Ortofon is a unique mixture of heritage and modern technology
We preserve our heritage by continuously investing in technology and product development and thus introducing new cartridges. It is our philosophy that even a traditional product like the cartridge can benefit greatly from new technology and industrial competences.
Our goal is to bring our products in the forefront of the technology field, in regards to materials, design, magnetic systems and everything the products comprises of.
View these awesome videos series explaining the technological prowess behind the Ortofon Exclusives phono cartridges production:
The MC Windfeld technology
The Ortofon MC Windfeld, referred to as the most tonally neutral, state-of-the-art, moving coil cartridge in the absolute high-end class, was developed in 2008 as a tribute to Ortofon’s then 75-year-old engineer Per Windfeld, who had for more than 30 years been a feature of the high-end culture.
MC Windfeld cartridge was designed by a team headed by Mr. Windfeld's successor, Leif Johannsen, the Ortofon's Chief Acoustics and Development . The cartridge bears Mr. Windfeld's name - his initials "PW" are inscribed in gold on the cartridge's side.
Leif Johannsen, goes in depth of Per Windfeld's earlier design innovations, featuring the design elements of the MC Windfeld, such as Wide Range Damping (WRD) system and a strong neodymium magnet system with a Field Stabilizing Element (FSE) located within the magnet system.
The MC A90 technology
The Ortofon MC A90 was launched in 2008 to commemorate the 90th anniversary of Ortofon’s technical leadership in the audio industry.
This "Art of Science" phono cartridge carries with it the culmination of decades of research in the field of analogue sound reproduction along with the world's best engineering, materials and manufacturing techniques. The MC A90 made history by significantly raising the standard by which sound reproduction is measured.
Leif Johannsen, the Ortofon's Chief Acoustics and Development, goes into detail and demonstrates the benefits of the Selective Laser Melting manufacturing process, that lies at the heart of the MC A90.
The Xpression technology
The Ortofon Xpression was launched in 2011. This modern high performance cartridge with a standard headshell connector bridges the gap between SPU-type cartridges and High-End cartridges designed for headshell mounting.
The Xpression provides a simple and elegant method of directly connecting the generator and tonearm via the Xpression’s one-piece body. The length of the cartridge ensures proper match with the SME-mount type tonearms, whilst the mass and compliance properties of the Xpression ensure that a proper match will be achieved with any SPU-compatible arm.
Leif Johannsen, the Ortofon's Chief Acoustics and Development, focuses on the design elements, high-end materials and the new technology applied to ensure the complete elimination of unwanted resonance and provide extremely high damping.
The MC A95 technology
The Ortofon MC A95 was launched in 2013 to commemorate the 95th Anniversary of Ortofon’s technical leadership in the audio industry.
The MC A95 improved on its predecessor, the MC A90’s well-deserved reputation for being one of the world’s best-sounding phono cartridges. With a super rigid, laser-welded Titanium body, Boron cantilever and Replicant diamond, Ortofon's then-flagship MC A95 has been a feat of micro-miniature engineering.
In this video Leif Johannsen, the Ortofon's Chief Acoustics and Development, elaborates further on benefits of high-end materials, such as Titanium, and reveals considerations in the materials selection and design of armature to enhance the overall performance of the cartridge.
The MC Windfeld Ti technology
The MC Windfeld Ti phono cartridge was introduced in 2017 as a continuous tribute to Ortofon's former engineer Mr. Windfeld and optimization of the MC Windfeld model launched in 2008.
At the heart of the MC Windfeld Ti lies Selective Laser Melting technology, apllied for manufacturing of the Ortofon Exclusives Series cartridges.
The use of Titanium in the MC Windfeld Ti has provided a further improvement to the overall rigidity of the structure and the cartridge weight. Obviously, MC Windfeld Ti has gone to the next level by reducing unwanted vibrations and increasing the dynamic capability of the cartridge.
In this episode Leif Johannsen, the Ortofon's Chief Acoustics and Development, accurately compares the two MC Windfeld models with the focus on the benefits of the new technologies and materials.
The MC Century technology
In 2018 Ortofon celebrated 100 year anniversary with the company’s most ambitious cartridge ever. In a very limited edition of 100, the no-expense-spared excusive anniversary model the MC Century was launched. The MC Century represented the absolute top of Moving Coil cartridges. This state of the art product was truly exemplary of the highest degree of performance possible in contemporary analogue playback technology.
In this video Leif Johannsen, the Ortofon's Chief Acoustics and Development, chares his thouhgts and considerations favoring selection of the best possible materials, technologies and components' design, including but not limited to Diamond cantilever, Ortofon Replicant diamond, Titanuim, SLM, magnetic armature, etc. The unity of all elements ensured the sound breaking the limits and the complete new musical experience by the Ortofon MC Century.
The MC A MONO technology
The MC A MONO was launched in 2019 to be the first True Mono cartridge in the Ortofon Exclusives Series.
In this video Leif Johannsen, the Ortofon's Chief Acoustics and Development, explains the advantages of using a Mono cartridge to play Mono records and the benefits of using the MC A MONO in particular.
With the MC A MONO you can listen to both Mono and Stereo recordings, obtaining the accuracy of sound reproduction close to the MC A95.
In the April 2020 issue of Stereophile Michael Fremer wrote: "...There’s something for everyone in the mono-cartridge mix. Add the MC A Mono to the group at the top - at least in my mono-cartridge experience...".
