Ortofon - OM 5E Phono Cartridge

Ortofon’s long-running elliptical entry point, with a removable weight-plate that lets one cartridge suit both standard and low-mass tonearms.

OM stands for Optimum Match, and the OM 5E has been one of the longest-running moving magnets in Ortofon’s catalogue for good reason. It is a standard half-inch mount cartridge with 4mV output, an elliptical diamond at r/R 8/18 µm, 20 µm/mN compliance and 22dB channel separation — a genuinely capable cartridge at a price that makes upgrading an entry-level deck a straightforward decision.

The signature of the OM body is the removable weight-plate in the mounting bracket. Ortofon’s own instruction: if your tonearm is a standard tonearm, just leave the weight-plate in place; if it is one of the low mass types, simply remove the weight and the cartridge drops to a mere 2.5g. That is a genuinely useful trick, and it is why the OM has stayed in the catalogue for so long — one cartridge covers arms that would otherwise need two.

The other reason it endures is the stylus ladder. The stylus assembly pulls straight off, and Ortofon publishes a compatibility list covering the 3E, 5E, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 78 styli plus the D 25 M. That means this body can carry a nude elliptical, a nude Fine Line or a nude van den Hul profile later on, so the cartridge grows with the system instead of being replaced by it.

Load it at 47k ohms with 200 to 500pF, and set tracking force between 1.5 and 2.0g.

Features

• Elliptical diamond, r/R 8/18 µm
• 4mV output — comfortable for any moving magnet phono stage
• Removable weight-plate: 5g with it fitted for a standard arm, 2.5g without for a low-mass arm
• Accepts the full OM stylus family — 3E, 5E, 10, 20, 30, 40, 78 and D 25 M
• 20 µm/mN compliance; 60 µm tracking ability at 315Hz
• Standard half-inch mount; works with top and bottom mount headshells
• Replacement stylus is the Stylus 5E

Specifications

• Type: Moving magnet stereo cartridge, standard half-inch mount
• Output Voltage: 4mV at 1kHz, 5cm/sec
• Channel Balance at 1kHz: 2dB
• Channel Separation at 1kHz: 22dB
• Channel Separation at 15kHz: 15dB (Ortofon’s OM 5 series product sheet; the figure is not on the current web product page)
• Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20,000Hz, ±3dB
• Tracking Ability at 315Hz: 60 µm
• Compliance: 20 µm/mN, dynamic lateral
• Stylus Type: Elliptical
• Stylus Tip Radius: r/R 8/18 µm
• Tracking Force Range: 1.5 – 2.0g (15 – 20mN)
• Recommended Tracking Force: Ortofon publishes two different figures. Its OM 5 series product sheet says 1.75g (17.5mN); its web product pages say 1.8g. Both are manufacturer sources. The difference is immaterial in practice — anywhere in that region is correct
• Tracking Angle: 20°
• Internal Impedance, DC Resistance: 750 Ω
• Internal Inductance: 450mH
• Recommended Load Resistance: 47k Ω
• Recommended Load Capacitance: 200 – 500pF
• Colour: Black / Black
• Cartridge Weight: 5g with the extra weight-plate fitted; 2.5g without it
• Weight-Plate: The signature of the OM body is the removable weight-plate in the mounting bracket. Ortofon’s own instruction: if your tonearm is a standard tonearm, just leave the weight-plate in place; if it is one of the low mass types, simply remove the weight and the cartridge drops to a mere 2.5g. That is a genuinely useful trick, and it is why the OM has stayed in the catalogue for so long — one cartridge covers arms that would otherwise need two.
• Replacement Stylus: Stylus 5E
• Interchangeable Styli: 3E, 5E, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 78, plus the D 25 M — Ortofon’s own published list. The stylus assembly pulls straight off, so the body is an upgrade platform rather than a dead end
• Cleaning: Ortofon does not recommend solvents of any kind for cleaning either the record surface or the stylus, warning that they may damage the stylus cement and that interior parts of the cartridge can be seriously affected by solvent intrusion. Ortofon states that its warranty will not be valid where such treatment has caused a cartridge to malfunction. Use a dry fibre stylus brush, drawn from the rear of the cartridge forward toward the tip
• Origin: Not published. Ortofon states elsewhere that its cartridges are designed and crafted in Denmark, but publishes no country of manufacture on this product
• Warranty: Ortofon’s own webshop terms specify a two-year limited warranty against defects in workmanship and materials. Ortofon Inc. covers cartridges bought from an authorised US dealer for one year, excluding expendable items. A US dealer purchase falls under the one-year terms
• Not Published: Cantilever material — genuinely absent from every Ortofon source including the Stylus 5E page, so we have not stated aluminium even though it is the likely answer; cartridge body material; coil system and coil wire material; an itemised box contents list beyond the mounting screws referenced in the user guide
• Note: Ortofon publishes no turntable or tonearm brand recommendations in connection with the weight-plate. Where you see advice to remove it for a particular make of deck, that is not a manufacturer statement