The Stylus 5E is the standard replacement stylus for Ortofon's OM 5E moving magnet cartridge, and is interchangeable with every cartridge body in the OM range. The OM Series is Ortofon's lowest-mass moving magnet line, designed for easy mounting and alignment with a clear, loud output that pairs well with most phono stages. The OM name stands for "Optimum Match", reflecting Ortofon's intent for the range to suit a wide variety of turntables.
Stylus Design
The 5E uses a tipped elliptical diamond stylus profile. Elliptical diamonds follow groove modulations more accurately than spherical profiles, improving tracking and reducing distortion across the audible band. Tracking ability measures 65 microns at 315 Hz at the recommended tracking force, and dynamic lateral compliance is 20 micrometres per millinewton. The cantilever is an aluminium tube.
Cartridge Compatibility
The Stylus 5E is recommended as a direct replacement for the OM 5E, OMP 5E, OMB 5E, and OMT 5E cartridges. All cartridges in the OM range share the same stylus fitting, so the Stylus 5E will also clip onto OM-series bodies originally supplied with a Stylus 5, Stylus 10, Stylus 20, Stylus 30, Stylus 40, or Stylus 78 unit, allowing the cartridge to be downgraded or refreshed without replacing the body.
Performance
Output voltage is 4 mV at 1 kHz (5 cm/sec), with channel separation of 22 dB at 1 kHz and 15 dB at 15 kHz, and channel balance within 2 dB. Frequency response is 20 Hz to 20 kHz (plus or minus 2 dB), with extended response from 20 Hz to 25 kHz at minus 3 dB. The recommended tracking force is 1.75 g, within a permitted range of 1.5 to 2.0 g, suiting a wide selection of tonearms.