Nagaoka

ALBEPRO is NAGAOKA's official dealer in the Netherlands.

The complete "MP" program and the new "JewelTone" series from NAGAOKA are available in our product range, including the new DJ-44G replacement stylus.

About NAGAOKA

NAGAOKA was founded in 1940 as a supplier of precision parts for the watchmaking industry and has built its expertise in processing hard-to-machine materials such as diamonds, rubies, and sapphires.

The official name at that time was "Nagaoka Clock Parts Manufacturing Co., Ltd."

In 1947, NAGAOKA began collaborating with watch manufacturers such as Seiko, Citizen, and Orient. In 1950, the name was changed to "Nagaoka Seiki Jewel Industry Co., Ltd." with a workforce of over 100 employees.

In 1947, NAGAOKA launched a sapphire stylus for gramophones, and in 1956, the first diamond stylus was manufactured in Japan.

NAGAOKA is known as "the specialist in diamond processing" and is a global producer of pickup needles, stylus pens, cutting blades, and many other industrial products.

In the years that followed, the company experienced a period of rapid growth. With over 300 employees, unique polishing technologies were developed, marking the introduction of the diamond replacement stylus.

To meet the expectations of NAGAOKA fans, the company continues to produce pickup needles to this day.

In 1971, the trademark was changed to "NAGAOKA Corporation."

Currently, more than 90% of bonded needle tips sold worldwide come from NAGAOKA.

NAGAOKA cartridges and needles have enjoyed an excellent reputation for decades and are known by music lovers and professionals for their high manufacturing precision and nearly unbeatable price-to-quality ratio.

All NAGAOKA "MP" (Moving Permalloy) series cartridges belong to the 'Moving Iron' (MI) family and feature interchangeable needles.

In the body (right above the needle carrier), there is a relatively large, stationary Samarium-Cobalt magnet.

The cantilever is not equipped with a magnet (as is the case with standard MM cartridges), but is made of an alloy with very high magnetic conductivity.

Thanks to this design, the MP cartridges offer low tip mass, improved dynamic behavior, and an efficient generator.

The "MP" series includes the following cartridges: MP-500, MP-300, MP-200, MP-150, MP-110, and MP-100, all available at ALBEPRO. See the overview below.

2020: In commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the founding of NAGAOKA

The new JEWELTONE JT-80 series consists of MM Moving Magnet cartridges.

This time, the cartridge bodies, stylus, and knobs have been completely redesigned. The newly designed MM cartridge is the first new development in about 40 years, since the release of the MP-type cartridge. It also won the 2020 Good Design Award.

On the 80th anniversary of its founding, NAGAOKA has evolved with the hope of reaffirming the value of record culture by introducing new products to the analog vinyl market, which has seen much renewed excitement in recent years.

The JEWELTONE JT-80 series lineup consists of two models: JT-80LB and JT-80BK, available at ALBEPRO.

Regarding the bodies of the JT-80BK and JT-80LB, they are different. Although they look the same, the coil and other internal parts are different.

The same situation applies to the MP series: the MP series consists of different models. The MP-100 and MP-110 are quite similar, as are the MP-150 and MP-200. However, the MP-300 and MP-500 are not. The needles are not interchangeable; it is important to mount the correct needle on the correct cartridge.