Exclusive cartridge technologies

Tradition Meets Technology at Ortofon

Fusing heritage

with innovation

We preserve our heritage by continuously investing in technology and product development and thus introducing new cartridges.

It is our philosophy that even a traditional product like the cartridge can benefit greatly from new technology and industrial competences.

Our goal is to bring our products in the forefront of the technology field, in regards to materials, design, magnetic systems and everything the products comprises of.

A tribute to Per Windfeld

The MC Windfeld technology

The Ortofon MC Windfeld, referred to as the most tonally neutral, state-of-the-art, moving coil cartridge in the absolute high-end class, was developed in 2008 as a tribute to Ortofon’s then 75-year-old engineer Per Windfeld, who had for more than 30 years been a feature of the high-end culture.

Portrait of Per Windfeld

The legacy of Per Windfeld

A high-end masterpiece

MC Windfeld cartridge was designed by a team headed by Mr. Windfeld's successor, Leif Johannsen, the Ortofon's Chief Acoustics and Development . The cartridge bears Mr. Windfeld's name - his initials "PW" are inscribed in gold on the cartridge's side.

Leif Johannsen, goes in depth of Per Windfeld's earlier design innovations, featuring the design elements of the MC Windfeld, such as Wide Range Damping (WRD) system and a strong neodymium magnet system with a Field Stabilizing Element (FSE) located within the magnet system.

Art of Science

The MC A90 technology

The Ortofon MC A90 was launched in 2008 to commemorate the 90th anniversary of Ortofon’s technical leadership in the audio industry.

This "Art of Science" phono cartridge carries with it the culmination of decades of research in the field of analogue sound reproduction along with the world's best engineering, materials and manufacturing techniques. The MC A90 made history by significantly raising the standard by which sound reproduction is measured.

Leif Johannsen goes into detail and demonstrates the benefits of the Selective Laser Melting manufacturing process, that lies at the heart of the MC A90. 

Modern high performance

The Xpression technology

The Ortofon Xpression was launched in 2011. This modern high performance cartridge with a standard headshell connector bridges the gap between SPU-type cartridges and High-End cartridges designed for headshell mounting.

The Xpression provides a simple and elegant method of directly connecting the generator and tonearm via the Xpression’s one-piece body. The length of the cartridge ensures proper match with the SME-mount type tonearms, whilst the mass and compliance properties of the Xpression ensure that a proper match will be achieved with any SPU-compatible arm.

One of the world’s best-sounding phono cartridges

The MC A95 technology

The Ortofon MC A95 was launched in 2013 to commemorate the 95th Anniversary of Ortofon’s technical leadership in the audio industry.

The MC A95 improved on its predecessor, the MC A90’s well-deserved reputation for being one of the world’s best-sounding phono cartridges. With a super rigid, laser-welded Titanium body, Boron cantilever and Replicant diamond, Ortofon's then-flagship MC A95 has been a feat of micro-miniature engineering.

In this video we dive into the benefits of high-end materials, such as Titanium, and reveals considerations in the materials selection and design of armature to enhance the overall performance of the cartridge.

A continuous tribute

The MC Windfeld Ti technology

The MC Windfeld Ti phono cartridge was introduced in 2017 as a continuous tribute to Ortofon's former engineer Mr. Windfeld and optimization of the MC Windfeld model launched in 2008.

In this episode Leif Johannsen, the Ortofon's Chief Acoustics and Development, accurately compares the two MC Windfeld models with the focus on the benefits of the new technologies and materials.

The benefits of Titanium

Next level performance

At the heart of the MC Windfeld Ti lies Selective Laser Melting technology, apllied for manufacturing of the Ortofon Exclusives Series cartridges.

The use of Titanium in the MC Windfeld Ti has provided a further improvement to the overall rigidity of the structure and the cartridge weight. Obviously, MC Windfeld Ti has gone to the next level by reducing unwanted vibrations and increasing the dynamic capability of the cartridge.

A new musical experience

The MC Century technology

In 2018 Ortofon celebrated 100 year anniversary with the company’s most ambitious cartridge ever. In a very limited edition of 100, the no-expense-spared exclusive anniversary model the MC Century was launched.

Leif Johannsen chares his thouhgts and considerations favoring selection of the best possible materials, technologies and components' design, including but not limited to Diamond cantilever, Ortofon Replicant diamond, Titanuim, SLM, magnetic armature, etc. The unity of all elements ensured the sound breaking the limits and the complete new musical experience by the Ortofon MC Century.

Something for everyone

The MC A MONO technology

The MC A MONO was launched in 2019 to be the first True Mono cartridge in the Ortofon Exclusives Series. With the MC A MONO you can listen to both Mono and Stereo recordings, obtaining the accuracy of sound reproduction close to the MC A95.

In the April 2020 issue of Stereophile, Michael Fremer wrote: "...There’s something for everyone in the mono-cartridge mix. Add the MC A Mono to the group at the top - at least in my mono-cartridge experience..."

Leif Johannsen explains the advantages of using a Mono cartridge to play Mono records and the benefits of using the MC A MONO in particular.

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