Ortofon Xpression MC Cartridge

Description

The Ortofon Xpression High-End cartridge

The state of the art product, the Ortofon Xpression represents a combination of three elements very characteristic for Ortofon:

• The cutting edge SLM materials technology pioneered by the MC A90 and SPU 90th Anniversary
• Modification of the generator system introduced with the MC A90 andthe MC Windfeld
• Ortofon design tradition

Utilising these three elements we created a new product in order to support our customers of the SPU cartridges and Ortofon tonearms.

The Xpression cartridge bridges the gap between the SPU-type cartridges and High-End cartridgeslike the MC A90 and the MC Windfeld designed for headshell mounting. The result is a high-performance moving coil cartridge with the convenience of a standard headshell connector, which provides a simple and elegant method of directly connecting the generator and tonearm via the Xpression’s one-piece body.

Since the cartridge length is identical to that of an SPU, the Xpression can easily be fitted onto tonearms without additional concern for proper alignment.

The cartridge height is likewise identical to the SPU height, which makes further VTA adjustments unnecessary.
The length of the cartridge ensures proper match with the SME-mount type tonearms, e.g. SME, Grace, Fidelity Research, SAEC and Micro Seiki brands. Additionally, the mass and compliance properties of the Xpression ensure that a proper match will be achieved with any SPU-compatible arm.
The Xpression can ideally be combined withthe TA-110 and TA-210 tonearms. The combination of Xpression, TA-110/TA-210 andST-80 SE MC transformergives a supreme experience!

Finally, the Xpression features a Boron Cantilever and a specialpolished Replicant 100 diamond, found also in the MC A90 and the MC Windfeld cartridges, providing more responsive and transparent sound reproduction.

High-end materials benefit new coil technology

Using expensive Aucurum coils of gold-plated, 6NX oxygen free copper allows for zero-loss transmission of the diamonds movements via its boron cantilever. This combination combines low moving mass with an extremely high degree of rigidity.

The specially designed armature achieves an extreme precision in each coil turn in all layers. This enables the Xpression to obtain a higher degree of channel separation, while simultaneously offering lower distortion and better channel balance. A low output impedance of 4 Ohm and a medium output voltage of 0.3 mV make the Ortofon Xpression a perfect partner for most phono preamps and step-up transformers, including the new Ortofon ST-80 SE.

Design

The presentation of the Ortofon Xpression is a continuation of the new paradigm in engineering and manufacturing introduced by the MC A90. Because total freedom from resonance in the audible frequency range is a precondition for optimal sound quality, the design of the Xpression has been dictated by the complete elimination of unwanted resonance. Arguably the most exciting development in the Xpression is the introduction of our custom SLM manufacturing process.

The bottom cover has been constructed from a special proprietary TPE (Thermo-Plastic Elastomer) material, which provides extremely high damping. Also included is an easy-to-grab finger lift as well as a simple-to-use stylus guard.

When combined with Ortofon’s world-class knowledge in analogue sound reproduction, the Xpression will undoubtedly provide sound which is literally unsurpassed and simply has to be experienced.