On the side by side test both sound the same to my ears ...but on the blind test Nagaoka sounds more clear! As a result i think Nagaoka is the winner here!
I just got the MP110 and was surprised at how much I had to shim under the front of the cartridge to make it tip forward (the face of it is at an angle like this \ in order for the bottom part to be flat and the needle itself to have the right VTA.) With the cartridge tipped forward it sounds noticeably better than what is shown in this video. At least for me in my circumstance. I haven't done a side by side test, but the MP-110 sounds better than my more expensive Grado red cartridge I am using on a different turntable in my living room. I get more out of human voices with the Nagaoka.
Most people on youtube always seem to think the brighter cartridge sounds better on these tests, if you have a bright sounding system i wouldn't recommend a bright cartridge, if your system isn't very revealing then go with the bright cartridge, i use monitor audio speakers which are on the bright side so i would choose a warmer phono cartridge.
I upgraded from a Black1 to an MP-110 almost a year ago and I do not regret it! In this demo the MP-110 sounds livelier and the vocals come through more. The vocals sound a tad muffled on the Blue2. I could instantly tell which one it was in the blind test.
They sounded even more similar than how I would have thought! I too prefer the Nagaoka (in fact it's the one I bought, thanks to your videos too!) but I still can see why someone could prefer the grado. I think their sound signature across the whole line is quite unique, kind of muffled, but still relaxing in some way.
Very similar in sound but, the Nagaoka sounds a bit brighter in the midrange. While Grado reccommends tracking for their Prestige cartridges at 1.5g, I've discovered the MAGIC of them happens at 1.62g-1.65g, they become something completely different and wonderful and still have low surface noise.
The grado sounded to me at first slightly more muffled, at least in the instruments.. where there was clarity and brightness in the mp110.. this became less discerning when the vocals began to play.. but when the blind test came along with more vocals, on the second spin I could tell the B had the same muffle and I presumed it to be the grado again.. this was very helpful as I was torn between these two carts in this price range.. thanks
The EQ was off. One was brighter, so the cartridge loading needs to be adjusted until they both have a flat response. The 3 kHz tone would have been better.
I ordered a Grado blue but ill express my opinion. The Grado sounded more flat on this and other videos. The other sounds like it is boosting the highs. Really you spend money buying equipment that sounds flat across the frequency spectrum you shouldnt compromise on this. If you like more highs thats what proper equalization is for. Inherently i feel treble adds a certain clairity aspect but in the right amount.
Yes, the Nagaokas are boosting the highs. I've used a mp-200 for half a year now on a dynamic preamp, but I certainly need another cartridge, it has no speed in bass and thus lacks the foundation. Looking into Grado now, how are you liking it after your purchase?
The lifespan of a mp-110 last me 6 months and 300 hours only after horrible distortion. Nagaoka says ( 150-200 hours ) Grado told me that the Prestige 3 series as a 2000 Hours stylus lifespan. This is a game changer for me, i will be moving to Grado Red3 next time.
According to Vinyl Engine, they say that Grado said that the Prestige is good for 250 to 500 hrs, but the Prestige 3 is 500 to 1000 hrs which is the same for the Ortofon carts. Audio Technica says theirs is good for 1000 hrs; Nagaoka said anywhere between 500 to 2,500 depending on which model, the more it costs the longer it lasts.
Crazy, I have the 2m Red which you did that vs the Grado Green and the 2m red was the winner. I was worried bc I just ordered a MP-110 over the Grado Red. The Nagaoka was the winner and I am a bit more confident about my purchase. Thanks.
If I'm listening for detail, the brighter (Nagaoka) shines. For music, it's a little tizzy to me. It's not a detail competition. It's about realism. Real music has weight and body. So, no clear winner to me.
a significant difference in highs and how the acoustic guitar sounded especially. in the blind test, I immediately pick the first subject when it plays the second time. Nagaoka is way better in overall, better imaging and instruments separation.
Surprising I had the Grado Blue on the Rega P3 and I sold it off. 10 years later I got myself a SL1200mk5 with Nagaoka MP110. I dumped Rega as I cannot raised the VTA at will just like the SL1200. Further it is a great pain to fixed a cartridge on the fixed head assembly like Rega. The removable headshell is a blessing. Maybe I try a Grado Gold on my SL. Nagaoka is harder to find and cost a bomb to shipped it in from Japan.
I'm surprised by the difference between identically priced cartridges. The MP110 is night and day better than the Grado. Truthfully, I am quite shocked that there is such a huge gulf in performance between them. So glad I took advice from my trusted Audio retailer when testing as I may have questioned his ability in hearing the Grado as better or even in the same league as the MP110, when we short listed some cartridges when I bought my RP3 a few months back. The MP110 is what I went with and for the money I am more than happy.
Pretty easy to hear the difference (yes even the blind test). Grado has a nice 'bloomy' sound. Mp110 sounds 'thin' compared to Grado. I prefer Grado here.
They both sound really good, but Nagaoka is more lively and more clear. I really want to hear her in comparison with the new Goldring E3, I hope that you make it happen!
I have the E3 and am very happy with it, however I'd be surprised if it can hold up to the Nagaoka given the 110 costs around a third more (in the UK at least).
I would say it is pretty much a draw. Both cartridges are fairly warm. The only difference is that the Nagaoaka has brighter and perhaps more detailed highs, whereas the Grado is flatter or more rolled off. Both are great cartridges for the money. The choice will come down to personal preference or system matching. I would probably end up getting the Grado because Nagaoka cartridges are hard to find.
how you can even say a draw, when the "only difference" is the the brighter details in the highs. hi-fi listening is exactly expressed into the high frequencies. I think the Nagaoka is times better than the GRADO.
As for me, not a big difference, the MP-110 sounds a bit clear. Could you please compare Shure Whitelabel with MP-110, 150. I have Whitelabel and I want to make an upgrade, but I can’t decide...
Ah - While the Nagoka is the winner, I wasn't offended by the Blue and sometimes it was quite a bit closer than I thought it would be. I use a Grado Black in my setup at the moment.
I have appreciated the difference listening on the cell phone and without headphones, it is quite clear.The grado seems more truthful to me, the nagaoka sounds sharper
The blind test was easy as there was a big difference, i don't think one was better than the other as i just think it comes down to personal preference, the grado had a warmer sound and the other cartridge had a brighter sound.
Audiorpheus Not in Germany. The price difference is small. My point is: I’m not able to correlate any performance difference to a price difference. How to decide what’s better? Others are claiming a night-day step. Not comprehensive for my ears.
@@ChristianGoergen It is hard at times, but as you start to learn how and what to listen for it becomes easier. I didnt become EQ and Speed sensitive until more than a year into the hobby.
I love your vids. But I think the blind test would be even better if you change a-b everytime. F.e. four runs where the grado would be a-a-b-a or something. To ask even more of out earconcentration. :-)
I was actually feeling they were really close, but on the blind test I chose A for being more clear and having better punch in the drums. And indeed the Grado seems a little more muffled sounding, which considering I already find the Nagaoka series to be on the edge of slightly too low end favored, the Grado easily crosses that line of too murky for me. But maybe on a really bright overall system it could be a nice balance piece.
@@conradhartgmx 2 factors contribute: 1) the Grado has a 2-3 dB treble dip centered at 5 KHz, and 2) the Nagaoka has a 5-6 dB tip mass resonance centered peak at 18 KHz.
I really want to like Grado... I mean I like(d) the Grado my turntable came with, the warm sound was not bad, clear enough, but I really haven't heard many others, and was only working on one channel, so I have to get a new one... now I'm not so sure. Might have to try something else. (I wonder if a Grado Silver would be better...)
There is lots of comments on the net saying Grado carts require a specific loading that regular cheap preamps with no adjustment just can't deliver. Still, at this price point, they just allow themselves to be tagged as designers of woolly sounding gear. Then, many love them just for that.
@@TheBishopFury Besides different loading (typically around 23K on the preamp), Grados prefer alignment that has more "tail up" on the tonearm than most cartridges use. They are much more balanced then.
