Når en Pickup Blev en Legende

Introduceret i 1979, var Concorde revolutionerende. I modsætning til nogen pickup før den, fremviste den en dristig ny form, som integrerede pickup og headshell i et strømlinet design, der ikke krævede skruer eller ledninger. Det skulle vise sig at blive et af de mest betydningsfulde produkter i Ortofons lange historie – faktisk ser mange det som den pickup, der sikrede virksomhedens overlevelse gennem de sidste årtier af det 20. århundrede.

A Bold New Design
That Changed Everything


Ortofon had previously pioneered the integrated headshell concept with the SPU - a classic, high-mass moving coil cartridge designed for SME-type tonearms. But the Concorde marked a dramatic shift: a modern, lightweight evolution of the SPU principle, aimed at a new and broader segment of listeners.

The Concorde was born out of two goals: to develop a stylus with lower mass for Ortofon’s VMS system, and to create an integrated cartridge and headshell design that could be mounted without screws or wires. Elegant, streamlined, and minimal – the Concorde broke every design rule.

Its form was created in conjunction with award-winning Danish Industrial designer Møller Jensen, whose vision gave birth to the cartridge’s now-iconic look. “We thought, this is so different,” recalls Niels Jespersen, Sales Manager at the time, in A Century of Accuracy in Sound: The Ortofon 100-Year Anniversary Book. “In a meeting one day, I had a prototype in my hand, and I put it on the table so it was standing upright. It looked like the Luxor obelisk in the Place de la Concorde in Paris. Of course, the front of the Concorde jet airline also looked very similar to the cartridge. Everyone said, ‘That name makes sense, it looks like a Concorde.’”

The startling look of the Concorde cartridge received the prestigious Danish Industrial Design Award in 1979.

Innovation Møder Udfordringer


“Det blev en sensation på grund af det fantastiske design. Men det startede som en fiasko,” sagde Erik Eriksen, en af ingeniørerne på Concorde-projektet, i Ortofons 100-års jubilæumsbog A Century of Accuracy in Sound. Ortofon havde overvurderet antallet af pladespillere med SME-monteringssystemer på tonearmen. Hvis du ikke havde det, kunne du ikke bruge den. Det andet problem var, at tonearmene på almindelige pladespillere ikke kunne balancere den, fordi den var for let. Modvægten kunne ikke flyttes tæt nok til at balancere den.


Løsningen var at have et lille stykke metal, der kunne monteres mellem pickup og tonearm for at tilføje noget vægt. Samtidig introducerede Ortofon LM 20 og LM 30 - pickupper designet til standard halv-tommer monterede tonearme, hvilket tilbød bredere kompatibilitet end Concorde. Selvom de havde en mere konventionel form, efterlignede LM-modellerne visuelt Concorde's karakteristiske front og nåledesign, og fungerede som forløbere til OM-serien - som findes på de fleste pladespillere i dag.

Selvom dette var en pragmatisk løsning, var det i modstrid med virksomhedens etos om at skabe elegant design. Men det virkede - og Concorde var på vej.

Få år efter Concorde's lancering blev en moving coil variation udviklet kaldet MC 200. “Jeg husker, at MC 200 var et resultat af den feedback, vi gav under Golden Ear Panel* sessionerne,” Eriksen mindedes i A Century of Accuracy in Sound. “Det var en øjeblikkelig succes i lande som Tyskland og Storbritannien. Endnu i dag er det en fantastisk lydende pickup.”

Sammen med MC 100, som blev lanceret omtrent samtidig, hjalp MC 200 med at bringe Concorde's design og ydeevne ind i moving coil universet. Som reklamelitteraturen for MC 200 udtalte, vandt den “ros og præmier fra audioeksperter overalt, inklusive Japans Stereo Components Grand Prix – HiFi-industriens mest eftertragtede pris.”

*The Golden Ear Panel
I 1970'erne og 80'erne spillede den interne Golden Ear Club en nøglerolle i den kritiske vurdering af Ortofon pickupper. Ortofon-medarbejdere kunne ansøge om at blive medlemmer af Golden Ear panelet af lyttere. Du skulle kvalificere dig ved at bestå en høreevnetest, og panelet bestod af både meget erfarne lyttere og mindre erfarne - ved at slutte sig til Ortofons dygtige ingeniører og lytte på en anden måde end for eksempel HiFi-anmeldere. Denne tilgang gav forskellige indtryk af lyden og værdifuld indsigt til pickup-udvikling.

From Home HiFi to Nightclub DJs

Originally intended for domestic HiFi use, the Concorde’s role evolved dramatically. In the 1980s, DJs remained committed to vinyl - even as the rest of the industry moved digital - and Ortofon responded. In 1984, the company introduced DJ-specific models like the silver-colored Concorde Pro and OM Pro cartridges, designed to withstand the rigorous demands of club environments, hip-hop, and scratching. These models featured reinforced stylus suspensions capable of handling high tracking forces, making them indispensable tools for professional DJs worldwide.

In 1989, Ortofon launched the Concorde Nightclub Series - a clear acknowledgement of how vital this audience had become. DJ culture didn’t just embrace Concorde. It helped ensure Ortofon’s continued relevance.

Bringing the Concorde Full Circle

It has undergone continual remodelling ever since, as it has evolved from its original purpose as a domestic HiFi cartridge to its now revered status as a cartridge for nightclub DJs. And lastly, with the introduction of the new Concorde Music HiFi Series, it is returning once again to the world of high-fidelity audio.

The Concorde MkII Series continues to be trusted by DJs around the world, while the Concorde Music Series brings its legacy into home listening environments.

Born of design. Refined by DJs. Back home in HiFi.
The Concorde is more than a cartridge - it’s a legacy.