iz_thewiz Posted January 8, 2024 Posted January 8, 2024 (edited) Hi all, I'm looking to upgrade my current cartridge, the Nagaoka MP-200, due to stylus wear. I am happy to remain in the Nagaoka family, and while the MP-200 was fantastic in my system, I am tempted and most likely to jump up to the MP-500. I have been researching other options such as the Sumiko Amythest MM, Audio-Technica VM760SLC, and Goldring 1042, however I have been more than satisfied with the MP-200 & Nagaoka sound. However, I did want to check my compliance arithmetic with the community before moving forward. System: Technics SL-1200MK2 Turntable Effective length = 230mm or 9” Effective mass = 12g Jelco TS-850S Tonearm Effective length = 232mm or 9” Effective mass = 13.5g Overhang = 18mm Tonearm height adjustment = +38-60mm Suitable cartridge weight = 17-35g Nagaoka MP-200 Current cartridge/stylus Output voltage = 4mV Load resistance = 47K ohm Load capacitance = 100pF Dynamic compliance = 7.2 x 10-6 cm/dyne Weight = 6.5g Tracking force range = +1.5-2.0g Nagaoka MP-500 New cartridge/stylus potential Output voltage = 3mV Load resistance = 47K ohm Load capacitance = 100pF Dynamic compliance = 8.5 x 10-6 cm/dyne Weight = 7.8g Tracking force range = +1.3-1.8g Jelco HS-25 Headshell Mass = 12.5g Azimuth adjustable Magnesium alloy Graham Slee - Reflex M Phono stage Input sensitivity range = 1.6-9.2mV Input impedance = 47K ohm With these specs, and using the following formula: F = 1000 : (2 x π x √ (M x C)) π = 3.14159265359 C = 7.2 M= 34.5 The resonant frequency for the MP-200 = 10.10 Hz Using the same formula to determine the resonant frequency of the MP-500: F = 1000 : (2 x π x √ (M x C)) π = 3.14159265359 C = 8.5 M= 34.5 The resonant frequency for the MP-500 = 9.28 Hz Since it's 2024, I even got ChatGPT to calculate! So with these figures, can anyone confirm compliance and compatibility between cartridge and tonearm? I am aware that the MP-500 is a line-contact type of stylus, so obviously more attention to SRA/VTA will be required. Thanks for the read and hoping for clarity! Edited January 8, 2024 by iz_thewiz Updated calculations
2Brix Posted January 16, 2024 Posted January 16, 2024 (edited) hey Matt @iz_thewiz you could check your numbers using one of the online tools like this https://korfaudio.com/calculator Pretty neat as it indicates graphically how 'ideal' the match should be, and a feel for 'what if' scenarios where you are considering carts with greatly different compliances Edited January 16, 2024 by 2Brix
iz_thewiz Posted January 17, 2024 Author Posted January 17, 2024 11 hours ago, 2Brix said: hey Matt @iz_thewiz you could check your numbers using one of the online tools like this https://korfaudio.com/calculator Pretty neat as it indicates graphically how 'ideal' the match should be, and a feel for 'what if' scenarios where you are considering carts with greatly different compliances Hey mate! Thanks for the reply. I did reference the Korf Audio calculator amongst other options on-line, including ChatGPT. I'm pretty confident I am compliant. Korf Audio has great blogs, highly recommend to anyone really.
Recommended Posts