Japanese cartridge brand Nagaoka is celebrating its 85th anniversary this year with a brand new flagship model, called the Nagaoka MP-700. It sits at the top of its long-running MP line of cartridges, and will be launched officially at the High End Munich show next month (15th to 18th May).
Nagaoka started in 1940 as a maker of precision parts for clocks and watches, then moved on to fine jewellery before embarking on stylus tips and cartridge manufacturing. Its mid-range MP-200 cartridge impressed us so much with its all-round performance that it won a What Hi-Fi? Award for the best cartridge over £250.
The new flagship MP-700 cartridge is designed to deliver "ever more refined and accurate sound reproduction, bringing listeners closer to the original performance."
The MP in the name stands for Moving Permalloy, a variation on the conventional moving-magnet cartridge design. Here, the MP design includes a lightweight permalloy piece attached to the cantilever, thereby 'significantly' reducing mass, and allowing more freedom and precision in the way the stylus moves.
The MP-700 features a boron cantilever and a micro-ridge nude diamond stylus measuring 0.12 x 0.3 mil, which promises "exceptional detail retrieval from vinyl grooves". A newly integrated suspension wire in the pivot system further helps with stability, separation and clarity across all frequencies.
The shielded case and cartridge frame are made from ultra-duralumin (a copper-aluminium alloy), which is further treated with a triple layer of nickel plating, black tin plating and an insulating coating – all of which aims to protect it against static interference, heat, wear and tear, and ensure the exterior’s longevity.
As a flagship product, this cartridge won't come cheap when it becomes available in May. The Nagaoka MP-700 will be available for £1149 / $1399, while the cartridge with headshell (MP-700H) costs £1249 / $1499. The replacement stylus JN-P700 will cost you £599 / $789. Let's hope its promise of delivering "accurate representation of treble, bass tones and timbre for a more vivid and lifelike listening experience" comes true.
MORE:
Read our Nagaoka MP-200 review
Our guide to the best cartridges you can buy
Moving magnet vs moving coil cartridges: which is right for you?
