Ortofon Hi-Fi MC 90X Moving Coil Cartridge

A Classic, reimagined. Designed to breathe new life into your favourite recordings, allowing you to rediscover the sounds that have shaped your life.

Celebrating the lineage of the iconic MC A90, the MC 90X is a reimagining of a classic, combining precision engineering with advancements in material science and magnetism. Designed to bring out the depth and detail in every record, this limited-edition cartridge builds on Ortofon’s expertise in analog sound reproduction while introducing improved rubber dampers and a striking new blue finish. Its stainless-steel structure, crafted using Selective Laser Melting (SLM) technology, provides excellent rigidity and resonance control.

The Wide Range Damping system, Field Stabilizing Element, and Ortofon Replicant 100 diamond stylus work together to capture the full depth and nuance of even the finest vinyl pressings. Each cartridge is meticulously hand-assembled and undergoes rigorous quality control to ensure an authentic and immersive vinyl experience. With a richly detailed midrange and extended frequency response, the MC 90X stays true to the original recording, offering a refined listening experience that continues the legacy of the MC A90.

Refined Damping System

One of the Ortofon MC 90X standout features is the Wide Range Damping (WRD) system, which ensures outstanding linear frequency response and an extended upper-frequency range. This advanced system employs a platinum disc placed between two specially designed rubber absorbers, providing superior tracking and effective resonance control across the entire frequency spectrum.

Ortofon’s in-house developed rubber compounds further enhance performance, optimising damping characteristics to minimise distortion and improve sound clarity. These innovations make the MC 90X a high-performance cartridge, delivering exceptional detail, precision, and an unparalleled listening experience.

High Precision & Performance

Achieving linear reproduction with a wide frequency range and optimal tracking requires a diamond that closely mimics the original cutting stylus. The Ortofon MC 90X features the Replicant 100 diamond, renowned for its thin, light profile and exceptionally large contact surface, allowing it to trace grooves with unmatched precision. Combined with a special polishing process and a Boron cantilever, this design ensures remarkable transparency, speed, and responsiveness, delivering exceptional sound quality for an immersive audio experience.

At the heart of the MC 90X is a revolutionary Selective Laser Melting (SLM) manufacturing process. This high-precision technique uses laser-welding of micro particles to create a one-piece body. This enhances rigidity, reduces unwanted resonances, and ensures optimal cartridge mass, resulting in superior sound quality and performance. For an exceptional signal transmission, the coil wires are made of the special alloy Aucurum, a gold-plated 6NX oxygen-free copper.

Technical Data

• Output voltage: 0.25 mV
• Cantilever material: Boron
• Stylus type: Ortofon Replicant 100
• Stylus tip radius: r/R 5/100 μm
• Stylus suspensions: Ortofon exclusive
• Coil system: Quad coils
• Coil Wire: Aucurum
• Channel balance at 1 kHz: <0.2dB
• Channel separation at 1 kHz: >28dB
• Frequency response 20 Hz - 20 kHz: +/-1dB
• Dynamic lateral compliance: 11μm/mN
• Recommended tracking force: 2.3 g
• Recommended load resistance: >10Ω
• Internal impedance, DC resistance: 4Ω
• Cartridge Weight: 9.5 g