Ortofon MC10 Super cartridge

 

Higher Output Moving Coil Cartridge

Ever since Ortofon introduces the world's first moving coil cartridge, back in 1948, it has been accepted that the finest sound reproduction comes from this type of pick-up.

But this higher quality has always gone hand-in-hand wwith greater expense. Because buying a moving coil has entailed an extra outlay on a transformer or pre-preamplifier to boost the moving coil's lower voltage outputs.

Until now. And the new Ortofon MC10 Super.

With this cartridge we have succeeded, for the first time, in producing a moving coil cartridge that has all the quality traditionally associated with the Ortofon name, but has no need for a steo-up device.

The Moving Coil Principle

Moving coil cartridges are based on the use of twin coils of microscopically fine wire (one for each stereo channel), acting as miniaturised power generators. Each generating its own electrical current as it moves within a magnetic field.

Ortofon use a patented construction method , which allows the coils to adopt two positions.

In neutral, the coil is by-passed by the magnetic field and no signal is generated. But when the stylus and cantilever shift it into the second position, the coil conatcts the magnetic field and a signal is induced.

So, as the stylus traces the record's grooves, the variations in its movement are transmitted to the coils via the cantilever. The coils are than moved from their neutral position, cutting the lines of force between the magnetic poles and producing tiny voltages.

These voltages are replicas of the signals placed in the groove when the record was cut. And it is because the moving coil principle is also used in this cutting, that the most accurate reproduction of the signals is achieved by the same method.

The higher output MC10 Super

Because normal moving coil cartridges use such miniaturised coils, their voltage output is very low (0,1 mV or less). Necessitating the use of additional amplification. But by increasing the number of windings on the MC10 Super's coils we have increased its output voltage to 0,3 mV. Which means it will provide a perfect match for any up-to-date amplifier with a built-in  MC input, without the need for an external step-up device. Yet because it has an internal impedance of 3 Ω , it can still be used successfully with any of our step-up transformers it further improvement in sound is deemed desirable, or even possible.

The advances that made the MC10 Super possible

Previous attempts at putting more windings on a moving coil, while increasing the cartridge's voltage output, have also increased its mass. With a resulting loss of performance. But with the MC10 Super we have been able to keep a low eqivalent stylus tip mass of just 0,5 mg, thanks to three further developments by Ortofon technicians.

The first is a new armature, which was originally designed for Ortofon's state-of-the-art. Ortophase MC2000. this new armature has been designed as a tiny, lightweight cross, which allows the number of minute coil windings to be increased without affecting the performance of the moving mass.

As a result, the cross-sectional area of the windings is identical on both coils, improving channel balance. And the coils are mounted at exactly 90° to each other, improving channel separation.

The second development is a new magnet and improved damping system. This has increased the strength of the cartridge's magnetic field. And has allowed its natural pivotal point to be placed immediately behind the armature giving an extremely precise moving system.

Finally, the MC10 Super has a tiny, nude Elliptical diamond, mounted on a very light and rigid cantilever. The resulting low equivalent stylus tip mass and the cantilever compliance mean that the MC10 Super will give excellent results with virtually any modern tonearm.

Ortofon's linear phase technology, the Ortophase Concept, has been applied to the MC10 Super. The result being that the phase and Frequency Response characteristics are as linear as possible, therefore, achieving an extremely high standard of stereo reproduction.

 

Specifications

Output Voltage at 1000 Hz, 5 cm/sec:  0,3 mV

Channel Balance at 1000 Hz:  1,5 dB

Channel Separation at 1000 Hz: 25 dB

Frequency Response: 20 - 20,000 Hz +4 dB/ -1 dB

FIM Distortion at Recommended Tracking Force, DIN 45-542: ≤1%

Tracking Ability at 315 Hz at Recommended Tracking Force:  >60 µm

Dynamic Compliance, Horizontal/Vertical:  14/14 µm/mN

Vertical Tracking Angle:  20°

Type of Stylus:  Elliptical Nude

Equivalent Stylus Tip Force:  0,5 mg

Recommended Tracking Force:  15 mN/1,5 g

Tracking Force Range:  13 - 18 mN; 1,3 - 1,8 g

Weight of Unit:  7 g

Internal Impedance DC Resistance per Channel:  3 Ω

Recommended Load Impedance per Channel:  ≥10 Ω