Ortofon MC Vertex Cartridge - New Release

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Brand New release from high End Vienna. Ortofon's new Benchmark in MC Technology. 

Available to order now.

The Point Where Everything Aligns

In every pursuit, there is a point where alignment reaches its peak—where direction becomes clear, effort transforms into momentum, and potential becomes achievement. That moment is the vertex.

With MC Vertex, Ortofon introduces a cartridge that represents the culmination of precision engineering and acoustic refinement. It is the point where design, materials, and performance converge into a singular expression of analog excellence.

MC Vertex represents the most advanced moving-coil cartridge Ortofon has ever developed, setting a new reference for precision, transparency, and musical performance.

MC Vertex is the result of an extensive and uncompromising development process, shaped by dedicated Ortofon engineers and product leadership working across acoustics, materials science, mechanics, and advanced manufacturing. Every detail has been challenged, refined, and validated through critical listening, precise measurement, and deep craftsmanship.

A New Reference Diamond

At the core of MC Vertex is a newly developed diamond, engineered by Ortofon and defined by an advanced line-contact geometry. This new stylus design is introduced as the Vertex Diamond, representing a new reference in Ortofon diamond technology.

The stylus profile has been developed with a specific focus on how it engages the groove walls at a microscopic level, where both contact accuracy and mechanical stability are critical. Rather than relying solely on established geometries, the profile has been refined to precisely control the effective contact area, scanning radius, and pressure distribution, ensuring consistent contact across a wide range of modulations under dynamic conditions.

The Vertex Diamond features a finely optimized scanning radius of 4 μm, combined with an extended contact radius of 110 μm. While the scanning radius is within the upper tier of advanced stylus designs, the contact radius represents an exceptionally large profile, enabling a significantly increased contact area along the groove walls.

This combination allows the diamond to trace fine groove structures with high precision while distributing contact forces more effectively across the groove surface.

The Vertex Diamond is mounted in a solid diamond cantilever, forming an extremely rigid and lightweight structure that supports efficient energy transfer from the stylus to the generator system.

As a result, low-level detail is retrieved with clarity and stability. Fine groove modulations are followed with high accuracy, improving resolution, transparency, and spatial definition. Subtle variations in texture and timing are preserved, presenting the acoustic image with precise localization and structure.

Precision Diamond-to-Cantilever Interface

The diamond-to-cantilever interface is manufactured using laser-cut processes with extremely tight tolerances. A precisely defined micro-bore is formed in the cantilever, allowing the diamond to be mounted with a highly controlled mechanical fit. This ensures accurate alignment and repeatability while creating a rigid and stable interface for efficient energy transfer.

The cantilever is laser-polished to achieve a uniform surface finish, minimizing irregularities that could introduce mechanical artifacts.

This level of precision results in stable tracking, low distortion, and a linear response to groove input. Both microdynamic nuance and large-scale dynamics are reproduced without compression or loss of detail.

The result is the Vertex Diamond, combining advanced geometry, diamond-on-diamond construction, and precision manufacturing to deliver high resolution, clarity, and long-term consistency.

Titanium Structure and Resonance Control

The cartridge housing and internal core structure are produced in titanium using Ortofon’s established Selective Laser Melting technology.

This advanced manufacturing method enables a level of structural control not possible with conventional techniques. Material density, wall thickness, and internal geometry are precisely defined throughout the structure, allowing complex internal architectures to be formed directly within the titanium body.

A specially engineered internal cavity is incorporated to enhance damping performance and reduce unwanted resonances.

The structure is finished with a DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) surface treatment, providing a refined black finish with enhanced durability.

All logos are laser-engraved directly into the titanium surface, reflecting the precision of the manufacturing process.

The result is a mechanically inert structure that effectively suppresses unwanted vibrations, allowing the musical signal to emerge with greater clarity, purity, and accuracy.

Updated Wide Range Damping Technology

MC Vertex features a refined generator system built around a non-magnetic armature, precision-wound coils, and a highly optimized magnet configuration.

The non-magnetic armature provides a stable mechanical structure for the coils without introducing magnetic material into the moving system. This approach helps maintain linear performance while minimizing unwanted magnetic interactions.

Combined with Ortofon’s updated Wide Range Damping Technology, the generator system is engineered to achieve exceptional control, stability, and consistency across the entire frequency spectrum.

The result is improved tracking accuracy, enhanced dynamic response, and a more natural presentation of musical detail, allowing the cartridge to reproduce recordings with precision, balance, and control.

Updated Wide Range Damping Technology and Magnetic Precision

The Wide Range Damping system, developed and patented by Ortofon, is designed to control mechanical resonance across the entire audible frequency range.

At its core is a platinum disc positioned between two rubber compounds with distinctly different mechanical properties. The platinum disc acts as a rigid mechanical interface, allowing the two rubber compounds to operate both independently and in interaction, depending on frequency.

This dual-behavior damping structure enables precise control of resonance characteristics across the frequency spectrum while maintaining dynamic responsiveness.

Ortofon’s in-house development and production of rubber compounds ensure consistent material quality and allow fine-tuning of damping performance. Even minor adjustments in formulation or processing can significantly influence how energy is absorbed and controlled within the system.

The result is more accurate and natural sound reproduction across the entire frequency range.

MC Vertex features a refined generator system built around a non-magnetic armature, precision-wound coils, and a highly optimized magnet configuration.

The non-magnetic armature provides a stable mechanical structure for the coils without introducing magnetic material into the moving system. This prevents the armature itself from interacting with the magnetic field, ensuring controlled and consistent generator performance.

By keeping magnetic material out of the armature, the coil assembly can operate within the magnetic system without unwanted magnetic influence from the armature itself. This contributes to stable signal generation, precise channel performance, and consistent reproduction of groove modulations.

The coils are precision-wound using high-purity silver and are carefully integrated with the optimized magnet configuration to support accurate conversion of mechanical movement into an electrical signal.

Together, the non-magnetic armature, coil system, magnet configuration, and Wide Range Damping Technology allow MC Vertex to deliver exceptional precision, strong channel separation, and a natural, coherent presentation of music.

Specifications

Output Voltage (1 kHz, 5 cm/s): 0.3 mV

Cantilever Material: Solid Diamond

Cantilever Surface: Laser Polished

Stylus Type: Vertex Diamond

Stylus Tip Radius: r/R 4/110 μm

Coil Wire Material: High-Purity Silver

Channel Balance at 1 kHz: 0.1 dB

Channel Separation at 1 kHz: 30 dB

Frequency Response (20 Hz – 20 kHz): ±1 dB

Dynamic Lateral Compliance: 9 μm/mN

Recommended Load Impedance: >100 Ω

Recommended Tracking Force: 2.5 g

Tracking Angle: 23°

Internal Impedance (DC Resistance): 19 Ω

Cartridge Body Material: SLM Titanium

Cartridge Surface: DLC Coating

Cartridge Weight: 15 g