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Ortofon Quintet Black

96.255.240.54
Posted on February 16, 2014 at 09:52:18
ctbarker32
Audiophile

Posts: 289
Location: Kensington, MD
Joined: September 11, 2003

So, I got my pre-ordered Ortofon Quintet Black. I mounted it yesterday on my VPI Classic 2 going into a Ray Samuels Nighthawk loaded at 100 ohms and gain set to maximum. The rest of my system is a CIAudio PLC-1 Passive volume switch and amplification by the PS Audio T-100. My speakers are the newly upgraded Ascend Acoustics Sierra-2 featuring a new RAAL ribbon tweeter and Seas custom woofer.

Setting up the Quintet was straightforward since the block based design has lots of straight angles to aid in alignment. I did have problems with my collection of cheap digital scales which gave erroneous results. So, I resorted to the tried and true Shure analog scale which is always reliable if not digitally precise. I cross checked with the included Ortofon scale and settled on the 2.3 gm recommended pressure.

I listened to several record sides during the afternoon and everything I threw at it was just outstanding. My previous cartridge was an Audio Technica AT150-MLX which I was not unhappy with. The Quintet just seems to provide more of everything - especially at the bottom and top extremes. Tracking appears to be excellent and surface noise is nicely subdued.

The stylus shank appears to be quite long with a very sharp tip at the end.

It's early days, but this could be the best cartridge I have yet to own? I gather that some of the design technology of Ortofon's very high end cartridges has trickled down to this cartridge? It appears to be a success.

At $899 it is not a cheap cartridge but neither is it obscenely priced like some cartridges these days. This could well turn out to be a value leader in the higher end MC market?

-CB

 

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Ortofon, posted on February 16, 2014 at 10:47:27
hifitommy
Audiophile

Posts: 15387
Location: canyon country califiornia, orig from buffalo ny
Joined: June 9, 2000
 leave it to Ortofon to lead the pack. way too many people associate them with DJ carts but they really have been making excellent units for longer than anybody.

$1k for a MC is not really that high and a good place for someone to dip his toes in the water of moving coils. the line actually starts at $300 and has nominal gradations of price on its way up to the $1000 black.

there's plenty to go for here guys.
...regards...tr

 

RE: Ortofon Quintet Black, posted on February 23, 2014 at 08:11:30
FSonicSmith
Audiophile

Posts: 528
Location: Midwest
Joined: February 18, 2009
 So far, yours in the only post on SQ after mounting. I am sure many of us are now interested in this cartridge, so please, post a follow up and please, if anyone else has this cartridge, post your impressions.

 

RE: Ortofon Quintet Black, posted on February 24, 2014 at 14:18:08
Whitesnake
Audiophile

Posts: 62
Joined: January 21, 2002
 I add my vote for a followup.

It seems that the distributor in Canada is not gonna get any before the end of february. hek we still don`t have the slightest idea of what will the canadian pricing be.

Spec wise it looks like it would be a very good mate to my Aqvox phono and my DP6 Moerch red dot armwand.

 

RE: Ortofon Quintet Black, posted on February 27, 2014 at 08:36:19
ctbarker32
Audiophile

Posts: 289
Location: Kensington, MD
Joined: September 11, 2003
 Okay, I've needed time to listen think and try to put into words what I am hearing. So, a Followup:

First, the factual. the Quintet Black (aka QB) is an excellent tracker. As mentioned before it does not accentuate surface noise so music appears from a gorgeously quiet background. I have left it on the 100 ohms load and have not so far tried other settings. This load sounds pretty right on the mark.

I think if I were to attempt to describe what I am hearing with this cartridge versus others is the QB's ability to delineate all the instruments in the mix with such clarity and dimension. No matter what I throw at it, 40 year old recordings or brand new, I am hearing the space and fullness of each sonic element with great ease.

My previous cartridges I have used include Dynavector 20X2, Benz Micro Glider, Ortofon 2M Black, Audio Technica 150 MLX, Shure M95E with Jico stylus, and many more. I continue to think that the QB is the best cartridge I have owned so far. At this stage I believe I will have a long term relationship with the QB!

I don't know what else people want to know? I have a large vinyl collection so if there is a need to know how a particular album sounds, I can try to accommodate?

-CB

 

RE: Ortofon Quintet Black, posted on February 27, 2014 at 15:15:36
Whitesnake
Audiophile

Posts: 62
Joined: January 21, 2002
 Hi CB,

Thanks for the follow up. You seem to have an experience with two out of three cartridges that i'm currently interested in hearing.
Dynavector 20x2 L
Ortofon SPU N Royal
Ortofon Quintet Black
The Benz carts with specs i'm interested in are out of reach so out of the equation.
ok so now i' running a Sumiko Blackbird which is highly detailed but can`t get bright on extended listening. While I like to keep the detail factor and the 3D projection I'm also looking for a warmer sounding cart with a good extention on both ends.

How would you describe the Dynavector house sound vs the Ortofon QB sound

 

RE: Ortofon Quintet Black, posted on February 27, 2014 at 17:53:09
ctbarker32
Audiophile

Posts: 289
Location: Kensington, MD
Joined: September 11, 2003
 I guess I would say the Dynavector was darker and less extended at the frequency extremes than the QB. So far the QB appears very neutral without obvious peakiness in any particular frequency. It does seem to extend both the lower and upper frequencies compared to my previous cartridges. I am a big fan of ECM jazz recordings and own a significant amount of the ECM catalog on both vinyl and CD. I am pretty addicted to ride cymbals which often are prominent on certain ECM recordings. The QB presents these high frequencies very realistically. I attend enough live music and play guitar so I have a reasonable sense of tonality and instrument realism. Again the QB is doing a stellar job at recreating these sounds. Keep in mind YMMV because our associated equipment will vary so much.

-CB

 

RE: Ortofon Quintet Black, posted on March 1, 2014 at 18:31:39
Whitesnake
Audiophile

Posts: 62
Joined: January 21, 2002
 Can't agree more. Just trying to get a feel of what the Ortofon might sound like vs other carts
Thanks

 

RE: Ortofon Quintet Black, posted on March 2, 2014 at 05:10:00
tketcham
Audiophile

Posts: 6701
Location: East of the 100th meridian USofA
Joined: March 21, 2005
Contributor
  Since: October 1, 2005
 Hi, CB,
I was curious about the Quintet Black because my Dynavector 17D3 will need to be replaced in the next year or so and the price for the QB is basically the same as a replacement 17D3.

Your description of the 20X as somewhat dark is why I upgraded to the 17D3, it's a much livelier cartridge with a more even tonal balance. Your comparison of the Quintet Black with the 20X is similar so I'll be curious to hear what others think about the QB; maybe it's time to try an Ortofon. :-)

Regards,
Tom

 

RE: Ortofon Quintet Black, posted on March 4, 2015 at 16:15:23
Alang07@atlanticbb.net
Audiophile

Posts: 1
Location: Northeast usa
Joined: January 1, 2015
 Hi,

Same table and using the same AT 150 mlx. Is the upgrade to the Quintet worth it, and losing the ability to change tips. Thanks al.

Having issues sending this, hope you did not recieve several

 

RE: Ortofon Quintet Black, posted on March 4, 2015 at 19:09:48
SgreenP@MSN.com
Audiophile

Posts: 3537
Joined: April 23, 2007
 Just wondering how much better the Windfield is....

 

RE: Ortofon Quintet Black, posted on March 5, 2015 at 05:54:32
Garven
Audiophile

Posts: 146
Joined: September 22, 2006
 How's the cantilever, is it centered and straight with respect to the cartridge? I had two 2M Black styli that were aimed to the left of center and slightly twisted so I never able to get them to align properly or sound good on my Xpression II. It made me question just how good Ortofon's QC is.

 

RE: Ortofon Quintet Black, posted on March 5, 2015 at 15:14:31
SgreenP@MSN.com
Audiophile

Posts: 3537
Joined: April 23, 2007
 Good point Gargen....I have a Windfield coming...my second. The first was wired wrong internally...left out of right and V/v. I don't know if the corresponding wires were wrong as well..I do know that my Fozgometer wouldn't work, which made me suspicious. I also had an M something or other years ago that was sent to me with a bent stylus. They sent me another with another bent stylus. We'll see next week if the new Windfield is working as it should.

 

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