{"product_id":"ortofon-mc-vertex-phono-cartridge","title":"Ortofon - MC Vertex Phono Cartridge","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrtofon’s newest flagship: a solid diamond cantilever, an SLM titanium body, and a stylus profile made for this cartridge alone.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe MC Vertex launched at High End Vienna in June 2026 and is the most advanced moving coil cartridge Ortofon has built. The company describes it as a holistic approach to cartridge design, where each element is defined in relation to the others and optimised as part of a complete system — which is the sort of thing manufacturers often say, but here the parts list bears it out.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe stylus is a new profile Ortofon calls the Vertex Diamond: a line-contact geometry with a 4 µm scanning radius and an unusually long 110 µm contact radius. It sits on a solid diamond cantilever, laser-cut and laser-polished. The body is titanium produced by selective laser melting with integrated damping cavities and a diamond-like carbon surface coating, and the suspension uses Ortofon’s patented Wide Range Damping system — a dual-rubber arrangement with a platinum disc, intended to control mechanical resonance across the whole audible band. The generator uses a non-magnetic armature wound with high-purity silver.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe published figures are exceptional where it counts: channel balance of 0.1dB and channel separation of 30dB at 1kHz are both remarkable numbers. Compliance is 9 µm\/mN with a 2.5g tracking force, which points to a medium to high mass tonearm — though Ortofon publishes neither an effective mass recommendation nor, remarkably, a cartridge weight, so we cannot give you compatibility guidance from manufacturer data. Talk to us before committing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne point of housekeeping: press coverage has described the Vertex as sitting within Ortofon’s Exclusive series. Ortofon’s own site does not place it there — it is absent from the Exclusive series collection and carries no series designation. It is unambiguously the new flagship, priced well above the MC Diamond, but we are not going to assign it to a series Ortofon hasn’t.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eFeatures\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVertex Diamond stylus — a new line-contact profile with a 4 µm scanning radius and a 110 µm contact radius\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSolid diamond cantilever, laser-cut and laser-polished\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTitanium body produced by selective laser melting, with integrated damping cavities and a diamond-like carbon coating\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOrtofon’s patented Wide Range Damping system — dual rubber with a platinum disc\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNon-magnetic armature wound with high-purity silver\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e0.1dB channel balance and 30dB channel separation at 1kHz\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOrtofon’s most advanced moving coil cartridge to date\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eType:\u003c\/strong\u003e Moving coil stereo cartridge\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOutput Voltage:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.3mV at 1kHz, 5cm\/sec\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eChannel Balance at 1kHz:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.1dB\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eChannel Separation at 1kHz:\u003c\/strong\u003e 30dB\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFrequency Response:\u003c\/strong\u003e 20Hz – 20kHz, ±1dB\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCompliance:\u003c\/strong\u003e 9 µm\/mN, dynamic lateral\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStylus Type:\u003c\/strong\u003e Vertex Diamond — an advanced line-contact profile developed for this cartridge\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStylus Tip Radius:\u003c\/strong\u003e r\/R 4\/110 µm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCantilever:\u003c\/strong\u003e Laser-polished solid diamond, laser-cut\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCoil System:\u003c\/strong\u003e High-purity silver coils on a non-magnetic armature\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBody:\u003c\/strong\u003e Titanium produced by selective laser melting, with integrated damping cavities and a diamond-like carbon surface treatment\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDamping:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ortofon’s patented Wide Range Damping system — a dual-rubber arrangement with a platinum disc, designed to control mechanical resonance across the entire audible frequency range\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRecommended Tracking Force:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2.5g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTracking Angle:\u003c\/strong\u003e 23°\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eInternal Impedance, DC Resistance:\u003c\/strong\u003e 19 Ω\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRecommended Load Impedance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Greater than 100 Ω\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLaunched:\u003c\/strong\u003e High End Vienna, 4 June 2026\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStylus Replacement:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ortofon states plainly that the styli in moving coil cartridges are non-replaceable, so there is no swap-in stylus for this cartridge. What Ortofon runs instead is an Exchange Service through participating authorised dealers: a worn or damaged MC cartridge — any condition, bought anywhere — is taken in at 25% of the current list price against the purchase of a new Ortofon cartridge of equivalent or better model. Note that is a credit against a new purchase, not a repair price. Ortofon also runs a separate Repair Service for out-of-warranty MC cartridges. Note the MC Vertex is not currently listed in Ortofon’s Exchange Service eligibility table\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTonearm Matching:\u003c\/strong\u003e At 9 µm\/mN compliance with a 2.5g tracking force this is a low-compliance cartridge that will want a medium to high mass arm. But Ortofon publishes neither a recommended effective mass nor a cartridge weight, so no compatibility statement can be made from manufacturer data. Please talk to us about your arm before ordering\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ortofon A\/S of Nakskov, Denmark. Ortofon states that all its cartridges are designed and crafted in Denmark\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWarranty:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ortofon publishes no warranty period for its moving coil cartridges on its own site. Ortofon Inc. covers cartridges bought from an authorised US dealer for one year against defects in workmanship and materials, excluding expendable items\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNot Published:\u003c\/strong\u003e Cartridge weight — the row is absent from both of Ortofon’s sites, which is a striking omission on a cartridge at this price where arm matching matters; cartridge colour; coil wire material as a discrete row, which reads N\/A on Ortofon’s table despite the description stating high-purity silver; a tracking force range as distinct from the single recommended figure; tracking ability at 315Hz; channel separation at 15kHz; frequency range\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNote:\u003c\/strong\u003e Press coverage has placed the Vertex within Ortofon’s Exclusive series. Ortofon’s own site does not — the Vertex is absent from the Exclusive series collection and from the Exclusive list in its Exchange Service table. Weight figures circulating in dealer and press listings are not Ortofon’s\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Ortofon","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43555504652494,"sku":"MC-VERTEX","price":16999.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0558\/5027\/0926\/files\/Ortofon_VERTEX_image_01_LeftTiltTop.png?v=1780795031","url":"https:\/\/www.theingroove.com\/products\/ortofon-mc-vertex-phono-cartridge","provider":"The 'In' Groove","version":"1.0","type":"link"}