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.