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Choices: Nagaoka MP-50, MP-300, or Garrott P77i?

Visitor (now ex-friend! ... just kidding ... kind of) castrated my beloved Nagaoka MP-30.
It had an unknown amount of hours on it and was probably due for a new stylus... none-the-less, I'm now in the market for a new stylus. Thank goodness I've got the Jico SAS-MM1 on hand as a backup.

Anyhow - for Rock + Jazz listening, any thoughts on these three?

I can buy a complete MP-50 cartridge, a brand new MP-300 stylus to fit the MP-30 body, or go completely off the deep-end and try a Garrott P77i all for about the same amount of money.

I really liked the Nagaoka MP-30's sound, so the MP-300 stylus SEEMS to make the most sense. A part of me, however, says while I'm doing this I may as well upgrade to the MP-50 or try the Garrott.

The only Garrott I've ever heard was the Optim-S and, while I liked part of it A LOT, I found it a bit laid back in the high-end. Not sure how the P77i would compare and if it might be a bit more "open".
vinyladdict
vinyladdict OP
164 posts
 
Interesting. It might be worth noting that I run an all tube system: Bottlehead Seduction Phono Stage to a Cayin A-70T (Tung-Sol 6550 tubes) Integrated and out to a pair of Usher X-718's.

You're making me want to just order that damned thing from Australia!
jaybo
4,478 posts
 

Decibelhifi.com.au
Ag insider logo xs@2x
rauliruegas
9,123 posts
 
Dear Vinyladdict: I own all the cartridges you name it but the 77i, I own the P77.

If you really want something better IMHO these are better options than the ones you ask:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Azden-YM-P50VL-Brand-New-in-the-box-Never-used_W0QQitemZ260551502693QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3caa146b65#ht_500wt_975

http://cgi.ebay.com/YM-P50E-Brand-new-in-the-box-never-used_W0QQitemZ260551507298QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3caa147d62#ht_500wt_975

http://cgi.ebay.com/Ortofon-M20E-Super-MM-cartridge-M-20-E-Super-NOS_W0QQitemZ400085013949QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item5d26ecd5bd

http://cgi.ebay.com/Empire-1080-LT-1080LT-T4P-cartridge-NOS_W0QQitemZ400101138353QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item5d27e2dfb1

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.
vinyladdict OP
164 posts
 
Hey Raul - Thanks for the suggestions. The Empire is a P-Mount cartridge; the Ortofon I've looked at before and my main concern with it is that it has a compliance of 40mm/µN (!!); the Arzden's are intriguing - I've never heard of them before.
Ag insider logo xs@2x
rauliruegas
9,123 posts
 
Dear Vinyladdict: The Empire and the Azden are P-mount type
designs and comes with its dedicated universal adaptor, both
are very good and the P-mount design IMHO is no drawback in
anyway

The Azden YM-P50VL IMHO is superior to any other cartridge (
either LOMC or MM/MI at any price. ) I
own/owned/borrowed/heard in all my audio life. Nothing I
know come close to its high quality performance. In the last
three days I was testing my sample against other top MM/MI's
and against the Dynavector XV-1s and Ortofon A-90 LOMC
cartridges and either can cope with the Azden performance
level.

Btw, don't worry about that high compliance figure on the
Ortofon M20E Super, please read here ( my last post on the
thread ) about:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1265682199

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.
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