Xpression

A distinctive and elegant design combined with expressive sound

Expressive sound

Xpression

The Xpression cartridge bridges the gap between the SPU-type cartridges and High-End cartridges like the MC A90 and the MC Windfeld designed for headshell mounting.

The result is a high-performance moving coil cartridge with the convenience of a standard headshell connector, which provides a simple and elegant method of directly connecting the generator and tonearm via the Xpression’s one-piece body.
€5.499,00
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OverviewFeaturesReviewsSpecifications

Elegant design without compromise

Accuracy level

The Xpression, although derived from the materials and techniques employed with the A90 cartridge, finds a superb sonic balance between the literal precision of the A90 and the powerful dynamics and fluid body of its SPU predecessors.

Because of the nature of SLM-based construction, each cartridge body is cosmetically unique and will show small dimples or lines under close examination.

Ortofon Replicant 100

Stylus

The Xpression features an ultra-fine and extra polished version of the unique Ortofon Replicant 100 stylus on Boron Cantilever. The Replicant 100 is also used in the MC A90, MC Windfeld, MC Anna, and MC Cadenza Bronze cartridges, providing more responsive and transparent sound reproduction.

One of the preconditions for linear reproduction with a wide frequency range and optimal tracking performance is a diamond - the shape of which is as close as possible to the original cutting needle.

This diamond is incredibly small and light but has an extraordinarily large vertical contact surface despite its minimal radius of rounding. Correctly fitted at a vertical angle of 23 degrees, an Ortofon Replicant Stylus 100 will read the musical information in the grooves of a record with a greater degree of accuracy than any other kind of needle.

Benefits of high-end materials

Cartridge body

By combining the utilization of this SLM process and our WRD system, we are confident that the perfect mechanical integration of this cartridge with your tonearm will result in a significant and breathtaking increase in dynamics, staging, resolution, and richness. Ultrahigh purity silver is used for the internal wiring between generator and standard headshell connector.

Finally, the bottom cover has been constructed from a special proprietary TPE (Thermo-Plastic Elastomer) material, which provides extremely high damping. You simply experience more drama and greater breadth, height, and depth in the sound scenario.

Extreme rigidity

Boron cantilever

Using Ortofon’s Aucurum coils of gold-plated, 6NX oxygen-free copper allows for zero-loss transmission of the diamond’s movements via its Boron cantilever. This combination, which has also been employed for use in the MC Windfeld, MC A90, and MC A95 cartridges, combines low moving mass with an extremely high degree of rigidity.

Neodium magnet

Magnet system

The magnet system is based on the designs used in such acclaimed cartridges as the MC Windfeld and the MC A90.The magnet system is based on an extremely strong, compact neodymium magnet, which makes the generator system both compact and lighter through its minimal dimensions.

Ortofon’s Field Stabilizing Element, a small cylinder of conductive material strategically placed inside the magnet system, guarantees that the force field remains stable regardless of the movement of the armature. FSE improves the channel separation, while at the same time minimizing dynamic distortion and intermodulation. The result is the fantastic dynamics and even more elbow room between the musicians.

Perfect damping

Rubber suspension

Adding to the list of important components is Ortofon’s patented Wide Range Damping (WRD) system. In this system, a small, heavy platinum disc is sandwiched between two rubber absorbers, both with different properties. This ensures not only an exceptional tracking performance, but also creates a perfect damping through the entire frequency spectrum. Because of this, distortion and resonance are virtually eliminated entirely.

The Wide Range Damping system, which was originally introduced in the MC 20 Mk II in 1979 and was also used in the MC A90, the MC Windfeld and many of Ortofon’s other top-tier cartridges, is one significant reason why the Xpression, while achieving the most linear frequency response and a high upper frequency limit, at the same time tracks a fantastic 90 μm at a vertical tracking force of 2.6 grams.

Stereophile September 2018

“... Ortofon's 90th Anniversary SPU is a very fine cartridge. The Xpression is clearly and significantly better. My 90th Anniversary has the characteristic SPU midrange richness and color but with far fewer compromises at the extremes of audioband. The Xpression has all of that, and it's better still in the lows and hights ... The most important improvement is in the heights. The fundamental tones of higher-pitched instruments and voices, and the even higher-frequency tones that convey color and a sense of space, were almost perfectly articulate and clear ... Ambience was reproduced but not exaggerated ... The music came across with more drive, more emotional force ... The sound got out of the way, which let me focus on the essence of the music, on human expression through sound.


...The Xpression is expensive, but age and experience have shown me that it's hard to set a budget for experience, including - or especially - the experience of music.“

Jim Austin

Specifications
  • Output voltage at 1 kHz, 5cm/sec
    0.3 mV
  • Channel separation at 1 kHz
    28 dB
  • Frequency response 20 Hz - 20 kHz
    + 0.5 - 1.5 dB
  • Tracking ability at 315 Hz
    90 μm
  • Compliance, dynamic, lateral
    11 μm/mN
  • Stylus type
    Special polished Nude Ortofon Replicant 100 on Boron cantilever
  • Stylus tip radius
    r/R 5/100 μm
  • Tracking force range
    2.3 – 2.8 g
  • Tracking force, recommended
    2.6 g
  • Tracking angle
    23°
  • Internal impedance, DC resistance
    4 Ω
  • Recommended load impedance
    >10 Ω
  • Cartridge body material
    SLM Stainless Steel and Special proprietary TPE-compound
  • Cartridge colour
    Black
  • Cartridge weight
    28 g

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