Amethyst versus Nagaoka MP-150/MP-200

I have the 150 and upgraded the stylus to the 200. Great cartridge. I like a warm sounding cartridge and goes well with my modded 1200 mk5 tt.

Thanks, guys. 

scchengmus, I totally agree with your description of the Amethyst, and I've thought for a while that it's probably a great cart for classical, though I haven't really tested it with that genre, since I listen mostly to 50s-70s jazz these days.  The only thing I miss with the Amethyst is a bit is more energy from the cymbals (I'm a drummer, so that's partly why), which is why I find myself listening to the Sumiko Olympia more often than the Amethyst -- it's not nearly as clean, but it's very alive, and it still has the warmth and musicality that I really like.  I was hoping that the MP-150/MP-200 would have the same lower frequency depth and presence but a bit more happening in the upper registers, too.

@noromance , do you find the AT bright/fatiguing at all?

I am currently running a Nagaoka MP-500 on a VPI Prime Scout and am very happy with it.  I also had a MP-200 and agree that it would be a better choice than the entry level Nagas.

@three_paws
I’m not sure if you listen to vintage jazz in stereo or mono, or alternate depending on your source format. Some studios back-in-the-day definitely produced records that only sound best in mono, meaning through monoblocks post-preamp. But I agree that different Sumikos produce different results for different recordings; I’ve heard 5 types of Sumiko but again, for me personally, my system sounds best with Amethyst (within the Sumiko line up that is). For your system and for what you listen to, yes, switching between Sumiko models could prove beneficial. Comparing Sumiko to Nagaoka, however, I would summarize as “pure” vs. “warm” if we had to use adjectives. Back to my system, the sound frequency, timbre, depth is performing to my musical format needs with the Amethyst. 

For some background as a child listening on my father’s systems, followed by further education and ongoing experimentation, it became clear that pairing is of utmost importance. You can have an amazing cartridge(s) but if the entire life cycle from power to speakers isn’t compatible then all is moot. Unfortunately we are at the mercy of the source, so the quality of each recording is another key point. This, however, we cannot control — for those who want total control this point is definitely out of our control. 

I listen to a mix, and I definitely don't obsess over finding mono pressings, etc.  In fact, I'm just as happy with more recent reissues so long as they have the musicality/warmth of the originals.  (And of course not all originals have that anyway.)

I think of Sumiko as warm, so it's interesting for me to hear you say that Nagaokas are warmer.  My entire system, from phono preamp to speakers, tends to run toward warm, so I actually wonder if adding more midrange/low end from the cart will throw off that balance and muddy the waters.  Or maybe there will be even better synergy.  Food for thought. 

Thanks again for your thoughts!