Ortofon

Ortofon is a Danish manufacturer of electronic audio equipment. It is the world's largest producer of magnetic cartridges for phonograph turntables, with 500,000 cartridges sold annually.[1]

Ortofon
IndustryAudio equipment
Founded1918 (1918)
Founder
    • Arnold Poulsen
    • Axel Petersen
Headquarters
Denmark
WebsiteOfficial website

The company was founded by engineers Arnold Poulsen and Axel Petersen in 1918. Initially focusing on sound film technology, Ortofon began to diversify into gramophone record playback and cutting equipment towards the end of World War II. The firm pioneered the use of moving coil technology in phonograph equipment; the first cutting head based on this technology was introduced in 1945.[2] Ortofon's first moving coil magnetic cartridge, the AB model,[3] was launched in 1948, and similar variations of that product are still manufactured today due to demand from enthusiasts.[1] 1959 the first Stereo Pick-Up SPU, which aimed at professionals, appeared.[4] This pick-up is produced in different versions until today, for example SPU Meister in 1992, SPU 95th Anniversary in 2015.[4] When Ortofon turned 80 years old, the MC Jubilee was introduced; first time Ortofon used a metal housing manufactured with Metal injection molding.[4][5] 2000, on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the death of the composer Johann Sebastian Bach, a MC-Series "Kontrapunkt" was presented. The models were named b, a, c, and h, wherein the b has a cantilever made of ruby.[6] For the frame of the housing stainless steel was used. Successor of these pickups became the Cadenza-series in 2009.[7] Regarding the cantilever the Anna Diamond that appeared in 2019 should be mentioned: its cantilever is made of diamond.[8]

The first Moving magnet-pickup M-15 was launched in 1969; here Ortofon used first time the Variable Magnetic Shunt (VMS) generating system which is patented and used until the 1980s too.[9] In 1979 Ortofon presented the DJ-pickup Concorde in a new unusual design.[4] 2007 Ortofon introduced the moving magnet-series 2M. Its design of the housing remembers facets of a diamond; it was created in collaboration with the Dane Moeller Jensen.[4][10] 2018 the 2nd generation of the Concorde was released.[4]

DJs currently account for three-quarters of Ortofon's cartridge sales, the remainder being sold for audiophile and consumer audio use.[1] Low-cost Ortofon cartridges, such as the OM-5E, are often supplied as standard on budget-priced consumer turntables, including the Pro-Ject Debut range. The Ortofon OM series stylus assemblies are interchangeable, allowing users to easily mount a more expensive stylus on a cheaper cartridge.

The 2020 presented Revox Studiomaster T700 is delivered with an Quintet Bronze MC.[11]

Company since 2004

In 2004 the company was taken over by a group of private investors.[12]

Since 2010 there is Ortofon Microtech, that manufactures custom-made high-precision TPE and Technical Rubber components and components for Hearing Aids industry.[13][14] In the year 2013 Ortofon Microtech consequently got certified for ISO 13485.[4]

Selection of pickups
  • OM-series
    (since 1981)[4]
  • OM-series, here with yellow DJ slide-in
  • Ortofon Concorde, type Pro
  • Ortofon 2M, type blue (since 2007)[4]
  • Quintet MC-series
    (since 2013)[4]
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See also

References
  1. "Vinyl records are solid gold for Ortofon". Denmark.dk. July 2, 2003. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved 2006-12-04.
  2. "Company profile". Ortofon. Archived from the original on 2006-11-21. Retrieved 2006-12-04.
  3. "Those Were The Days: Ortofon A/B, SPU, Decca London and Tannoy VariTwin Phono Cartridges". SoundFountain. November 12, 2004. Retrieved 2006-12-04.
  4. ortofon.com, timeline, retrieved 2020-05-03.
  5. connect.de 23 June 2009, Tonabnehmer Ortofon Windfeld (German), retrieved 2020-05-06.
  6. Kontrapunkt, catalogue (PDF, 773 kB), retrieved 2020-05-04.
  7. positive-feedback.com, 2018-10-07, Ortofon Cadenza Blue Cartridge, retrieved 2020-05-04.
  8. whathifi.com 2019-06-03, Ortofon's new cartridge king is £7250 MC Anna Diamond, retrieved 2020-05-05.
  9. ortofon.com, VMS 30 MkII, 20E MkII, 10E MkII, 5E MkII & 3E MkII (with explanation of VMS), retrieved 2020-05-06.
  10. LP 4/2008 (PDF, 2,7 MB; German), retrieved 2020-05-04.
  11. Stereo.de, 2020-03-02, Revox Studiomaster T700 (German), retrieved 2020-05-03.
  12. openpr.com, 2006-06-11, World's market leader in turntable cartridges to buy electronics in Cologne, retrieved 2020-05-03. (Link in release)
  13. https://www.ortofon.com/microtech/ , retrieved 2020-05-04.
  14. Fidelity online 2013-08-04, Inside Ortofon (German), retrieved 2020-05-04.
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