Cellule Ortofon MC Diamond

Driven by passion, engineering, innovation, and craftsmanship, Ortofon introduces a third version of its flagship model, the MC Diamond. It replaces the two previous versions, the MC Heritage and the former MC Diamond.

This new Ortofon MC Diamond low-output cartridge is an evolution of the famous Ortofon MC Diamond. It retains most of the technical characteristics of the latter, while incorporating several notable improvements.

Ortofon MC Diamond: Body

The housing and body are crafted from titanium (SLM Titanium) using the Selective Laser Melting technology. The generator of the MC Diamond is designed around a high-performance iron-cobalt alloy. The highly complex damping system completely eliminates unwanted resonances within both the cartridge and the moving system.

Ortofon MC Diamond: Stylus

To achieve the highest possible performance, Ortofon has equipped this cartridge with its famous Replicant 100 diamond mounted on a diamond cantilever!

The Ortofon Replicant 100 diamond is the thinnest and lightest stylus available today. Thanks to its complex profile, it offers an extraordinarily large contact surface area and unparalleled tracking ability. The Replicant 100 diamond stands out for its narrow, long contact surface, which is as close as possible to the original cutting stylus. This ensures the most accurate reproduction, lowest distortion, and an extended frequency range.

Pairing this with a diamond cantilever delivers performance unmatched to this day! The use of this cantilever has brought mechanical improvements previously thought impossible. The specific profile of the stylus, combined with the use of diamond, provides the best possible interface between the moving system and the cartridge armature, due to its extreme hardness and fully crystalline structure. Resonances across the entire system have also been dampened through the use of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) compound at the bottom of the housing.

Ortofon MC Diamond: Magnetic System

The geometry of the magnetic system has been fully optimized. It is combined with premium materials such as neodymium and iron-cobalt, ensuring unprecedented uniformity in magnetic flux.

Increasing the active material inside the magnetic system allows for a more uniform delivery of the magnetic field. This ensures that each coil in the Ortofon MC Diamond receives an identical flux density, regardless of its position. As a result, impulse dynamics and linearity are preserved at a level never before achieved.

The use of this magnetic system allows for a lightweight, non-magnetic armature, offering the distinct advantage of preserving immense dynamic capabilities. The coil conductors are made of ultra-pure oxygen-free copper, enabling flawless reproduction of the cantilever's movements without compromise.

Ortofon MC Diamond: Test and Listening

It is always challenging to objectively test a phono cartridge of this caliber and price range without overusing superlatives. The easiest approach was to compare it directly to the Ortofon MC Heritage cartridge, which we have been living with for several years... Much like its predecessor, great care must be taken during mounting and alignment. Although it is by no means insurmountable and doesn't require NASA engineers! We opted for a tracking force of 2.6 g, as recommended by Ortofon.

The first few minutes of listening are quite surprising, because you find all the qualities of the Diamond, but with just about everything done better! Neutrality and transparency have been pushed to their absolute limits. However, this does not come at the expense of timbre quality, nor does it artificiality push the midrange and treble forward.

The finesse and articulation are spectacular, and on an excellent recording, it verges on absolute perfection. We often felt as though we were listening to a master tape! Added to this are remarkable dynamics and nuance. The Diamond fades away entirely, leaving only the music and its interpretation. The realism is striking.

Like the MC Century, the MC Diamond responds to the slightest groove variation with a total absence of surface noise. It offers cutting-edge technology, performance, and unparalleled precision. The MC Diamond provides the finest low-end reproduction we have ever heard to this day.

If you have an outstanding phono preamplifier, a tonearm capable of handling its 17.5 g weight, and—it must be said—some savings, this Ortofon MC Diamond cartridge is undoubtedly made for you and is the finest choice you can make!

Our top pick! The ultimate benchmark!