP-150, though, is where things really open up. It offers a noticeable step up in clarity, detail, and balance while still keeping that warm, musical Nagaoka signature. This has become my daily driver for most of my collection. Then the MP-200 is on another level for jazz and classical; more refined, more revealing, and incredibly precise. The MP-150 hits the perfect middle ground: detailed but not harsh, warm but not muddy. If you’re building out a cartridge lineup or looking for a serious upgrade, this one delivers. Absolute perfection in its role.

Purchased this and also the MP-100 (yellow) and the stylus for the MP-200 (purple). I actually prefer this MP-150 (green) with it's stock stylus (tapered hardened aluminum cantilever). I was very pleasantly surprised by the sound quality. Compared to the Hana SL and Denon 103R (the 2 carts I've most recently had on my turntable), the sound is as full as the 103R, fuller than the Hana, more detailed and better separation than the 103R. Tracking is great at 1.8 g in my Dynavector 501 arm (medium-high mass). Almost too good to be true - buy one! - Also tried the MP-200 stylus (boron cantilever, same elliptical diamond) in this body - very similar sounding - maybe slightly smoother but at the expense of some immediacy. NOTE - all three stylus are interchangeable with these MPs - see pic.

I like to hear the brass, guitar, trumpet and piano and the more separation that I can discern with my old ears the better. Upgrading from a 2M Bronze, this cart lends a refined, impactful and amazing sound with out breaking the bank! The MM cartridge literally does it all, musical greatness paired with a Technics SL-100C table, Marantz PM8006 intergrated amp and open baffle full range speakers. Update: After exploring some good reviews, just upgraded to the JNP-200 and was very impressed -what a pleasant upgrade to an already amazing sounding cartridge.

Now I understand why people spend more money than the value of the turntable on a good stylus. This one MP-150 is by no means even halfway up the range, but it's a vast improvement over the stock AT stylus I was using. Noticeable detail/clarity. nice rig.

I was debating between MP150 vs MP200 cartridges. I love the detail retrieval of the MP200 stylus but not the clinical sound it produces when coupled with the MP200 cartridge body. At the same time, I wanted to upgrade from my MP110 cartridge body. So I decided to buy the MP150 cartridge and swap out the stylus for the MP200. Think of this combo as MP175, the sweet spot between MP150 and MP200. It retains the sweet warmth of the MP150, while providing an upgrade from MP110, without losing the detail retrieval of the MP200 stylus. The result is absolutely mind blowing and I’m loving the sound.

I'm a former DJ with a large collection of 12" singles. These are full of versions and mixes that aren't available on any online music store or streaming service. So I do a lot vinyl transcribing with some pretty high-end gear to digitize records at 24/96. I used a Shure M97x for many years and was delighted with it. When I accidentally damaged the stylus and went to go buy another, I learned that Shure had exited the phono cartridge business. :-( I decided to keep things going with the Nagaoka MP-150. It sounds great, but it wasn't until I re-transcribed a record that I had done with the M97x and compared the two recordings that I realized how much better this cartridge is. I had my wife play the two recordings for me while I faced away from the computer so I wouldn't know which one she was playing. I'm not an audiophile and I was able to guess which was which immediately. I would describe it as cleaner, clearer, deeper, and crisper. Vocals stand out from the accompaniment, the bottom end is tighter and the highs are prettier. I'm very happy with this purchase.

Beautiful sound! An extreme upgrade from the AT95EX cartridge. Less surface noise, much tighter and well controlled bass; clear, and natural midrange with very low distortion and edginess; airy and crisp highs. The cymbals shimmer with lots of air and ambiance. It easily renders individual sounds from a busy recording. Once the cartridge breaks in (~20 hrs), subtle details emerge beautifully. I'm using it with the Music Hall PA2.2 Pre-Amp to record LPs to my computer. Your mileage will vary depending on your particular audio system setup. As previously mentioned, this cartridge will only sound its best after a break-in period. Setup was a bit more challenging due to: 1) The stylus is quite recessed into the body of the cartridge making it really difficult to see, and 2) The VERY high quality nude diamond needle is so tiny and crystal clear that it is almost invisible! You'll need a lot of light and patience to setup up this cartridge properly. In the end, the amazing high quality audio will be your reward. Definitely one of the very best (perhaps THE very best) cartridge in this price range. Checkout some YouTube reviews. Highly recommended if you can stretch your budget into this territory.

Bought this to replace a 7-year old Shure M97xe that has been a real workhorse over the years but was starting to really show its age. It had previously been the most high-end cartridge I had ever purchased or experienced so my curiosity was piqued by the thought of an upgrade. After lots of comparisons between Nagaoka and other brands (Audio Technica, Ortofon, etc.) I settled on the Nagaoka MP-150. I know it takes quite a while to “break-in” a new stylus, but right out of the gates this stylus is blowing my Shure out of the water! The soundstage is so much more open, and everything seems far more natural, organic, and controlled. Vinyl at its best! It wasn’t terribly hard to mount the cart in a new after-market Ortofon headshell (the original shell for my Technics SL-D3 having disappeared somewhere along the way to my ownership) using both 1) the Technics overhang gauge and 2) an alignment protractor. I like to think of myself as a “budget-minded audiophile” and the Nagaoka is the best thing I’ve done for my ears in a long time! The only problem now is I can’t decide what to listen to next!

This cartridge is easy to set up, detailed with a great balance of tone

音の厚みやエネルギーが有り、高音から低音まで音色が揃っています。 ボーカルは自然できつい感じは無し。 エネルギーバランスは中低域の落ち着いたバランス。 無垢の楕円針でカンチレバーはアルミテーパード。 非常に良い製品だと思います。 付属してくるネジは真鍮製なので手持ちのアルミ(普通はアルミが付属していると思います)と聴き比べ、好みの方を使いましょう。 真鍮、レンジが広く明るく感じるが音が暴れる感覚も有る。 アルミ、ざわつく感じが有るが程よい情報量で落ち着きも有る。 MP110も良いカートリッジですが、低域の情報量、全体のエネルギー感が2ランク程上です。

All the best! Super natural sound. Best cartridge I’ve had till now!

J etais avec une ortophone rouge,,,la difference Serais trop long a enumerer C est tous simplement le jour et la nuit.....

Good improvement on sound quality Now all I have to do is upgrade my Amp and speakers, lol