Who is using Nagaoka Phono Cartridges?

I picked up a Nagaoka MP-150 last spring, and added the JN-P (MP500) nude line contact stylus on boron cantilever to it, and think it’s spectacular. Incredibly musical with beautifully refined detail, amazing midrange clarity and separation. It sounds like I have wanted all my other carts to sound since getting into this in the early 80s. All in for ~ $570...not cheap, but not outrageous for the sound I’m getting

The Nag was an upgrade from a very well behaved AT-VM95SH, and an LP Gear 3600DLXVL. I also have a CF-3600LE, AT-80E, Stanton 500, Empire SM-444, AT-3600L, AT95C. Years ago I had a Grado Signature 8, Signet TK5, and a Talisman Alchemist...the Grado Sig 8 was nice, though perhaps a bit too tame. The Signet and Talisman were too bright for me.

The thing with phono carts is that it’s so important that they mate well with the tonearm and the impedances of the phono stage. Because of that, comparing some carts isn’t necessarily indicative of their abilities or quality, because it’s not always an apples to apples comparison, or a good match to the circumstances.  Sometimes buying a cart is just a crap shoot, because it’s hard to predict what’s really going to happen with any given cart on your system, I’m thrilled I took the plunge for the Nag.

I have the MP-200 and MP-500.

Wonderful carts.  I have a 150 around here to??/

I wonder Nagaoka is popular among audiophiles in Japan

I have had 2M Red, VM740ML, Grado Opus3, V15ii, and a few others I am probably forgetting on my tables. Bought a MP-200 a while back, it has about 40 hours on it now and for me it is the best cart I've auditioned in my rig.

As stated already, the detail is the difference maker with this cartridge. Very musical and fun to listen to. I'm probably done swapping cartridges for a while now.

They are wonderful cartridges and I love swapping stylus for different sound.

Love them will never buy a MC again.

I recently went to a low output MC cart. which sounds very good as it should for $1200. Before it, I used a Nagaoka MP-200 which is a wonderful sounding cartridge. For $600 and under, I believe the Nags are hard to beat!

I had a Nagaoka MP500 that I recently sold with a turntable.  It's a very good MM cartridge, but was bested by most of my other cartridges which include Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood, Hana SL, Soundsmith Aida II, Denon DL 301 MK2, and Zu Denon DL 103. 

I have some other higher end MC carts, but they would not be a fair comparison to the Nagaoka since they cost much more. 

The Nagaoka is a little better than my old Shure V15 Type IV with a Jico SAS stylus, being a little more neutral. 

At their current prices, I don't see the Nagaoka as being a "bargain".  I bought mine from a seller in Japan for quite a bit less than they go for here in the US.

I wouldn't try to steer someone away from a Nagaoka, but I think there are other options in that price range or near that are better.  Stylus replacement is pretty expensive.