Ortofon

Browse Ortofon vintage audio equipment in the Vintage Technology Archive.

Cartridge

• MC-100U — Ortofon MC-100U, a little-documented low-mass moving coil cartridge from the mid-1980s; 0.09 mV output, nude elliptical stylus, $150 list.
• MC-20 — Ortofon MC-20 moving coil cartridge — 0.07mV output, 5Hz-60kHz response, 1.5g tracking, factory-exchange stylus only. A serious low-output classic.
• SL-15T — Ortofon SL-15T moving-coil cartridge (1967): 7-gram body, transformers split out for automatic turntables, 10–40,000 Hz, $75 with transformers.
• VMS-20E — Ortofon VMS-20E (1974–c.1981): the $65 variable-magnetic-shunt cartridge built to match the M-15E Super in a wider range of tonearms.

Cartridges

• 100U — Ortofon MC 100U: little-documented low-mass moving-coil cartridge from the mid-1980s, documented in a 1985 HiFI-Stereo lab test.
• 101 — Ortofon 101 — a little-documented Ortofon model with no verified specifications, production years, or period coverage found in available sources.
• 20E — Ortofon 20E (VMS-20E) phono cartridge: $65 in 1975, elliptical diamond stylus, VMS design. Little documented — review specs from High Fidelity and HiFI-Stereo.
• 20FL — Ortofon 20FL (M-20FL Super): a stereo phono pickup with Fine-Line stylus, reviewed by High Fidelity in 1978 at $100. Little else is documented.
• 2M Red — A moving magnet phono cartridge with an elliptical diamond stylus, introduced in 2007 as the entry-level model in the 2M series.
• Cadenza Black — Ortofon Cadenza Black MC cartridge review: flagship moving coil with Shibata stylus, boron cantilever, and Wide Range Damping for ultra-detailed.
• DSS-661 — Ortofon DSS-661 disc mastering cutter head. Flat response beyond 20 kHz, paired with GO 701 amplifier. Little-documented professional studio tool.
• FF-15XE — Ortofon FF-15XE: an obscure audio model with almost no surviving documentation. No period source recovered so far names it directly.
• M-20 — Ortofon M-20FL Super phono cartridge, reviewed by High Fidelity in 1978 at $100 with Fine-Line stylus. Little else is documented.
• M-20FL — Little is documented about the Ortofon M-20FL Super outside one thorough review and Ortofon's own advertising from early 1978.
• OMP-30 — Ortofon OMP-30 phono cartridge. Little documented; part of the Optimum Mass (OM) series with variable magnetic shunt design.
• SL-15 — Ortofon SL-15 moving-coil phono cartridge (c. 1967–1971). No-compromise Ortofon for automatic turntables; MP 235 preamp option. Period reviews documented.
• T-2000 — Ortofon T-2000 step-up transformer, c.1984, documented only in an Audio magazine review. Paired with MC 2000 cartridge; silver cable, 35 dB gain.
• TM-7 — Ortofon TM-7 stereo cartridge with elliptical diamond stylus. Little documented; known specs from a 1984 directory entry: 20-20kHz, 5mV output.
• TPO-70 — Ortofon TPO-70 moving-magnet cartridge wand for Thorens TD115. Reviewed in Audio Dec 1982. Output 3 mV. With production years.
• ULM-55E — Ortofon ULM-55E phono cartridge — documented through late-1970s Dual turntable reviews; little standalone info survives.
• ULM-60E — Ortofon ULM-60E low-mass phono cartridge, documented chiefly as the optional pickup for Dual ULM turntables. Little else survives on the record.

Unknown

• DSS-732 — Ortofon DSS-732 stereo disc cutterhead — 10 Hz–20 kHz, 10 dB motional feedback, £4,460 in 1979. Professional mastering hardware, not a cartridge.
• SKG-212 — Ortofon SKG-212 12-inch transcription tonearm — the $20 entry point to Ortofon's early-1960s arm range, sold by Elpa. Calibrated counterweight, no lateral balancing.
• STL-732 — A two-channel high-frequency limiter built to save your sibilants before the cutter ever touches the lacquer.