Bought 2x Nagaoka JT-322 and 1x MP-20

Ok, so I bought more stuff I don't need. While I love my Denon DL103R in the JVC and the DL110 in my Hitachi HT-354, I always seem to be looking for that next cart.

I've tried the following carts so far:

Audio Technica AT95E A decent cheapie, though there really is no reason for this carts existence considering the AT3482P is better sounding and cheaper
Audio Technica AT3482P w/ P-Mount adapter (the best budget cart I've come across so far. $30 shipped. Puts the more expensive AT95E to shame. More balanced than the AT122EP which tends towards the highs and less tracking noise. A little sibulance on the S's. Carbon fibre cantilever and conical tip. Current production cart.
Audio Technica AT122EP w/ P-Mount adapter - Nice cart, tends to accentuate the highs. No longer in production.
Denon DL103R HOMC - So far my favourite cart in my JVC QL-7. Nice detail and sound on that table, terrible on my Hitachi HT-354.
Denon DL110 HOMC - Sounds amazing on my HT-354, but too clinical on my JVC-QL7. Great dynamics, quiet cart and amazing detail.
LP-AUDIO LP-MC80H MC (supposedly HOMC though I'd classify it Mid output. Neither high nor low - My all time least favourite cart. Excellent detail and channel separation, though with very poor overall body/tone. Seems to be scooped in the mid range (kind of in the same way 6CA7 valves are. Good on highs and lows, but mid scooped. At least with valves you can even it out with the choice of valves in the preamp stage)

Now to wait for my Nagaoka MP-20 and JT-322's to arrive. The JT-322 seems to have increadible specs considering the price.

eweltone (Nagaoka)JT-322 Quadra:

Shibata cut "4-Channel Block Naked Diamond" needle tip
Very high frequency (10 - 45000Hz)
Super permalloy shield
Injection mold frame
0.55 mg of effective mass
channel spacing above 25 Hz db/1.000
Output Voltage 2.5 mV/1.000 Hz 50 mm / sec
channel balance dB/1.000 1 Hz
dyn compliance 10 x 10 -6 cm/dyne/100Hz
Stat. Compliance 25 x 10 -6 cm / dyne
needle pressure 1.2 - 2 g Operating (1.5 recommended)
weight 4.8 g

I got the 2x NOS JT-322 for $166.25 AUD shipped. The used MP-20 I got for about $130 AUD shipped. I'm hoping great things will come from the JT-322. If so, I'll be ordering another 2 f these :thmbsp:

More details to come once I they arrive

Details coming yet?

Enjoy and be on the lookout for a JT-555 with carbon fiber cantilever. It's not for all records, but does a superb job on some

I actually preferred the MP20 at the time..... I have a sneaking suspicion that my phono stage simply wasn't up to getting the best from these at the time as I wasn't particularly impressed with them. I was running a Cambridge Audio 651p. Anyway, I got what I paid for the MP20 back and roughly doubled my money on the JT322's. I got rid of them as the Empire carts are simply better for the money. Also, at the time I only had my B&W DM16 speakers which are warm. A warm cart sounds muddy on them.

Heck, I think my Empire 4000 D/I on my Ariston RD110 SL table/Fidelity Research FR24 arm compares very well with my Hana EL on my JVC QL7. These are the two very best carts I've ever heard and the Empire really does pass into moving coil territory although it seems more a synergy between components. It's not nearly so nice on my JVC table on the system upstairs. Partly the table and partly because the system upstairs is already quite warm and sounds muddy with a warm cartridge.

My downstairs system runs Dayton USA PS220-8 drivers which are ever so slightly bright, so it loves a warm cartridge. I suspect that if I'd used the Nagaoka carts on this they would have sounded magical.