Ortofon - LH-6000 HiFi Headshell Kontrapunkt Style

A magnesium headshell shaped around Ortofon’s own high-end moving coils — more mass than the SH-4, and a rounded front cut to clear the cartridge bodies it is meant for.

The LH-6000 sits in the middle of Ortofon’s LH headshell ladder, above the aluminium LH-2000 and LH-4000 and below the carbon-fibre LH-9000. Ortofon’s pitch for it is specific rather than general: it is recommended for the MC Windfeld Ti and the Cadenza series, and its rounded front portion facilitates proper mounting and complements each of those cartridges. The shape is cut to clear particular cartridge bodies, which is why it matters what you are fitting.

It is machined from magnesium, weighs 13.5g bare, and is noticeably more compact than the SH-4 at 47.5mm long by 19.1mm wide, with a mounting range of 36.6 to 42.4mm. Leadwires are included.

The practical difference against the SH-4 is mass: 13.5g against 9.2g. That extra 4.3g at the end of the arm raises effective mass, which is what a low-compliance moving coil generally wants — and the reason Ortofon points it at its own MC range rather than at the 2M series. The trade-off is a tighter mounting slot range, so there is less latitude if you are aligning an unusually long or short cartridge.

One piece of housekeeping: this is sometimes listed in the trade as a Kontrapunkt-style headshell. That is retailer language, not Ortofon’s — Ortofon’s own copy names the MC Windfeld Ti and the Cadenza series.

Features

• Machined magnesium construction
• 13.5g without screws — 4.3g more than the SH-4, which suits low-compliance moving coils
• Rounded front section shaped to clear Ortofon’s high-end MC cartridge bodies
• Recommended by Ortofon for the MC Windfeld Ti and the Cadenza series
• 47.5mm long, 19.1mm wide; mounting distance 36.6mm to 42.4mm
• Leadwires included

Specifications

• Type: Headshell for S-shaped tonearms with a universal mount
• Material: Magnesium
• Weight: 13.5g without screws
• Length: 47.5mm
• Width: 19.1mm
• Mounting Distance: 36.6mm to 42.4mm
• Recommended Cartridges: MC Windfeld Ti and the Cadenza series, per Ortofon
• Leadwires: Included. Ortofon notes the standard colour coding — red and green for the right channel, white and blue for the left
• Pin Diameter Note: Ortofon notes that its cartridge terminal pins are 1.2mm in diameter while its headshell pins are 1.0mm
• Range Position: Above the aluminium LH-2000 and LH-4000, below the LH-9000 and the LH-10000 flagship
• Origin: Ortofon A/S of Nakskov, Denmark. Ortofon states that all its cartridges are designed and crafted in Denmark
• Warranty: Ortofon Inc. covers products bought from an authorised US dealer for one year against defects in workmanship and materials, and excludes expendable items — which on any normal reading excludes the stylus. Ortofon’s own webshop terms quote two years instead; a US dealer purchase falls under the one-year terms
• Not Published: Finish or colour — Ortofon states the material only; azimuth adjustability, on which Ortofon makes no claim either way; the leadwire model or conductor material; itemised box contents beyond the leadwires; effective mass or tonearm-matching guidance; the connector standard, which is inferable from the product category but never spelled out
• Note: The “Kontrapunkt style” description attached to this headshell by some retailers is not Ortofon’s wording. Ortofon’s own copy names the MC Windfeld Ti and Cadenza series