Ortofon Concorde Music Black MM cartridge

The Ortofon Music Black cartridge is the fourth cartridge in this new Hi-Fi "Concorde" series, which includes five cartridges. This series has been designed to be mounted on S-shaped tonearms with SME bayonet mounts. It allows a DJ turntable to be used in a more "Audiophile" way.

ORTOFON CONCORDE MUSIC BLACK: TECHNOLOGY

All the models in this series share a generator with four coils equipped with split pole pins. These coils use oxygen-free copper (OFC) conductors that have undergone silver electrolysis. The superb Shibata diamond is mounted on an aluminum cantilever. This allows for better channel separation and a lower surface noise level compared to the Concorde Music Blue. The output level of 6 mV allows it to be paired with preamps offering a gain below 40 dB. 

However, this technology is not entirely new as Ortofon is the inventor and had already offered it on the 500 models and more recently on the 2M Bronze, for example. 

Here, it has been particularly improved and optimized to significantly reduce distortion and to particularly improve the linearity and the bandwidth range, especially in the treble, which is often the weak point of moving magnet cartridges. 

The manufacturer's clear intention is to offer a simple moving magnet cartridge that eliminates the need for overhang and azimuth adjustments. However, you will still need to apply the tracking force, antiskating, and VTA.

ORTOFON CONCORDE MUSIC BLACK: TEST AND LISTENING

The performance is logically similar to that of the 2M Black. The diamond with the Shibata profile offers superb timbre quality and surprising realism. Different instruments are rendered with a lot of richness and precision. The soundstage is clear and has remarkable definition. The Shibata diamond retrieves the slightest oscillations from the groove. 

There is also excellent dynamics across the entire frequency range, giving this Ortofon cartridge great versatility. 

The Ortofon Music Black MM cartridge can surely be considered the best moving magnet cartridge with SME mounting. 

A product with no real competition in this segment!

The Concorde Music Black stylus is also available separately.