SDD adds phono specialist Nagaoka to Hi-Fi brands

Specialist audio distributor Sound Design Distribution has signed Nagaoka, a leading supplier of vinyl pick up technologies.

Founded in 1940 in Japan as a manufacturer of precision clock parts, Nagaoka has emerged as a global leader in the production of phono cartridges and styli. It currently claims to manufacture around 90 percent of the world’s diamond styli.

Included in the range are six models which use Nagaoka’s innovative lightweight Moving Permalloy (MP) cartridge. Hailed as a superior alternative to MM designs, MP coils remain permanently mounted, but rather than use a heavy moving magnet, MP technology employs a tiny piece of magnetic Permalloy metal; extremely light, it allows for a more accurate tracking of the record groove, says the manufacturer.

MP pickups are also electromagnetic transducers, delivering high signal voltages to the MM-input of the pre-amplifier but with lower signal gain, thus avoiding the background noise associated with high gain levels, it adds.

All Nagaoka styli are interchangeable with the cartridge bodies as part of the Hi-Fi upgrade path, allowing the latest model range styli to be used as replacements in the older model bodies.

In addition to six MP cartridge models and replacement styli, SDD will offer two new 80th anniversary ‘JT’ (JewelTone) series MM designs with replacement styli. SDD will also stock a line of vinyl accessories from Nagaoka.