This cartridge adds new colors and details to the sound, but for the past few days, it has been producing loud and random pops, unrelated to surface noise (even on new records). It sounds as if the amplifier or speakers are about to burn. Is it a connection issue or static electricity? Reading about this, I learned that Nagaoka cartridges are sensitive to lack of humidity, and below a certain humidity level, they produce these pops. The truth is, the room was fully air-conditioned. After I closed it (!), the pops decreased.