Cartridges by Ortofon
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Broadly speaking, Ortofon's cartridges fall into the following categories:
Moving Magnet
- The budget OM series: under $100
- The budget/midline 2M series: ranging from the $99 Red model to the $999 Black LVB 250.
Moving Coil
- The Quintet series: ranging from the Red ($359) to the Black ($999)
- The Cadenza series: ranging from the Red ($1,379) to the top line Black ($2,879)
- The "Exclusive" series (see below).
- The legendary SPU (Pure Vintage) series.
SPU - Pure Vintage
SPU Meister Silver
If you have a significant collection of 1950’s stereo or mono records, an SPU may be in your future.
“Naked” versions (without an integrated headshell) of three of the SPU cartridges are available for compatibility with modern tonearms.
We tend toward more modern cartridges, and our only SPU experience is with the Royal with it's Replicant 100 stylus. Sonically it is more consistent with the modern cartridges in the "Exclusive" series than the remainder of the SPU family.
The "Exclusive" Series
The "Exclusive" series covers a range of 5 cartridges:
- MC Diamond
- MC Verismo
- MC Windfeld Ten
- Xpression
- A Mono
- MC 90X (new in 2025)
These cartridges are a modern interpretation of the their classic SPU ancestors. Their presentation straddles the line between the lively and laid back.
At one end of the spectrum, lie cartridges from DS Audio, Lyra, Van den Hul, and Dynavector. Somewhere in the middle (but closer to Lyra), are the Hana and Kuzma, Ortofons, My Sonic Lab, and Murasakino.
MC Verismo
At the laid back end of the continuum, we have cartridges from Koetsu an Ikeda.
If you want to take the slightest bit of the "edge" off your system (enjoy your "lesser" LPs), then an Ortofon is an excellent choice.
We can walk you through this in more detail.
With the exception of the SPU series and the Xpression, these cartridges tend to favor medium mass tonearms - up to (for example) the Durand Tosca, Schröder CB (9") and Kuzma 4Point-11.
Prices effective January, 2025:
subject to change without notice due to fluctuating market conditions and at manufacturer's discretion.
MC Diamond - $9,999
MC Diamond
The flagship, featuring a titanium body, optimized magnet system, diamond cantilever, and an optimized iteration of their suspension - the wide range damping system (WRD).
The system implements two slightly different rubber compounds which form a sandwich around a dense platinum layer.
The new rubber compound formula is based on Multi Wall Carbon Nano Tube technology (MWCNT). The compound balances compliance and damping to improve playback stability.
The Titanium body is fabricated using Selective Laser Melting (SLM) - a technique pioneered by Ortofon. This allows for precise control of the density of the body material, providing extremely high internal damping.
No detail is overlooked, and the tripod mounting surface ensures that even an imperfect headshell will mate perfectly with the cartridge to ensure ideal energy transfer and mitigation.
You can read more by clicking this link.
Output voltage at 1 kHz | 5cm/sec. - 0.2 mV |
Channel balance at 1 kHz | 0.5 dB |
Channel separation at 1 kHz | 25 dB |
Channel separation at 15 kHz | 20 dB |
Frequency response (20 Hz-20 kHz) | +/- 2 dB |
Tracking ability at 315 Hz at rec. tracking force | 80 µm |
Compliance, dynamic, lateral | 11x 10^-6 µm/mN |
Stylus type | Special polished Nude Ortofon Replicant 100 on Diamond Cantilever |
Stylus tip radius | r/R 5/100 µm |
Tracking force range | 2.5-2.8 g |
Tracking force, recommended | 2.6 g |
Tracking angle | 23° |
DC resistance | 6 Ohm |
Recommended load | > 10 Ohm |
Cartridge body | SLM Titanium |
Cartidge weight | 17.5g |
MC Verismo - $6,999
MC Verismo
As with the MC Diamond, the Verismo's body is fabricated in Titanium, and employs the Selective Laser Melting (SLM) technique pioneered by Ortofon.
The MC Verismo is fit with Ortofon’s Replicant 100 diamond stylus with a diamond cantilever. These matching materials optimize energy transfer.
In keeping with the energy transfer theme, the MC Verismo employs the tripod mounting surface used throughout the Exclusive range (with the obvious exception of the Xpression).
You can read more about the Verismo by clicking here.
Output voltage at 1 kHz | 5cm/sec. 0.2 mV |
Channel balance at 1 kHz | 0.5 dB |
Channel separation at 1 kHz | 25 dB |
Channel separation at 15 kHz | 20 dB |
Frequency response (20 Hz-20 kHz) | +2 dB/- 1 dB |
Tracking ability at 315 Hz at rec. tracking force | 80 µm |
Compliance, dynamic, lateral | 13 x 10^-6 µm/mN |
Stylus type | Special polished Nude Ortofon Replicant 100 on Diamond Cantilever |
Stylus tip radius | r/R 5/100 µm |
Tracking force range | 2.5-2.8 g |
Tracking force, recommended | 2.6 g |
Tracking angle | 23° |
DC resistance | 7 Ohm |
Recommended load | > 10 Ohm |
Cartridge body | SLM Titanium |
Cartidge weight | 9.5 g |
Coil wire | Aucurum, gold-plated, 6NX oxygen free copper |
Xpression - $6,199
Xpression
Xpression Dimensions
The Xpression was developed in support of audiophiles with Ortofon SPU compatible tonearms, in order to provide an option to install a more modern design.
It borrows from the MC A90 and the MC Windfeld, also using SLM Titanium to improve rigidity and damping.
All dimensions including cartridge height are compatible with integrated headshell versions of SPUs.
Bear in mind that the cartridge weight of 28 g. includes the headshell. If you assume that a typical headshell weighs in the range of 12 g, you can think of the cartridge mass as being in the 16 g. range - heavy, but not extraordinarily so.
The mass and compliance properties of the Xpression were also designed to ensure a proper match with SPU compatible arms, such as SME, Grace, Fidelity Research, SAEC and Micro Seiki.
Click here for more information.
Output voltage at 1 kHz | 0.3 mV |
Channel balance at 1 kHz | < 0.2 dB |
Channel separation at 1 kHz | > 28 dB |
Channel separation at 15 kHz | 22 dB |
Frequency response (20 Hz-20 kHz) | +0.5 /- 1.5 dB |
Tracking ability at 315 Hz at rec. tracking force | 90 µm |
Compliance, dynamic, lateral | 11 x 10^-6 µm/mN |
Stylus type | Special polished Nude Ortofon Replicant 100 on Boron Cantilever |
Stylus tip radius | r/R 5/100 µm |
Tracking force range | 2.3 -2.8 g |
Tracking force, recommended | 2.6 g |
Tracking angle | 23° |
DC resistance | 4 Ohm |
Recommended load | 10 Ohm |
Cartridge body | SLM Stainless Steel and Special proprietary TPE compound |
Cartidge weight | 28 gram |
Windfield Ti - $5,999
MC Windfeld Ten
The original Windfeld model was launched in 2008, and was the brainchild of Per Windfeld.
MC Windfeld Ti phono cartridge was re-introduced in 2017 and named in honor of its progenitor.
As with the MC Diamond and Verismo, the MC Windfeld Ti's chassis is fabricated from Titanium using Ortofon's Selective Laser Melting (SLM) technology.
Of course, the Windfeld Ti's mounting surface mates perfectly with the headshell via three defined areas on the mounting surface.
Click here to read more about the MC Windfeld Ti.
Output voltage at 1 kHz | 5cm/sec. - 0.2 mV |
Channel balance at 1 kHz | 0.5 dB |
Channel separation at 1 kHz | 25 dB |
Channel separation at 15 kHz | 20 dB |
Frequency response (20 Hz-20 kHz) | 2 dB/- 1 dB |
Tracking ability at 315 Hz at rec. tracking force | 90 µm |
Compliance, dynamic, lateral | 13 x 10^-6 µm/mN |
Stylus type | Special polished Nude Ortofon Replicant 100 on Boron Cantilever |
Stylus tip radius | r/R 5/100 µm |
Tracking force range | 2.0-2.5 g |
Tracking force, recommended | 2.3 g |
Tracking angle | 23° |
DC resistance | 7 Ohm |
Recommended load | 10 Ohm |
Cartridge body | SLM Titanium and Stainless Steel |
Cartidge weight | 11 g |
Coil wire | Aucurus |
MC A Mono - $5,499
A Mono
The dedicated collector of mono records knows that no stereo cartridge can reproduce a mono record with the solidity and plapability that a dedicated, true mono cartridge can render.
The MC A Mono is a true mono cartridge.
The visual resemblance to the MC A90 and A95 is not coincidental, and the MC Mono employs all of the key features of the Exclusive series, including the SLM titanium body, WRD (wide range damping), gold-plated, 6NX oxygen free copper coils, a Replicant 100 stylus, and more.
Of course, the mounting surface employs the three contact point design for idealized energy transfer.
Click here to read more about the MC A Mono.
Output voltage at 1 kHz | 0.2 mV |
Channel balance at 1 kHz | n/a |
Channel separation at 1 kHz | n/a |
Channel separation at 15 kHz | n/a |
Frequency response (20 Hz-20 kHz) | 2 dB/- 1 dB |
Tracking ability at 315 Hz at rec. tracking force | 90 µm |
Compliance, dynamic, lateral | 13 x 10^-6 µm/mN |
Stylus type | Special polished Nude Ortofon Replicant 100 on Boron Cantilever |
Stylus tip radius | r/R 5/100 µm |
Tracking force range | 2.0-2.5 g |
Tracking force, recommended | |
Tracking angle | 23° |
DC resistance | 7 Ohm |
Recommended load | > 10 Ohm |
Cartridge body | SLM Titanium |
Cartidge weight | 6 g |
Coil wire | Aucurus |
MC 90X - $5,499
Output voltage at 1 kHz | |
Channel balance at 1 kHz | |
Channel separation at 1 kHz | |
Channel separation at 15 kHz | |
Frequency response (20 Hz-20 kHz) | |
Tracking ability at 315 Hz at rec. tracking force | |
Compliance, dynamic, lateral | |
Stylus type | Special polished Nude Ortofon Replicant 100 on Boron Cantilever |
Stylus tip radius | |
Tracking force range | |
Tracking force, recommended | |
Tracking angle | |
DC resistance | |
Recommended load | |
Cartridge body | SLM Stainless Steel |
Cartidge weight | |
Coil wire | |
Making Sense of the Quintet and Cadenza Lineup
If you're confused about the dizzying array in the mid-line Quintet and Cadenza model range, you are not alone. There is no humanly possible way we can evaluate all of these cartridges.
We've had experience with the Credenza Black, and it holds its own against cartridges at its price point.
Ortofon recognizes many individuals don't pay fanatical attention to detail that we do, and cartridges in the Quintet and Cadenza line are a bit forgiving of setup errors.
A less than perfect setup with these cartridges will not penalize you in the way that (for example) a Dynavector, Van den Hul, and similar cartridges will.
The Cadenza Black might just be the cartridge that puts a big grin on your face.
We performed an extensive spreadsheet analysis, and while the data doesn't translate into sonically meaningful comments, we can say the following about the Quintet and Cadenza line:
- The hierarchy (in order of increasing "quality" and price) is: Red, Blue, Bronze, and Black.
- The more "exotic" stylus profiles are featured in the Bronze and Black sub-models.
- The Cadenza mono is a sibling of Cadenza Red.
- The Quintet Mono and 78 versions have conical styli, but in other respects, are roughly equivalent to the Quintet Red.
- There are no high output versions in the Quintet and Cadenza model line.
- For the customer in search of a "better" cartridge to mate with your moving magnet phono stage, the 2M Black (Shibata tip) and 2M Black LVB 250 (Shibata tip / boron cantilever) were designed for you. The "LVB 250" suffix is a dedication to Ludwig von Beetoven's 250th anniversary.
The OM and 2M Budget Lines
Apart from both 2M Blacks, we're not set up to handle these cartridges.
