Ortofon Quintet Red Moving Coil Cartridge

The Ortofon Quintet Red is the entry point to Ortofon's Quintet moving coil cartridge series, sitting below the Quintet Blue, Bronze, and the flagship Quintet Black S. Designed as an accessible introduction to MC performance, the Quintet Red delivers the open, dynamic sound characteristic of moving coil designs at a price point that bridges the gap from moving magnet cartridges.

Construction

The Quintet Red uses a lightweight ABS thermoplastic body reinforced with aluminium, a combination chosen for its impact resistance and scratch-resistant finish. The low mass of the body helps to minimise resonance-induced colouration. Internally, the cartridge employs Aucurum-wound coils and neodymium magnets to generate its 0.5mV output. The low internal impedance of 7Ω ensures broad compatibility with MC phono stages and step-up transformers, with a recommended load impedance of just 20Ω or above.

Stylus and Tracking

The Quintet Red is fitted with an elliptical diamond stylus with an r/R tip radius of 8/18µm. Ortofon recommend a tracking force of 2.3g, with an acceptable range of 2.1–2.5g. The dynamic lateral compliance of 15µm/mN makes the Quintet Red well suited to medium-mass tonearms typically found on turntables in this price range. Tracking ability is rated at 65µm at 315Hz.

Performance

The Quintet Red produces an open, dynamic sound with a slight touch of warmth. Channel separation exceeds 21dB at 1kHz, with channel balance within 1.5dB. Frequency response extends from 20Hz to 25kHz (-3dB), covering the full audible range with headroom into the ultrasonic. The cartridge accommodates both standard 5mm and 7mm mounting screws for straightforward installation on the majority of headshells and tonearms.