About The Ortofon MC Cadenza Red Moving Coil Cartridge
The Ortofon Cadenza Red is a great way to get into this superb series of moving coil cartridges from Ortofon. It delivers open, dynamic sound with a touch of warmth that makes music come alive.
If you're here on this page, we want to congratulate you because obviously you are serious about your music and by extension your audio gear. Moving Coil cartridges are the pinnacle when it comes to performance and even though Cadenza Red is the entry-point into the Cadenza world, it is at an incredibly high level and naturally the price should help reinforce this point.
However, choosing the right cartridge for a turntable is not a science where you just compare prices and specifications! Not only does your Turntable and Tonearm play a part, but so does your other gear and even more importantly YOU and what you are looking for in actual sound reproduction. This is where we come in. Several of our staff members have had individually over 30 years experience with audio and are pro-analogue! They know their stuff and probably yours also so are in a good position to advise on the best combination. So please give Andrew, Mark or Wes a call to discuss various options including the Ortofon MC Cadenza Red. And make sure you read the review summaries further down the page.
A Closer Look At The Cadenza
Cadenza (from Italian: meaning cadence) refers to a portion of a concert in which the orchestra stops playing, leaving the soloist to play alone in free time, without a strict, regular pulse. A cadenza can be written or improvised. It's usually the most elaborate and virtuosic part the solo instrument plays during the whole piece. At the end of the cadenza, the orchestra re-enters, and generally finishes off the movement. During the 19th century, composers began to write cadenzas out in full. Others wrote cadenzas for works, where the composer had intended for the solo to be improvised, in order for the soloist to have a well formed solo that they could practice in advance. Some of these have become so widely played and sung that they are effectively a part of the standard repertoire.
Ortofon are constantly looking for new technology to be used in their products and push the performance of existing technology. Thus they assure the highest level of performance and quality. The Kontrapunkt models and MC Jubilee became market standards and are among their most popular cartridges. Nevertheless Ortofon decided to develop a new cartridge series that is even more ambitious. By carefully implementing cobalt-iron pole pieces, new improved winding process on the armature, using extruded aluminium housing in the models as well as other changes, they have been able to reveal new possibilities in extracting the analogue information.
The sound picture of the Ortofon Cadenza Red is relaxed, homogeneous and moderately dynamic along with great space and depth in the stereo image. The Cadenza Red model includes a Nude Fine Line stylus with a cylindrical aluminium cantilever. The stylus tip radius is r/R 8/40 µm. The coils are made from 6NX (99.9999 %) pure silver wire. An improved winding process on the armature allows a better channel balance.
Cadenza Red In The News
"... in the case of the Ortofon Cadenza Red, I can tell you without a doubt that you are getting what you pay for, of that I am 100% certain. My first impression of the Cadenza Red is this cartridge has an astonishingly natural portrayal of the midrange, and this sole characteristic would make it worth owning...There is indeed a separation between good and great moving coil cartridges, and the Cadenza Red is certainly in the field where the excellent ones reside in...The Cadenza Red is never a cartridge that is in a hurry so to speak, as it encourages a person to experience every facet of an album, and enjoy it on many different levels...The Red is intended to be liquid, refined, flowing, with a slightly burnished warmth that is easy to get hooked on...The design team at Ortofon has done a splendid job voicing the Cadenza Red, and creating a cartridge that is inviting and easy to listen to, yet capable of presenting the entire palette of shading and texture that may be captured in a recording. This cartridge is a wonderful find for those hobbyists who value an emotionally involving listening experience, where the highlights are tone, harmonic density, and a rich presentation..." Positive Feedback August 2016
"... I was quite surprised at the detail and sophistication of the first in line Ortofon Cadenza (Red) moving coil. ...it does extract a ton of detail and shades the detail with expression and accurate dynamics...As audiophiles we're always looking for the proverbial veil lifting in front of the stage. The Red did just that. More importantly, the cartridge has a very sweet disposition. All carts add their own voices, and some, too many. The sweetness here is tactile. Massed violins had weight and sheen, and a presence that only well designed analogue allows..Bass was emphatic. Deep and with the resonances that make it such a satisfying musical component...The midrange is always the most elusive to capture, especially voices... The balance is right on so many of their carts. The Red is wonderfully in balance, nothing jars, nothing compresses. You'll get the air and the musical presence...I really like this cartridge. For the price, a favourite moving coil..." Audiophilie May 2016.
"...From the start, the Cadenza Red dispensed an air of calm. It was tonally neutral, with a smooth and natural mid and treble...Bass was accurate, extended and open-sounding, helping the cartridge's ability to offer realistic stereo perspectives..." Hi-Fi News July 2012 Group Test
Main Features & Specifications
- Design: Moving Coil Phono Cartridge
- Frequency Range at -3 dB: 20 - 50.000Hz
- Frequency Response: 20-20.000 Hz - +3/-1 dB
- Tracking ability at 315 Hz at recommended tracking force *): 80 μm
- Compliance, Dynamic, Lateral: 12 μm/mN
- Stylus Type: Nude Fine Line on an Aluminium cantilever
- Stylus Tip Radius: r/R 8/40 μm
- Tracking Force Range: 2.2-2.7 grams (22-27 mN)
- Tracking Force Recommended: 2.5 grams (25 mN)
- Tracking Angle: 20º
- Output Voltage at 1 kHz 5 cm/sec: 0.45 mV
- Channel Balance:< 1.5 dB
- Channel Separation at 1 kHz: > 23 dB
- Channel Separation at 15 kHz: > 15 dB
- Internal Impedance, DC Resistance: 5 Ohm
- Recommended Load Impedance: 50-500 Ohm
- Cartridge Body Material: Stainless Steel Aluminium
- Cartridge Colour: Red/Black
- Cartridge Weight: 10.7 grams
- Manufacturer's Warranty: 2 Years Against Manufacturing & Materials Defects
Note: Features & Specifications Subject To Change Without Notice. E&OE.