Nagaoka celebrates its 85th anniversary with a high-end cartridge that promises to deliver "vivid and lifelike listening experience"

News
By published

The flagship MP-700 will make its debut at High End Munich next month

Nagaoka MP-700 cartridge
(Image credit: Nagaoka)

Japanese cartridge brand Nagaoka is celebrating its 85th anniversary this year with a brand new flagship model, called the Nagaoka MP-700. It sits at the top of its long-running MP line of cartridges, and will be launched officially at the High End Munich show next month (15th to 18th May).

Nagaoka started in 1940 as a maker of precision parts for clocks and watches, then moved on to fine jewellery before embarking on stylus tips and cartridge manufacturing. Its mid-range MP-200 cartridge impressed us so much with its all-round performance that it won a What Hi-Fi? Award for the best cartridge over £250.

The new flagship MP-700 cartridge is designed to deliver "ever more refined and accurate sound reproduction, bringing listeners closer to the original performance."

Nagaoka MP-700 cartridge

(Image credit: Nagaoka)

The MP in the name stands for Moving Permalloy, a variation on the conventional moving-magnet cartridge design. Here, the MP design includes a lightweight permalloy piece attached to the cantilever, thereby 'significantly' reducing mass, and allowing more freedom and precision in the way the stylus moves.

The MP-700 features a boron cantilever and a micro-ridge nude diamond stylus measuring 0.12 x 0.3 mil, which promises "exceptional detail retrieval from vinyl grooves". A newly integrated suspension wire in the pivot system further helps with stability, separation and clarity across all frequencies.

Nagaoka MP-700 cartridge

(Image credit: Nagaoka)

The shielded case and cartridge frame are made from ultra-duralumin (a copper-aluminium alloy), which is further treated with a triple layer of nickel plating, black tin plating and an insulating coating – all of which aims to protect it against static interference, heat, wear and tear, and ensure the exterior’s longevity.

As a flagship product, this cartridge won't come cheap when it becomes available in May. The Nagaoka MP-700 will be available for £1149 / $1399, while the cartridge with headshell (MP-700H) costs £1249 / $1499. The replacement stylus JN-P700 will cost you £599 / $789. Let's hope its promise of delivering "accurate representation of treble, bass tones and timbre for a more vivid and lifelike listening experience" comes true.

MORE:

Read our Nagaoka MP-200 review

Our guide to the best cartridges you can buy

Moving magnet vs moving coil cartridges: which is right for you?

Kashfia Kabir
Kashfia Kabir
Hi-Fi and Audio Editor

Kashfia is the Hi-Fi and Audio Editor of What Hi-Fi? and first joined the brand 13 years ago. During her time in the consumer tech industry, she has reviewed hundreds of products (including speakers, amplifiers, turntables and headphones), been to countless trade shows across the world and fallen in love with hi-fi kit much bigger than her. In her spare time, Kash can be found tending to an ever-growing houseplant collection and shooing her cat Jolene away from spinning records.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.