On the back of the phenomenal success of the Quintet Black MC cartridge, Ortofon has now replaced it with a new model: the Quintet Black ‘S’!
Ortofon Quintet Black S: body
Apart from the logo, at first glance it looks like nothing has changed. However, many internal modifications have been made.
The body is made of thermoformed ABS and the frame has been reinforced with aluminium to maintain and optimise rigidity while keeping mass to a minimum. It also has threaded mounting holes for the screws that attach it to the headshell.
Ortofon Quintet Black S: features
The generator of the Quintet Black S is made of neodymium magnets and the coils are made of an Aucurum copper conductor. This is an extremely high-end conductor made of a gold-plated 6NX copper wire.
It is also used in the Cadenza Bronze and Cadenza Black cartridges.
But the main difference lies in the stylus/cantilever assembly. While it has the same Shibata profile stylus as the original model, the cantilever is made of sapphire rather than boron. This wise choice was made after many long hours of listening.
Ortofon Quintet Black S: assembly
The square shape of this new Quintet Black S cartridge makes it significantly easier to set up and align. It also makes adjusting the VTA much easier, which needs to be increased to 19.2mm to accommodate for the height of the cartridge.
The only slight drawback is that it has to be assembled using the threaded inserts rather than screws, which means it can’t be used with headshells that attach from below, such as the Thorens 160, 166, etc.
Ortofon Quintet Black S: compatibility
Its compliance, mass and tracking force all work to make it compatible with the majority of medium weight and even lightweight tonearms.
We mounted it onto a 10-inch medium weight tonearm.
We listened to it through several different transistor and tube phono preamplifiers within a price range of €350-1500. Your phono stage need only have a gain of around 60 dB and a load of 100 Ohms to deliver a minimum of musicality.
Ortofon Quintet Black S: listening and review
From the opening bars it was plain to hear that we were in the presence of a truly exceptional phono cartridge!
As you might expect, it has retained all the redeeming qualities of the original Quintet Black, including dynamic range, balance and neutrality. But it has also significantly gained definition and clarity in the upper registers.
The bass is particularly dynamic and well articulated, reproducing the double bass with remarkable realism. In fact, transparency is remarkable across the whole spectrum, not just in the upper mid-range like certain other unflattering phono cartridges we could mention. The top end of the spectrum is bright, without any hint of hissing or listener fatigue at all.
We could also wax lyrical about the low levels of surface noise you get with the Quintet Black S! It’s so quiet that if the record is clean, there would be no way of knowing you were even using a vinyl turntable! You could hear a pin drop in the silences between songs.
Compared to the Hana SL MC cartridge, which also has a Shibata stylus, we found this Ortofon cartridge to be more detailed and dynamic, if a little less warm.
But they are still both in the top 2 or 3 best cartridges you can buy for under €1000 in this range!
Just can't recommend it enough!
FranckOutput voltage at 1000 Hz, 5 cm/sec. : 0.3 mV
Channel balance at 1 kHz: < 1.0 dB
Channel separation at 1 kHz: > 23 dB
Channel separation at 15 kHz: > 15 dB
Frequency response at 3 dB: 20 - 25,000 Hz
Frequency response: 20-20,000 Hz - +/- 1.5 dB
Tracking at 315 Hz: 80 µm
Compliance, dynamic, lateral: 15 µm/mN
Stylus type: Nude Shibata
Cantilever: Sapphire
Radius stylus: r/R 6/50 µm
Tracking force: 2.1-2.5 g (21-25 mN)
Recommended tracking force: 2.3 g (23 mN)
Tracking angle: 20°
Internal impedance: 5 Ohm
Recommended load: > 20 Ohm
Housing: ABS/Aluminium
Coil conductor: Aucurum
Weight: 9 g
Dimensions: 26.9 x 17 mm
Height: 19.2 mm
Customer reviews
Cellule MC
Excellents conseils comme toujours et réactivité d’envoi (48 heures) en pleine période de fêtes.
Merci à l'équipe maPlatine.com
Jacques de Marseille
robert
Sur du classique c'est imparable , surtout lui associer un préamp de qualité , du très haut de gamme a prix modéré .
LE MUR DU SON
Qui peut se vanter d'avoir au moins une fois dans sa vie avoir passé le mur du SON....? .
.Je viens de vivre cette expérience avec cette" petite" cellule ORTOPHON BLACK S QUINTET.
Comment un si "petit truc" peut il vous propulser aussi haut et aussi vite dans cette dimension et vous faire passer le MUR DU SON......a cette vitesse. Vous vous prenez le BANG en pleine figure ou plutôt en pleine oreille. Votre cerveau a du mal a comprendre ce qui lui arrive et a analyser le moindre détail de votre galette noire, tellement le réalisme, les détails sont la, et bien placés juste ce qu'il faut:
SIMPLEMENT......... L'EQUILIBRE PARFAIT
Un spécial "thank" a OLIVIER pour ses conseils avertis et m avoir fait enfin, connaitre " LE BANG ...du mur du son.!!!!!
BON RAPPORT QUALITE PRIX
Actuellement je suis en train de me créer une playlist en DSD avec mes vinyles, et la pointe de lecture ayant lâché de ma cellule CADENZA BLACK, et comme il y avait urgence à ce que j’ai une cellule opérationnelle et aussi pour des raisons de coût à court terme en attendant de reprendre une CADENZA BLACK, j’ai demandé conseil comme dab à Franck en lui expliquant ma situation. Le choix s’est orienté sur une Ortofon Quintet Black. Avec beaucoup appréhensions, je me mets à l’écoute de la Quintet Black. Oh ! Surprise, le premier ressenti, les basses sont bien présents et fermes. Quant aux médiums, là aussi bien présents sans agressivité et les aigus sont assez précis sans pour autant atteindre les performances de la CADENZA BLACK Conclusion, cette cellule est d’un très bon rapport qualité prix. Je la recommande. Pour finir, ma platine est une Pro-Ject Signature 10, le préampli phono SUTHERLAND 20/20 deux amplificateurs de chez Pier-Audio ; le MS 88 SE (100 % tubes N.O.S.) et le MS 680 SE (Anniversary Édition). Quant aux enceintes se sont des FOCAL ; 1028 be.