New Ortofon "Concorde Music" Cartridges

[petebone]

For DJ / slip-cueing (i.e. rugged) or Hifi listening?

Hi-fi listening.

 

[petebone]

Just bumping this thread. I have the red version and it sounds great. The only thing I have noticed is that the stylus picks up grime pretty quickly. I am wondering if it's just eating up the vinyl more than other cartridges/styluses that I have owned.

 

[DSJR]

Just bumping this thread. I have the red version and it sounds great. The only thing I have noticed is that the stylus picks up grime pretty quickly. I am wondering if it's just eating up the vinyl more than other cartridges/styluses that I have owned.

It's probably picking up crunge your previous stylus pushed out of the way

I've recently acquired a low-hours OM30 stylus to go with my 'Super OM' body which originally had an OM10 stylus. I used to regard the OM10 as a bit 'scrappy and bright,' but not this one so much (it's more like an AT [VM] 95E standard, a tiny bit closed in up top). The OM30 seems neutral and basically honest as my V15 III surprisingly is - I used to find the VN35E stylus a little hard toned, but it's surprisingly close to 'digital' in tonal balance - but the Super OM30 is ever so slightly 'sweeter' if anything without losing hf, but not as 'nice/bland' as my old ADC ZLM in comparison, or bass-heavy as my Ortofon M20FL-Super is in this deck. I only got this stylus as a cheap attempt to try to lift the vinyl a little bit without a major upgrade which I couldn't afford anyway.

Maybe the styli in the new models are effectively the same as the 2M range, but the OM versions recommended 1.5g tracking for most of them I recall

OM Series

OM 3E, 5E, 10, 20, 30 and 40 technical data Technical data OM 3E OM 5E OM 10 OM 20 OM 30 OM 40 Output voltage at 1000 Hz, 5cm/sec. 4 mV 4 mV 4 mV 4 mV 3.5 mV 3.5 mV Channel balance at 1 kHz/dB 2,0 2,0 2,0 1,5 1,0 1,0 Channel separation at 1 kHz/dB 22 22 22 25 25 27 Frequency response...

ortofon.com

Yep, the new Concorde Music range have 1.8g tracking force and a lower compliance and tracking ability it appears, not that the 2Ms are bad in this at all. I wonder if the original OM styli won't be quietly phased out once stocks are depleted.

 

[petebone]

It's probably picking up crunge your previous stylus pushed out of the way

I've recently acquired a low-hours OM30 stylus to go with my 'Super OM' body which originally had an OM10 stylus. I used to regard the OM10 as a bit 'scrappy and bright,' but not this one so much (it's more like an AT [VM] 95E standard, a tiny bit closed in up top). The OM30 seems neutral and basically honest as my V15 III surprisingly is - I used to find the VN35E stylus a little hard toned, but it's surprisingly close to 'digital' in tonal balance - but the Super OM30 is ever so slightly 'sweeter' if anything without losing hf, but not as 'nice/bland' as my old ADC ZLM in comparison, or bass-heavy as my Ortofon M20FL-Super is in this deck. I only got this stylus as a cheap attempt to try to lift the vinyl a little bit without a major upgrade which I couldn't afford anyway.

Maybe the styli in the new models are effectively the same as the 2M range, but the OM versions recommended 1.5g tracking for most of them I recall

OM Series

OM 3E, 5E, 10, 20, 30 and 40 technical data Technical data OM 3E OM 5E OM 10 OM 20 OM 30 OM 40 Output voltage at 1000 Hz, 5cm/sec. 4 mV 4 mV 4 mV 4 mV 3.5 mV 3.5 mV Channel balance at 1 kHz/dB 2,0 2,0 2,0 1,5 1,0 1,0 Channel separation at 1 kHz/dB 22 22 22 25 25 27 Frequency response...

ortofon.com

Yep, the new Concorde Music range have 1.8g tracking force and a lower compliance and tracking ability it appears, not that the 2Ms are bad in this at all. I wonder if the original OM styli won't be quietly phased out once stocks are depleted.

I started playing a record this morning and maybe it was due to the gunk, but the needle just slid completely across my record. Ugh. I may just go back to my Pro S. Those are pretty basic but they work well and the sound isn't bad at all.

 

[DSJR]

I started playing a record this morning and maybe it was due to the gunk, but the needle just slid completely across my record. Ugh. I may just go back to my Pro S. Those are pretty basic but they work well and the sound isn't bad at all.

I have the silver 'OM Pro' and its rather sibilant at the recommended 4g playing weight (used in a not low mass tonearm as well). The OMs are far better up top really, I'd suggest.

The AT 607 stylus cleaning fluid/brush works so well and safely I think, on most styli and I've used this for many decades now (certainly since the 80s and maybe before). Linn used to supply some 3M green rough-sided sheets, which could be cut into strips and used back to front either side to remove some of the dirt from the stylus. The AT fluid does seem able to soften any stuck-on gunk which said green strips couldn't get and neither a dry brush on its own.

 

[ban25]

I have the silver 'OM Pro' and its rather sibilant at the recommended 4g playing weight (used in a not low mass tonearm as well). The OMs are far better up top really, I'd suggest.

The AT 607 stylus cleaning fluid/brush works so well and safely I think, on most styli and I've used this for many decades now (certainly since the 80s and maybe before). Linn used to supply some 3M green rough-sided sheets, which could be cut into strips and used back to front either side to remove some of the dirt from the stylus. The AT fluid does seem able to soften any stuck-on gunk which said green strips couldn't get and neither a dry brush on its own.

That's a DJ cartridge, isn't it? I would imagine 4g tracking force is only required for scratching/backcueing.

 

[J.M. Noble]

Just bumping this thread. I have the red version and it sounds great. The only thing I have noticed is that the stylus picks up grime pretty quickly. I am wondering if it's just eating up the vinyl more than other cartridges/styluses that I have owned.

It might be luck of the draw on the records. I've been forced to clean my 2M Blue stylus up to two or three times a side while working my way through an old Walter Kraft boxed set of the complete organ works of J.S. Bach. The tip has so much hard gunk on it that it looks like a banana under the microscope!

 

[DSJR]

That's a DJ cartridge, isn't it? I would imagine 4g tracking force is only required for scratching/backcueing.

It doesn't track anything much below that. 4g is quite safe for a .7 thou conical tip.

 

[restorer-john]

Unfortunately, a look at the specs shows that these systems, at 18g, are once again too heavy for many vintage Technics HiFi decks, im my case a SL-Q3.

The early Concordes released for HiFi were ironically, too light. But they did have limited overhang adjustment with a hex nut and could be slid in and out of the bayonet mount a few mm.

 

[restorer-john]

The only thing I have noticed is that the stylus picks up grime pretty quickly.

It's more obvious with a Concorde due to the entire cantilever being so visible. A normal cartridge/stylus assembly under a headshell is harder to see the dust and crap build up in real time.

 

[Neil74]

Just bumping this thread. I have the red version and it sounds great. The only thing I have noticed is that the stylus picks up grime pretty quickly. I am wondering if it's just eating up the vinyl more than other cartridges/styluses that I have owned.

Bump again. I have just got the music bronze and too have noticed that it seems to pick up a lot of crap, so interested as to whether this is quirk of the Concorde Music as opposed to a potential fault.

Someone else suggested to me that it could be indicative of a damaged stylus and the gunk is actually the record being shaved and not fluff/gunk which has me worried. Having said that I think it sounds great and I would think any such damage would be audible?

The other cart I have for my GR2 is the VM540ML and I also have a P3 Anniversay with ND5 so that is my compariosn

 

[Thomas_A]

Bump again. I have just got the music bronze and too have noticed that it seems to pick up a lot of crap, so interested as to whether this is quirk of the Concorde Music as opposed to a potential fault.

Someone else suggested to me that it could be indicative of a damaged stylus and the gunk is actually the record being shaved and not fluff/gunk which has me worried. Having said that I think it sounds great and I would think any such damage would be audible?

The other cart I have for my GR2 is the VM540ML and I also have a P3 Anniversay with ND5 so that is my compariosn

You can try inspecting it with a USB microscope. If it is really damaged you would hear noise/distortion as well. The Ortofon fine-line stylus is differently shaped vs. the microline, and would not be surprised if it picks up a bit of dust.

https://thevinylfactory.com/features/needle-work-incredible-photos-of-turntable-styli-under-the-microscope/

 

[Aero]

The early Concordes released for HiFi were ironically, too light. But they did have limited overhang adjustment with a hex nut and could be slid in and out of the bayonet mount a few mm.

They were light because they were designed for low effective mass tonearms. These Concords had high compliance 30-35 /10 Hz

Current Concords are stiff and are designed for heavy tonearms
They have no adjustment.
Poor product.

 

[Neil74]

I dug out the Pro-ject sweep-it that I have not used in ages for a few records and. when I used it there was no gunk, so maybe I have my answer?