I cannot say enough about the KAB Concorde STY40 combo
All I use is ortofon concord cartridges! Easy on, easy off, I use two diff ones. Ortofon - arkiv ortofon - nightclub II NIGHTCLUB I USE FOR PLAYBACK, AND RECORDING ALBUMS WHICH SOUND THIN, AS THE BASS AND MIDRANGE BOOST W THE NIGHTCLUB II , is amazing. Ortofon Arkiv used mostly for LP to computer via audio lab then record to Taiyo yuden cd-r. Great styli! |
What is wrong with the Technics method for a Technics Turntable? Nothing wrong, but you can’t use Concorde on any other tonearm/turntable because it was made for Technics 52mm overhang only (and you can’t change it). You can use only one tonearm with it and if you're willing to change tonearm or turntable the overhang will be off. |
All I use is ortofon concord cartridges! The OP is talking about different stylus profile, not the stock profile. Concorde STOCK models are awful sounding low compliance cartridges designed for use with high tracking force (normally 3-5g). The moving mass is high because they are high output. Styli are spherical or elliptical, the frequency response is very thin for this reason. Stylus holder cracks pretty often on the top surface. Cantilever is very soft aluminum. Its integrated headshell pins lacks a contact, Concorde users normally over-tight the headshell lock mechanism on Technics turntables. When someone using Concorde and Technics stock headshell on the same turntable there will be a problem with contact pins on the stock shell.
It has nothing to do with reality, they are basically the same cartridges, it’s just marketing and different color/design of the cartridge body. If you want to improve plackback or recording process you need a cartridge with advanced stylus profile like Shibata or MicroRidge. Ortofon will not give you these because they are expensive, the diamonds on all Ortofon Concorde / OM series are bonded (not nude). Those Concorde / OM carts are high output for clubs and DJs. The price they are selling those cartridges is very high, because $120 Grado DJ200i killing them all in terms of sound quality! Grado is MI cartridge and output is lower, but the sound is much better. I had all Concorde / OM cartridges when i was younger, when i discovered Grado DJ200i series i realized what is a better cartridge. And it wasn’t a Hi-Fi cartridge yet. There was a very nice Ortofon back in the day: M20 FL SUPER with Fine Line stylus, I remember when it was $100 cartridge, now probably twice as much. I still have NOS stylus for this model. Cheap Grado MI cartridges are better than any Ortofon Concorde and similar OM series for professionals. @arcticdeth |
The Original Concorde was an MC cartridge and that version was an audiophile grade. Concorde MC200 is Moving Coil cartridge. Now Concorde is MM |
The original Concordes for Audio use (not DJ) were super-light — by eliminating the headhsell, and the ’mechanical advantage’ of a 9-inch arm mulitplying the h’shell’s weight. Ortofon included a different, very small counterweight with the cartridge to compensate for this — it was about 80% lighter than the SME II c-wts I was using at the time, IIRC. This markedly changed the arm’s effective mass, and may have led to so many gold-eared-audiophiles saying it was a lousy cartridge. I never used one long enough to judge: I loaned it a friend and set it up for him, and it sounded very good on the SME/Thorens 125, through McIntosh pre- and power, and Martin Logan CLS-Z. The arm/TT, power-amp and speakers were mine, on indefinite loan (he was a good friend). Only the preamp was his. Sadly he died... and died very sadly. The Executor of his estate believed me, but didn’t care that they were mine. However, she said I was welcome to bid on my own equipment at the estate auction. She’d even give me a 10% discount if I bid the most for my own stuff and won. I gave it a miss. |
There also was the Ortofon cartridge for the SME series III that incorporated the arm wand model 30M. https://www.ortofon.com/sme-30h-p-875 |
The Original Concorde 200 was not only an MC cartridge but it was an MC with replaceable "stylus" as you can see in the catalog. And it was a Nude Fine Line diamond and Boron cantilever combo! |
There also was the Ortofon cartridge for the SME series III that incorporated the arm wand model 30M. Thanks @totem395 this is interesting version (MM). |
Technics reference turntable SP1000R was first introduced with Audio-Technica reference ART-1000 cartridge on the show. Now there is an Ortofon on it. Probably because the AT ART-1000 is over $5k cartridge |
I have an older Concorde that's black, I got it when I purchased my SL-1210MKII, which was used to DJ. I had an OM40 stylus which I used with a used Ortofon OMP 10 (P-Mount) on a Technics SL-10. I mated the OM40 to the Concorde and currently use it with an SL-1800MKII. I use it mostly with new or very pristine used Lps, it seems to pick up a lot of surface noise. With the right recording the darn thing is magic. |
The Ortofon Expression was used for this marketing review from an audio store. https://www.criterionaudio.com/2019/05/22/technics-sl-1000r-vs-sl-1200g-turntable-shoot/ |
I have an older Concorde that’s black, I got it when I purchased my SL-1210MKII, which was used to DJ. Black one is Concorde PRO, it was also available in Silver. Both are old, original styli are conical (or elliptical). Using a better stylus from the hi-fi OM series is significant upgrade, but still far away from magic that other inexpensive vintage hi-fi MM cartridges can do. You should really try some (on conventional headshell). Stanton 881s or Pickering XSV/3000 killing it (at very low cost). Ortofon M20 FL Super is another killer. |
