Nagra Announces Its First Ever Reference MC Phono Cartridge

Swiss high-end audio firm, Nagra, announced the upcoming release of its first phono cartridge – the Nagra Reference MC cartridge, with the first units scheduled to be delivered in December 2022. Designed in parallel with the Nagra 70th Anniversary Reference turntable/tonearm system, announced in 2021, the new moving coil phono cartridge is an ideal companion component to complete the ultimate LP playback platform.

Pro-Ject announced the first products in its upcoming collection of truly balanced high-performance turntables. The new X1 B and X2 B are the brand’s first turntables with dedicated, fully balanced mini XLR outputs. This connection optimizes the performance of Moving Coil cartridges when used with a compatible phono preamplifier. For out-of-box compatibility with the widest array of equipment and to keep the price down, a Sumiko Rainier Moving Magnet cartridge is factory installed for immediate enjoyment via the turntables’ RCA unbalanced outputs.

Goldring introduced the latest member of its moving coil (MC) cartridge family, the Eroica HX. Joining the LX model in the Eroica range (‘Eroica’ translates as ‘Heroic’ in Italian - not to be confused with 'Erotica'), this high output, high-performance cartridge makes upgrading from a moving magnet cartridge to a moving-coil model straightforward. As Goldring state, this is among the most obvious and cost-effective upgrades anyone can make to their vinyl audio system.

Simply the highest performing, most flexible, affordable phono preamp... That was the Mani phono preamplifier. And now Schiit Audio introduced the Mani 2 phono preamplifier, which is even better. The successor to the original Mani, in production since 2014, is simply even more performing and more flexible, even when compared to products several times its cost. In addition, Mani 2 is produced in the USA like all Schiit products and remains as affordable, available for only $149.

British hi-fi specialist Cambridge Audio has announced two new additions to its Alva turntable range: Alva TT V2 and Alva ST - one being a direct drive design and the other a belt-drive. Unveiled for the first time at CES 2022 in Las Vegas, the new Alva turntables build on the success of the company's previous Alva TT – launched in 2019 as the world’s first turntable with aptX HD Bluetooth built-in. The new Alva TT V2 and Alva ST turntables are scheduled to be available in Spring 2022, priced at $1,999 and $999 respectively.

—Audio-Technica announced its AT-LP5X Direct Drive Turntable, offering upgraded technology and performance while keeping the same styling of the previous AT-LP5. The new AT-LP5X builds upon more than 50 years of Audio-Technica'’s Japanese analog audio design expertise to deliver record playback quality. With a built-in phono preamp, this entry-level turntable also makes life simpler for new generations of vinyl enthusiasts.

For all our readers who started following the X-Altra Moving Coil/Moving Magnet RIAA EQ Preamplifier DIY project publish in the February 2021 edition of audioXpress, we have the final pieces. In this second article, Andrew C. Russell details the Moving Magnet EQ stage, system gain amplifier and filters, along with the system’s power supply unit. The article concludes with some measurements.

In this DIY project, Andrew C. Russell proposes the X-Altra, a highly refined Moving Coil/Moving Magnet RIAA EQ Preamplifier. This high-performance phono equalizer features an ultra-low noise LSK389B JFET from Linear Systems in the MM front end with switchable gain and resistive loading. This article was originally published in audioXpress, February 2021.

Our May 2021 Glass Audio Special edition is certain to inform and inspire you. We reveal what is happening at Western Electric's new Rossville Works in Georgia, where production of 300B tubes is ongoing, we explain how to draw tube load lines, and we offer a valuable preamplifier design that enables you to compare the sound of tube and solid-state circuits from the same audio source. There's also a versatile stereo tube amplifier design to build, and plenty more audio electronics theory and practice in this edition. Now available online and in print.

audioXpress February 2021 explains why Microphones have gained Essential Status, and how microphones have a foundational contribution to voice front-ends. Erica Yorga details how Thousands of Virtual Microphones can solve audio conferencing challenges, and Mike Meechan explains how to design high-performance microphone preamplifiers. Brent Butterworth reviews the Widex Moment mRIC RD hearing aids to understand the differences and similarities in the critical sound experience. Michael Steffes explains how to increase the output current for an audio op-amp, and Andrew C. Russell details the X-Altra, a high-performance MC/MM phono equalizer DIY project. Now available in print and digital.