The Ortofon OM 5S sits at the entry point of the OM 5 Series, a three-model range comprising the OM 5S, OM 5E, and Super OM 5E. The OM 5 Series is the lowest-mass family of moving magnet cartridges in Ortofon's catalogue, intended for general-purpose vinyl playback on home turntables fitted with a standard headshell or a fixed cartridge mount.
Spherical Stylus
The OM 5S is fitted with a spherical diamond stylus of 18 micrometre tip radius. Spherical profiles are robust, simple to align, and economical to replace, making the cartridge a practical choice for everyday listening and a forgiving partner for older or worn records. The recommended tracking force is 1.8 g, sitting within a 1.5 to 2.0 g working range.
Upgrade Path
The OM 5S body accepts every stylus in the OM 5 family. Upgrading the cartridge is a matter of swapping in a higher-tier stylus rather than replacing the entire cartridge: a step up to the elliptical Stylus 5E, or further to the 10, 20, 30, 40, and 78 styli, transforms the cartridge without disturbing alignment. The replacement spherical stylus is the Stylus 5S.
Tonearm Compatibility
A small removable weight plate is built into the top of the mounting bracket. Left in place, the cartridge suits standard medium-mass tonearms; removed, the body weight drops to 2.5 g, matching the requirements of low-mass tonearms. The body is designed for both top-mount and bottom-mount headshells.
Electrical Loading
The OM 5S is specified for a recommended load resistance of 47 kOhm and a load capacitance of 200 to 500 pF, conditions met by the great majority of moving-magnet phono inputs and standalone phono stages.