One of the Ten "Best Cartridges 2020" – What Hi-fi? Magazine
"Otofon Has Hit Upon a Magic Formula"
Ortofon's Quintet Blue will bring more space, depth, and detail into the sound of your LPs and is a very good choice for any kind of music, especially rhythmic. It features a Nude Elliptical diamond mounted on an aluminum cantilever. The Quintet Blue's sound image will tend to more smooth reproduction compared to Quintet Red and moderate dynamic strength compared to Quintet Bronze.
England's What Hi-fi? magazine honored the Ortofon Quintet Blue by naming it as one of the ten "Best Cartridges 2020." According to the article, "The Blue is a true five-star product: simple to fit, not too heavy, so easy to balance out, and capable of a sound that's worth every penny… It's an agile sound, with a high level of sonic precision that's brimming with detail. Plenty of refinement is evident too, and it's rhythmically surefooted with a good sense of attack."
"It offers the most comprehensive and enjoyable performance with all music, showing Ortofon has clearly hit upon another magic formula," reports Andrew Simpson in Hi-fi Choice magazine, October 2014.
"The Quintet Blue has few faults, particularly at its price point. Todd Bromgard, TNT USA, October 2015. "I have been listening to the Quintet Blue for several months and it continues to be a satisfying performer. Highly recommended!"
The Quintet Story
Nothing demonstrates Ortofon's long-standing resilience more than its commitment to the refinement of analog sound quality and its continued development of new cartridge models. Since 1948 Ortofon has introduced about 100 different moving coil models. Ortofon believes that the cartridges in this new series are more than worthy successors to the long line of models that has made Ortofon the global leader in the manufacture and supply of phono cartridges.
The MC Quintet Series is congruent with Ortofon's unrelenting commitment to providing the most precise and accurate reproduction possible without coloration. A special ABS (Acrylonitrile/Butadiene/Styrene) thermoplastic material is used for manufacturing of the body. This lightweight, impact resistant material is very suitable for injection molding and provides a very durable scratch resistant surface. Neodymium magnets are implemented to achieve an optimal output. Low internal impedance makes the cartridge less sensitive to load and therefore ensures compatibility with the widest range of preamps and transformers.
The Quintet Product Line
Each of the five Quintet Series cartridges has its own individual sonic expression, and all five models together represent the ensemble of five classic variations.
The MC Quintet Mono is a true mono cartridge for playing mono microgroove vinyl records. The MC Quintet Red is an all-purpose cartridge that delivers open, dynamic sound with a slight touch of warmth. The MC Quintet Blue adds more dynamics and resolution, sounds more open and reproduces more details. The MC Quintet Bronze adds even more details and resolution but in a very evenhanded way that pays respect to all elements. The MC Quintet Black S is the best of everything, true to the groove with resolution and accurate insight into each recording.
Easy to Install and Use
Top mounting of the Quintet cartridges is easy and secure using the screws supplied. The aluminum frame has threaded mounting holes and is fitted easily with the 5mm or 7mm screws, depending on the thickness of the headshell.
The Quintet series' right angles, straight lines, stylus visibility, and ample distance between the record surface and the cartridge's bottom will make it easy to mount and align the cartridge and tonearm correctly. The Quintet Series gives excellent results with most widely used tonearms.
