The Ortofon MC Quintet Bronze sits in the upper tier of Ortofon's Quintet moving coil cartridge series, positioned between the Quintet Blue and the flagship Quintet Black S. Where the Blue uses a nude elliptical stylus, the Bronze steps up to a nude Fine Line diamond with an 8/40 µm tip radius — a narrower contact area that traces higher-frequency groove modulations with reduced distortion and record wear.
Stylus and Cantilever
The nude Fine Line diamond is mounted on an aluminium tube cantilever. The slim profile of the Fine Line tip allows it to track even the finest groove detail, extending the frequency range to 25 kHz at −3 dB. Recommended tracking force is 2.3 g, with an acceptable range of 2.1–2.5 g. Dynamic lateral compliance is rated at 15 µm/mN, making the Bronze compatible with a wide range of medium-mass tonearms.
Body Construction
The cartridge body combines a lightweight ABS outer shell with an aluminium core. This dual-material approach keeps the total weight to 9 g while providing a rigid mounting platform for the generator assembly. The body is finished in the series’ signature bronze colour.
Electrical Characteristics
Output voltage is 0.3 mV at 1 kHz (5 cm/sec), which requires a dedicated moving coil phono stage or a phono preamplifier with an MC input. Internal impedance is 5 Ω and the recommended load impedance is greater than 20 Ω. Channel separation is specified at greater than 23 dB at 1 kHz and greater than 15 dB at 15 kHz, with channel balance within 1.2 dB.
Range Position
The Quintet series comprises four colour-coded models plus a mono variant: Red, Blue, Bronze, and Black S, each stepping up in stylus refinement and resolving power. The Bronze bridges the gap between the mid-range Blue and the top-tier Black S, offering a significant upgrade in high-frequency tracking and detail retrieval without the full cost of the flagship. It is an ideal step for listeners moving from moving magnet cartridges into serious moving coil territory, or for those looking to extract more from a quality turntable and tonearm combination.