Nagaoka MP-MONO Phono Cartridge

Dedicated mono design with an elliptical diamond and Moving Permalloy generator

The Nagaoka MP-MONO brings the company's Moving Permalloy generator technology to a cartridge developed specifically for monaural records. It comes fitted with a 0.4 × 0.7 mil bonded elliptical diamond intended for modern mono pressings, while an optional 1.0 mil stylus is available for earlier records cut for a wider stylus profile.

Like Nagaoka's stereo MP cartridges, the MP-MONO uses a lightweight permalloy element at the rear of the cantilever rather than the comparatively heavy magnet of a conventional moving-magnet cartridge. The result is a low-moving-mass generator with 4 mV of output for a standard MM phonostage.

Designed for Mono Records

Mono LPs carry their musical information through lateral groove modulation. The MP-MONO is designed around that format rather than adapting a stereo cartridge and electrically combining its channels.

The standard JN-PMONO 0.7E stylus uses a 0.4 × 0.7 mil bonded elliptical diamond. Nagaoka developed this version for modern mono cutting geometry and contemporary mono reissues.

0.7 Mil and 1.0 Mil Stylus Options

Nagaoka also offers the JN-PMONO 1.0E replacement stylus, which uses a 0.5 × 1.0 mil bonded elliptical diamond. The larger profile is intended for mono records from the 1940s and 1950s, when 1.0 mil playback styli were common.

Because the stylus assembly is replaceable, the MP-MONO body can be used with either profile. The standard 0.7 mil stylus tracks at 1.5–2 g, while the optional 1.0 mil version tracks at 2–2.5 g.

Moving Permalloy Generator

Nagaoka's MP system replaces the moving magnet of a conventional MM cartridge with a much smaller piece of magnetically permeable permalloy attached to the rear of the cantilever. The magnet and coils remain stationary inside the cartridge body.

Reducing the mass moving with the cantilever allows the stylus to respond more freely to groove modulation while retaining the high output required by a conventional MM phonostage.

Replaceable Stylus

The standard replacement stylus is the JN-PMONO 0.7E. The optional JN-PMONO 1.0E provides the larger stylus profile for earlier mono LPs.

What's Included

• MP-MONO cartridge
• JN-PMONO 0.7E stylus
• Stylus guard
• Cartridge case
• Mounting screws, washers, and nuts
• Screwdriver
• Instruction manual

Specifications

Type: Moving Permalloy mono cartridge

Mounting: 1/2 in.

Stylus: 0.4 × 0.7 mil bonded elliptical diamond

Cantilever: Aluminum alloy

Output Voltage: 4 mV

Frequency Response: 20 Hz–20 kHz

Vertical Tracking Force: 1.5–2 g

Load Resistance: 47 kΩ

Load Capacitance: 100 pF

Replacement Stylus: JN-PMONO 0.7E

Optional 1.0 Mil Stylus: JN-PMONO 1.0E, 0.5 × 1.0 mil bonded elliptical diamond

Optional 1.0 Mil Stylus Tracking Force: 2–2.5 g

Weight: 6.5 g