by Hepokatti » 07 Jul 2012 19:06
The Record Store I had time to visit today had moved all their Jazz records to another location!!! I can't believe it.. I was a bit disappointed :p I guess they don't want to sell real music anymore.
Anyhow, I spun few other discs and my initial impressions from yesterday have been holding this far. I'm not sure how the sound will improve, when people say Nagaokas need some run in time, as this is already quite beautiful!
However, it is true what HT Performance said about the channel separation. It is more narrow than, say, AT120E or Ortofon OM30 etc. I wouldn't say it's poor as such, and to me Nagaoka's stereo image is natural and what I'm used to. It doesn't spread the details too much as some other carts do, and this helps to keep the music together in a good way. If wide stereo image is your thing, then perhaps you should look for something else. I have to repeat though that the stereo image is not narrow by any means, but you can recognize the difference when comparing with some "wider" carts. Lacking channel separation is definitely a negative side for some people for sure.
Musical is a term best fit for this cartridge. I have never found it easier to whistle along with 'Moody Blues - The Days of Future Passed' album's first track's violins. The violins sound as muddy as always with the original pressing, but nevertheless quite pleasant - the harps and flutes are as delightful as ever. But the album mix is a bit muddy altogether, so I wouldn't use this one as a reference for any cartridge. Kraftwerk - Man Machine and The Roots - How I Got Over were such amazing listening that I shouldn't be here writing but spinning more discs, haha.
All in all, seems like a really good cartridge! Compared to MP-200, many modern cheaper end MM carts seem to be "too hi-fi" and end up being whimpy and whiny. This looks like to be a complete opposite.
Maybe I still give more comments within few weeks as I've really listened the cartridge.
