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Ortofon MC X50

A friend just returned from High End Vienna and has mailed myself and a friend to let us know they had a tremendous experience with an Ortofon Engineer who stated the MC X50 has shown itself to be a Cartridge that really does create sound with substantial qualities. I won't elaborate on what was actually in the mail, but will state my friends being compelled to pass on this information.

An X40 and X50 were being demo'd with the same TT>Tonearm>Headshell.

My friend and those with him were extremely impressed by the MC X50 and stated it is quite bit beyond the X40 in the finesse able to be perceived.

The X50 was causing excitement and was being whispered about as being very close to the best on offer from ortofon, not that my friends were given that comparison.

For myself, the use of a Silver Coil is a big Tick in the box, especially now Orton has vastly improved their winding methodology on these new Cartridges. Eddy influences are substantially reduced as a result. The new damper compound selected for this Cartridge is very, very interesting; I already know the benefits of improving an Ortofon Rubber compound in a Cartridge, I have to believe the X50  compound is a superior rubber to my own damper in use. New materials selected for the structure are also very, very interesting; a lot can be done with the Cartridge Voicing by changing the mass of the structure. It would be good to know if the X50 has been designed as a heavier or lighter design to other earlier produced models?. 

My friend couldn't make it clear enough that my friend and I need to arrange to hear this Cartridge.  

I could easily fall for this one, using the owned Cadenza Black as a trade-in. 

The Video in the Links made me go all gooey, like a new baby was being met.

 https://ortofon.com/products/mc-x50?srsltid=AfmBOoqvah0sifPVOzo36fE7y7zlrrC3PFt3UBTyGrcArDFQ6P20wcQO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwzZW95sT_o&t=18s

 

pindac
tobes's avatar
tobes
444 posts
 

@pindac thanks for the additional information. 

I'm very happy with the performance of the X40 in my system and would choose it over the no longer available Jubilee (also silver coils/boron cantilever/Shibata stylus) or, I think, the Cadenza Black. Certainly it is a fantastic value.

The X50 indeed seems worthy of consideration when it becomes available here in Australia, but as yet I have not seen any retailers advertising it. Not sure if any retailers near me would have examples for auditioning, so I'll probably have to roll the dice when the time comes. However I know already it will be excellent based on the X40's accomplishment, so the risk is not great I suppose. 

I suspect Ortofon will roll out a new 'Cadenza' replacement series sooner rather than later.

pindac's avatar
pindac OP
4,042 posts
 

The use of the Micro Ridge Stylus also has the difficult to avoid attachment of it to the 'X' range, which suggests these are the models that are designed to generate a large sales turnover.

The MR is found across a range of models from competitors on their MC's.

Ortofon does not have a history with the MR as an outsourced part. 

lewm
14,717 posts
 

Pindac, Can you explain further your last comment?  I assume Ortofon buys the cantilever and MR stylus as conjoined parts, from one of the few suppliers of same.

pindac's avatar
pindac OP
4,042 posts
 

The MR Stylus or ML Stylus is a popular selection for a stylus in the MC Market in general. To have a version of this option on an Ortofon at a certain price range for a Cart', has the potential to make the Ortofon models with a MR. A model to be investigated further by a Customer not usually showing an interest in Ortofon.

It is the stylus form, not how Ortofon acquires the stylus that is the inference. 

    

tobes's avatar
tobes
444 posts
 
lewm

14,714 posts

 

Pindac, Can you explain further your last comment?  I assume Ortofon buys the cantilever and MR stylus as conjoined parts, from one of the few suppliers of same.

I believe he's just saying that while MR is a common stylus shape within cartridge price tiers, it's unusual for Ortofon to utilize it. So the fact they have chosen it for this cartridge, against their traditional choices, deserves a closer look.

Who knows why Ortofon have steered away from this stylus shape, maybe its simply down to supply contracts? 

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