Ortofon
Ortofon was founded on 9 October 1918 in Copenhagen, Denmark, by engineers Axel Petersen and Arnold Poulsen under the name the Electrical Phono Film Company. The founders initially focused on synchronising sound with moving pictures, developing the Petersen and Poulsen System for sound film. As the company evolved, it redirected its expertise toward gramophone equipment, and in 1947 the trading subsidiary Ortofon A/S was formally established.
In 1948, Ortofon introduced the AB, its first moving coil magnetic cartridge — an innovation that positioned the company at the forefront of phono cartridge technology. The first Stereo Pick-Up, the SPU, followed in 1959, designed specifically for the growing market in stereo records. Further milestones include the introduction of the Variable Magnetic Shunt (VMS) system in 1969, a redesigned DJ-focused Concorde pickup in 1979, and the 2M series launched in 2007.
Ortofon today is recognised as the world's largest producer of magnetic cartridges for phonograph turntables, selling approximately 500,000 cartridges annually. The product range spans moving magnet and moving coil designs across series including the OM, 2M, Concorde, MC Cadenza, MC Quintet, SPU, and VNL. The company also produces tonearms, step-up transformers, and accessories, and maintains a repair and exchange service.
