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Estimated price (community-sourced)
Around — community and catalog average, updates slowly
The Ortofon MC X Series represents a new benchmark in moving coil cartridge design, combining high-end materials and innovative engineering to deliver exceptional analog sound quality. Each cartridge in the series features a Pure Silver Coil System with high-purity silver wire for outstanding signal clarity and detail. The core of the MC X Series is an advanced honeycomb-structured stainless-steel frame created using Metal Injection Molding (MIM) technology, ensuring superior mechanical stability and precise sound reproduction. The cartridges incorporate a newly developed magnet system with a one-piece pole cylinder integrated into a rear magnet yoke, paired with pure silver coils for a clean and powerful signal path. Custom-developed rubber dampers control coil movement, minimizing vibrations and distortion for superior tracking and musical accuracy. The series includes four models differentiated mainly by stylus type and cantilever material: MC X10 (bonded elliptical diamond, aluminum cantilever), MC X20 (nude elliptical diamond, aluminum cantilever), MC X30 (nude Fine Line diamond, aluminum cantilever), and MC X40 (nude Shibata diamond, boron cantilever). All models weigh 8.6 grams, have a recommended tracking force of 2.0 grams, output voltage of 0.4 mV, channel balance of 0.5 dB at 1 kHz, and frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz ±1 dB (±2 dB for MC X10). The MC X40, the flagship model, offers unparalleled transparency, speed, and responsiveness, making it suitable for the most discerning audiophiles.
Phono cartridge specifications
Size, weight, and appearance
Specifications are community-contributed and may not be accurate or complete. Verify all details with the manufacturer before making purchasing decisions. Terms & Conditions
Components that show up alongside the MC X in real systems. A verdict means the pair has been checked for compatibility and headroom — open it to see how the two get along.
The closest alternatives on specs, description and the systems they turn up in, with the specs they share set side by side.
The MC20 Super MkII's output is 0.3 mV against the MC X's 0.4 mV, its tracking force 1.8 g against 2.0 g, and its output impedance 5Ω against 6Ω. Both share compliance (15 cu).
The MC Silver's output is 2.0 mV against the MC X's 0.4 mV. Both share compliance (15 cu), tracking force (2.0 g), and cartridge type (MC).
The Quintet Red's output is 0.5 mV against the MC X's 0.4 mV and its tracking force 2.3 g against 2.0 g. Both share compliance (15 cu) and cartridge type (MC).
The Ultimate Omega's output is 0.2 mV against the MC X's 0.4 mV. Both share compliance (15 cu), tracking force (2.0 g), and cartridge type (MC).
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