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They rarely grab the limelight, but these background components are crucial to your systems’s overall performance
Ortofon’s MC X range replaces Ortofon’s Quintet moving coils
Ortofon MC X30
£599
The introduction of a completely new cartridge range is a pretty rare event. Given the maturity of the technology, it often takes years, sometimes decades, for manufacturers to develop new products that suitably advance the cause.
So, when an industry major such as Ortofon replaces its Quintet series of affordable moving coils with the all-new MC X range, we are keen to have a listen.
This is a four-strong lineup, with the MC X30 sitting one down from the range-topping MC X40 (£875). The main difference between models comes down to stylus profile, which gets increasingly more ambitious as the price increases.
The heart of the MC X design is a Metal Injection Moulded hexagonal-structured core onto which the moving-coil generator assembly and connection pins are fixed. This rigid structure promises greater precision in the way these components are mounted, as well as providing a structure of immense rigidity. The outcome here should be improved sound quality.
The MC X30’s output is rated at a decent 0.4 mV, and so shouldn’t present any issues when working into a typical MC phono stage. The 6-ohm internal impedance means the conventional 100-ohm loading of phono stages will be just fine. The recommended tracking weight of 2.0g is around par for the course and works well.
It doesn’t take long to realise that the MC X30 is a winner. As we listen to Orff’s Carmina Burana, the Ortofon delivers excellent detail resolution, and we can’t help but admire the crisp yet unforced manner with which the moving-coil cartridge renders the leading edges of notes. It is a pleasing performer tonally, too, with just the right balance of top-end bite and overall refinement. Instruments and voices come through with naturalness and fluidity, while there is enough subtlety on hand to draw sonic textures convincingly.