Nagaoka - MP-500H MP Series Phono Cartridge with Headshell

The line-contact MP-500 — for years the top of the range — supplied factory-mounted and aligned on a Nagaoka headshell.

The cartridge is the standalone MP-500 unchanged, and it is the first in the series to leave elliptical profiles behind. A line-contact diamond presents a long, narrow flank to the groove wall rather than a rounded one: it sits deeper, follows high-frequency modulation an elliptical tip rides over, and spreads the tracking load across more of the wall, which is easier on the record.

Nagaoka calls this its representative MP cartridge and describes the sound as clear, with almost no sense of distortion — reaching for the image of standing on the conductor's podium. The company adds a caveat worth repeating: the MP-500 shows what it can do in combination with a good amplifier and speakers.

Channel separation is the highest Nagaoka publishes for the series at 27 dB, channel balance is inside 1.0 dB, and response reaches 25 kHz. Output is 3 mV into 47 kΩ, tracking at a light 1.3 to 1.8 g. A line-contact tip rewards careful alignment, so having Nagaoka do the mounting is worth more here than further down the range.

Features

• MP-500 cartridge factory-mounted on a genuine Nagaoka headshell
• Fits any tonearm with a standard removable SME-style headshell connector
• Line-contact diamond on a boron cantilever, in a machined aluminium frame
• 27 dB channel separation — the highest Nagaoka publishes for the MP series
• Channel balance inside 1.0 dB; response to 25 kHz
• 3 mV output into a standard 47 kΩ moving magnet input
• User-replaceable stylus assembly — genuine Nagaoka JN-P500

Specifications

• Type: MP (Moving Permalloy) stereo cartridge, pre-mounted on a headshell
• Output Voltage: 3 mV at 5 cm/sec
• Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 25,000 Hz
• Channel Separation: 27 dB at 1 kHz
• Channel Balance: 1.0 dB or less
• Stylus: Line-contact diamond
• Cantilever: Boron
• Body: Machined aluminium frame
• Tracking Force: 1.3 – 1.8 g
• Load Resistance: 47 kΩ
• Load Capacitance: 100 pF
• Total Weight with Headshell: Nagaoka's own product page states 26.1 g; the US dealer price list states 21.5 g. We have not been able to reconcile the two, so check the figure against your counterweight range before ordering
• Cartridge Weight Alone: 7.8 g
• Replacement Stylus: Nagaoka JN-P500
• 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