Turntables, Arms & Cartridges

Last tested over a decade ago [HFN Feb '11], Nagaoka's 'Moving Permalloy' pick-up has remained very consistent in production. By current standards, its output into a standard 47kohm load remains a 'middling' 3.1mV (the Ortofon 2M series MMs will achieve up to 7mV/1kHz re. 5cm/sec) but the channel balance is rather better than Nagaoka's conservative 1dB rating at just 0.3dB. I would still not recommend loading the MP-500 with a parallel capacitance of >100pF, however, as the cartridge's native response already shows a gently declining treble that falls 9dB from 10kHz to 20kHz following a 1-2dB boost through the presence region [see Graph 1, below]. Also, its compliance is rather higher than the rated 8.5x10-6cm/dyn at ~30cu suggesting the MP-500 is best suited to life in low-to-medium effective mass tonearms. VTA, too, is higher than anticipated at 30° so the latter, and the top-end response dip, might well be ameliorated by raising the tonearm slightly at the rear.

Otherwise there's much to commend this proven Moving-Permalloy mechanism. Tracking is excellent, even at a low 1.7g test downforce (a wide 1.3-1.8g range is specified) as the MP-500 sails through the top 80µm groove pitch and navigates the max. +18dB groove (re. 315Hz/5cm/sec) at <0.8% THD. The excellent symmetry of the MP generator is also a worthy 'feature', illustrated not only in the matching lateral/vertical response trends [Graph 1] but also in the uncommonly low lateral/vertical and stereo distortion vs. frequency [see Graph 2]. Very few pick-ups, of any type, achieve a sub-3% stereo THD from 20Hz-20kHz (–8dB re. 5cm/sec) and a peak of <7% , in this instance at 14kHz, with discrete lateral/vertical cuts. PM