Ortofon Hifi - MC Vertex

The Ortofon MC Vertex is a moving-coil cartridge developed as a system in which the stylus, cantilever, body and generator are designed to work together. At the heart of this design is the new Vertex stylus with a tracking radius of 4 μm and a contact radius of 110 μm. Its Line Contact geometry increases the contact area with the groove walls and enables precise tracking of even the finest modulations.

The stylus is mounted on a solid diamond cantilever, a structure that is both rigid and lightweight, promoting efficient transfer of mechanical energy. The cartridge body and its internal core are made from titanium using SLM technology, with an internal cavity designed to improve damping and reduce unwanted resonances. The DLC finish protects this structure and gives it its black appearance, whilst the logos are laser-engraved directly into the titanium. To control mechanical behaviour across the entire audible range, Ortofon also utilises its Wide Range Damping system, featuring a platinum disc positioned between two rubber compounds with different properties.

In terms of signal generation, the MC Vertex utilises a non-magnetic armature, an optimised magnetic configuration and high-purity silver voice coils. This delivers an output voltage of 0.3 mV, a channel separation of 30 dB and a channel balance of 0.1 dB at 1 kHz. The frequency response ranges from 20 Hz to 20 kHz with a tolerance of ±1 dB, whilst the recommended tracking force is 2.5 g. With a recommended load resistance of over 100 Ω and an internal impedance of 19 Ω, the MC Vertex is designed for systems where every detail of the analogue signal counts!