Ortofon Verismo MC Cartridge – The New in the Ortofon Exclusives Series

Ortofon A/S describes the new Ortofon Verismo MC Cartridge pick-up system as an exclusive moving coil cartridge, which, how could it be otherwise given this description, is the latest model in the Ortofon Exclusives Series.

The new Ortofon MC Verismo was developed based on the extensive knowledge of vibration characteristics, different shapes and material properties as well as competences in magnetism, mechanical design and technologies, says the Danish specialist Ortofon A/S about the new MC cartridge system.

This new cartridge system is assigned to the Ortofon Exclusive Series, which already shows that the Ortofon Verismo MC cartridge follows correspondingly high standards.

Ortofon Verismo MC Cartridge from the Ortofon Exclusives Series

The Ortofon Exclusives Series are cartridge systems that are considered to be among the best of their kind on the market. With these solutions, they want to offer music lovers and vinyl enthusiasts nothing less than the highest quality, the cartridge systems are supposed to distinguish themselves with outstanding precision and dynamics and thus recommend themselves for classification as true high-end reference cartridge systems.

The new Ortofon Verismo MC Cartridge expands said Ortofon Exclusives Series with a solution that is considered to be a state-of-the-art cartridge that is handcrafted using a particularly sophisticated construction and special materials, and where each piece is extensively tested before it leaves the factory.

Vero – Nothing but the truth…

The name of the new pick-up system is said to refer to the Italian word vero, which stands for truth. Specifically, Ortofon A/S alludes to verismo, a post-romantic operatic genre that originated in an Italian literary movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The operatic tradition of verismo is associated with Italian composers such as Pietro Mascagni, Ruggero Leoncavallo, Umberto Giordano, Francesco Cilea and Giacomo Puccini, who sought to portray the world with greater realism and produced outstanding works.

Titanium housing

The housing of the new Ortofon Verismo MC cartridge is made of titanium, which is manufactured using SLM technology. SLM stands for Selective Laser Melting and is an additive manufacturing process that can be described as a kind of 3D printing.

This makes it possible to realise even a complex structure for optimal properties from materials such as titanium in this specific case.

Diamond needle on diamond needle carrier

A special feature of the new Ortofon Verismo MC cartridge is that the diamond of the needle is directly connected to a diamond needle carrier. The manufacturer refers to this as a Special polished Nude Ortofon Replicant 100 on Diamond cantilever. The needle has a geometry of r/R 5/100 μm.

Sophisticated construction

The magnet system of the new Ortofon Verismo MC cartridge is based on a particularly strong, the manufacturer Ortofon A/S even speaks of an extremely strong neodymium magnet.

The use of Ortofon Aucurum coils made of gold-plated, oxygen-free 6NX copper enables loss-free transmission of the diamond’s movements via the diamond needle carrier. This combination takes advantage of the low moving mass and extremely high stiffness.

Similar to its predecessors, the Ortofon MC A95 and the Ortofon MC Windfeld Ti, the Ortofon MC Verismo uses a specially developed armature structure made of a metal alloy that is less magnetic than normal iron, according to the manufacturer.

This, they say, brings remarkable advantages to the dynamic capabilities of the cartridge. The reason is said to be that the high-tech armature has almost no influence on the magnetic field during movement. It also allows for extreme precision with each coil turn in all positions. As a result, the Ortofon MC Verismo achieves a higher degree of channel separation while offering lower distortion and better channel balance.

Ortofon Field Stabilizing Element

Ortofon’s Field Stabilizing Element (FSE), a small cylinder of conductive material strategically placed inside the magnet system, ensures that the magnetic field remains stable regardless of the movement of the armature.

The so-called field stabilisation element improves channel separation while minimising dynamic distortion and intermodulation. The result of this measure is said to be fantastic dynamics and enormously remarkable detail reproduction.

Ortofon Wide Range Damping System

One of the most important components is Ortofon’s patented Wide Range Damping System (WRD), in which a small, heavy platinum disc is sandwiched between two rubber absorbers with different characteristics. This not only provides exceptional sampling performance, but also perfect damping across the entire frequency range. This virtually eliminates distortion and resonance.

Multi Wall Carbon Nano Tubes

To achieve an optimal interaction of compliance and damping, a newly developed rubber compound was used for the suspension system. The new rubber compound is based on the highly efficient nano-filler Multi Wall Carbon Nano Tubes (MWCNT). The MWCNT-based compound offers excellent mechanical properties that ensure better damping and improve the overall performance of the cartridge.

The new Ortofon Verismo MC cartridge, weighing 9.5 g, is said to be capable of reproducing a frequency range between 20 Hz and 20 kHz with an output voltage of 0.2 mV and a recommended termination resistance of 10 ohms. The manufacturer recommends a contact force of 26 mN, or 2.6 g, for this cartridge.

The new Ortofon Verismo MC Cartridge should be available in specialist shops these days, with a recommended retail price of € 6.499,-.

Getting to the point

It is the latest addition to the Ortofon Exclusives Series, which the Danish specialist Ortofon A/S now presents with the new Ortofon Verismo MC Cartridge. This cartridge system is intended to take its place at the top and act as a true high-end reference system. Above it, only the Ortofon Anna and Ortofon Anna Diamond are listed in the Ortofon A/S product line.