Nagaoka - MP-100H MP Series Phono Cartridge with Headshell

The MP-100 supplied already mounted and aligned on a Nagaoka headshell — the shortest route from box to first record on any turntable with a removable SME-style shell.

The cartridge is identical to the standalone MP-100: the same Moving Permalloy generator, which keeps magnets and coils fixed inside the body and moves only a light permalloy element with the cantilever, and the same 0.6 mil bonded conical diamond on an aluminium-alloy cantilever. What you are buying is the mounting work.

That work is not trivial. Fitting a cartridge means setting overhang, zenith and azimuth with a protractor and two very small screws, usually at an awkward angle. Nagaoka does it at the factory. Fit the shell to the arm, set the tracking force, and you are playing records.

One thing to be clear about: pre-mounted is not the same as pre-configured for your particular turntable. Tracking force, anti-skate and any arm-specific overhang setting still need checking during setup, because those depend on the arm rather than the cartridge. Total weight with the headshell is 16.5 g, which is worth confirming against your counterweight range.

Features

• MP-100 cartridge factory-mounted on a genuine Nagaoka headshell
• Fits any tonearm with a standard removable SME-style headshell connector
• 0.6 mil bonded conical diamond on an aluminium-alloy cantilever
• 5 mV output into a standard 47 kΩ moving magnet input
• User-replaceable stylus assembly — genuine Nagaoka JN-P100
• Built in Japan by Nagaoka

Specifications

• Type: MP (Moving Permalloy) stereo cartridge, pre-mounted on a headshell
• Output Voltage: 5 mV at 5 cm/sec
• Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz
• Channel Separation: 22 dB at 1 kHz
• Channel Balance: 2.0 dB or less
• Stylus: 0.6 mil bonded conical diamond
• Cantilever: Aluminium alloy
• Tracking Force: 1.8 – 2.3 g
• Load Resistance: 47 kΩ
• Load Capacitance: 100 pF
• Total Weight with Headshell: 16.5 g (Nagaoka; the US dealer price list rounds this to 16 g)
• Cartridge Weight Alone: 6.5 g
• Replacement Stylus: Nagaoka JN-P100
• Fitting: Standard removable SME-style headshell connector
• Origin: Made in Japan
• Note: Tracking force, overhang and other tonearm-specific settings should still be checked during setup — the factory mounting handles cartridge alignment in the shell, not the alignment of the shell in your arm