Ortofon X3-MC

Now all that has changed.
With the introduction of the first X Series cartridges, the X1 and X3, Ortofon demonstrated to the world that it is possible to produce MC cartridges with sufficiently high output to eliminate the need for additional step-up devices-without compromising the construction principles and unique sound quality of moving coil designs.

What this means to you is that pure Ortofon Moving Coil Sound is now available for the first time at "real world" prices. And now we have taken things one step further. By building on our experience with the X1 and X3, as well as our unparalleled background in MC design, Ortofon has made the supreme statement in high output MC technology, the Ortofon X5 moving coil cartridge. The X Series cartridges are extremely compact, ultra-light samples of the audio engineering art. The powerful Samarium Cobalt magnet weighs a mere 0.45 gram, a fraction of the normal two grams found in the average cartridge. While the pole pieces in most MC designs usually consist of as many as three of even four separate metal parts, the Ortofon X Series employs a single iron yoke encircling the magnet and weighing a negligible 0.35 grams. This construction detail not only contributes to the compact design of the X Series; it also provides improved mechanical integrity and an exceptionally powerful and uniform magnetic field. In addition , absolute phase is ensured by correct polarization of the magnet.

The Moving System
The advanced construction of the moving system and the employment of only the finest select components are two more significant factors in the audible superiority of the Ortofon X1, X3 and X5 over other High Output MC designs.

The X Series moving system consists of diamond stylus, cantilever and armature with coils mounted to the damping system and suspension wire.

The cross-shaped miniature armature for the coil windings offers dramatic improvements in channel separation. The armature is also extremely rigid with a shape which allows more windings than in conventional low output MC designs.

The equivalent stylus tip mass of the X Series is kept at an absolute minimum to allow the cartridge to respond accurately and rapidly to variations in the music signal. This is achieved through the use of ultra-fine copper. Ortofon has been able to reduce the number of windings to less than half that of competitive High Output MC designs because of the high magnetic induction in the air gap. As a result of these efforts the X Series armature weighs a minuscule 0.0012 grams, with possibly the lowest equivalent stylus tip mass ever in a High output MC cartridge.

The cantilever is tooled from lightweight, rigid aluminum and the damping system in all three X Series models consists of a layer of asymmetric butyl rubber to ensure the shortest possible distance to the magnet and good damping characteristics over the entire frequency range.

The suspension wire is manufactured from piano wire-an Ortofon speciality-in an exclusive galvanic process mastered only by Ortofon.

Taken together, these construction details make possible an exceptionally well-defined point of rotation for the armature-one of many secrets behind the true Ortofon Moving Coil Sound.

Ortofon X Series Literature & Specifications PDF