Glad you dig vintage cartridges (even if yours is re-tipped) for everyday use. I hope you can find a NOS samples of what you’re looking for. People who are into sound are well aware how good those high-end carts from the ’80s and ’90s really are (straight from the box).
Classic Ortofon Cartridges: The MC2000 MK II or the MC3000 MK II?
So I have owned quite a few Otofon cartridges over the years, everything from the modest OM cartridges to a couple of Cadenza up to an A90. I typically enjoy Ortofon cartridges.
Now one I have never owned is the MC2000. It seems from a bit of reading I have done that owners of the MC2000 felt it was the most accurate of the Ortofon cartridges, and that releases after it were not its equal.
However, when you look at the MC3000 it has a higher output level that would allow it to work with my Esoteric phono stage. The Esoteric is happy running an MC200 on it which has .09 mV output. but the MC2000 is .05 mV. The MC 3000 MK II is .13 mV from what I find.
Has anyone spent time listening to these classic MC 000 series of Ortofon cartridges? I know there is also a 5000 and 7500, but those seem to be pretty rare.
Regarding the MC2000, I wonder if I use a low mass headshell if I can use it on the Dynavector DV505. I don’t think the mass of the arm in the horizontal plane should affect it, and the vestigial arm can be configured to be an appropriate match for the compliance on this cartridge.
I currently have an MC200u on the arm and its very surprising regarding how good it sounds. Its actually pretty neutral, pretty expressive, but just a bit relaxed in the top end. I certainly enjoy it, but I wonder how these statement cartridges from the classic Ortofon line will sound. These would have been from their long time designer who has now retired, so its a different era of Ortofon versus what their current offerings are. Even though we should acknowledge that the current cartridges use design principals that were developed from this earlier time period and engineering team.
Thoughts?
Now one I have never owned is the MC2000. It seems from a bit of reading I have done that owners of the MC2000 felt it was the most accurate of the Ortofon cartridges, and that releases after it were not its equal.
However, when you look at the MC3000 it has a higher output level that would allow it to work with my Esoteric phono stage. The Esoteric is happy running an MC200 on it which has .09 mV output. but the MC2000 is .05 mV. The MC 3000 MK II is .13 mV from what I find.
Has anyone spent time listening to these classic MC 000 series of Ortofon cartridges? I know there is also a 5000 and 7500, but those seem to be pretty rare.
Regarding the MC2000, I wonder if I use a low mass headshell if I can use it on the Dynavector DV505. I don’t think the mass of the arm in the horizontal plane should affect it, and the vestigial arm can be configured to be an appropriate match for the compliance on this cartridge.
I currently have an MC200u on the arm and its very surprising regarding how good it sounds. Its actually pretty neutral, pretty expressive, but just a bit relaxed in the top end. I certainly enjoy it, but I wonder how these statement cartridges from the classic Ortofon line will sound. These would have been from their long time designer who has now retired, so its a different era of Ortofon versus what their current offerings are. Even though we should acknowledge that the current cartridges use design principals that were developed from this earlier time period and engineering team.
Thoughts?
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- 117 posts total
@best-groove That is interesting, and to be honest its difficult to find out what the body is made out of. Ortofon just calls it black sapphire. However I did locate this bit of info regarding developed by an Ortofon dealer in Australia I believe. "MC 5000 The black ceramic body, sintered at approximately 1,200 degrees Celsius, is a rigid structure that eliminates resonances in the audible range. Mounted on a sapphire cantilever, Ortofon’s Nude Replicant diamond is cut to match the sapphire which cut the record groove as closely as possible. MC 5000 is a highly accurate, analytical and neutral transducer. All available information is retrieved from the grooves and music is crisply reproduced with palpable presence that converts your living room into a concert hall. A reference-grade audio system is required to reveal these qualities. Because output is relatively low, a high-performance MC transformer or MC preamplifier should be used. Recommended load: 20 – 100 Ohms. Housed in the same body as MC 5000, this cartridge also employs the same Nude Replicant diamond, but mounted on a conical aluminium cantilever. MC 3000 Mk II has a strong sonic resemblance to MC 5000, with a milder, gentler, more laid-back style, while maintaining the integrity, power and authority of complex orchestral works. The listening room is experienced as an integrated part of the concert hall. As with MC 5000, the low output requires a high-performance MC transformer or MC preamplifier with a recommended load of approximately 50 Ohms. The actual load, is, as always, a question of personal preference. A lower value will allow the sonic image to snap into sharper focus, while a higher value will have the opposite effect." If the body were aluminum I don't think anyone could tighten a head shell bolt that tight to break those mounting tabs as they are quite thick. |
@edgewear Oh I think I crossed that bridge awhile ago. I only use one audio system and have taken over the living room as my audio room. My patient wife is fine with this, but if I were to try to install another audio system in a different room I suspect she would bury my body in a shallow grave in the back yard. My primary table is a SOTA Cosmos Eclipse with SME V and Transfiguration Audio Proteus. For a person of modest means as myself this should be an end game table. I then came across a Well Tempered Reference with an Ikeda 9 Kawami cartridge on our local Craigs List for a great price so I scooped it up. The Ikeda is not well suited for this arm so I installed a ZYX 4D that I have on it. I then came across a Dynavector DV505 arm on Canuckmart and had to have it. I have a cartridge and arm now, but no table for it. I fixed that by buying a Scheu Audio Das Lauftwerk No 2 from a dealer here on Audiogon. So what is an extra cartridge or two when you own more tables than makes any kind of sense? LOL! I have a few cartridges I am interested in, perhaps one of the classic stone body Kiseki, the MC7500, one of the Shinon, and maybe a Gold Bug. Thats the list for now, although I have seen an Audio Tekne that peaks my interest too. |
If the body were aluminum I don’t think anyone could tighten a head shell bolt that tight to break those mounting tabs as they are quite thick. I have some reviews and tests in the magazines of the time and they claimed that this "sintered aluminum" hard as ceramic but it does not have a ceramic body because otherwise it would have cost a lot more.. If you want I can also show you the owner's manual where it is written what the body is made of ... I am a reliable person and I do not like to write saloon talk. |
@best-groove Oh that would be very cool indeed! In my searching I never found a reference to sintered aluminum for this cartridge, the best I could do is what Ortofon called black sapphire. The searches for information regarding the Ortofon X000 series cartridges always brought up a legacy page that showed all the Ortofon cartridges but none ever talked about body material. https://www.ortofon.com/ortofon-%C2%B4000-series-p-690 If you have any more in depth info you could share regarding the MC 3000 MK II I would love the be able to read it. Please don't read this as me doubting you, I just would like to acquaint myself with all the facts and info I can find on the cartridge as I do enjoy it. I can see myself acquiring a 7500 also, although the MC2000 is getting rare enough, and the cantilever fragile enough that it might be tough to find a good specimen. |
- 117 posts total