The Ortofon Stylus 5S is the factory replacement stylus for the OM 5S moving magnet cartridge, sitting at the entry point of Ortofon's OM cartridge range. The 5S uses a spherical diamond mounted on an aluminium tube cantilever, providing a robust and economical solution for vinyl playback.
Stylus Profile
The 18 µm spherical tip is the simplest and most durable diamond profile Ortofon produces. Spherical contact reduces sensitivity to alignment and tracking force variation compared with elliptical or line-contact tips, making the 5S a forgiving choice for entry-level turntables and a sensible spare for owners who want to keep an in-warranty stylus on hand. The aluminium tube cantilever maintains a rigid, lightweight link between the diamond and the cartridge generator.
Compatibility
The Stylus 5S is the official replacement for the OM 5S and OM 1S cartridge bodies. Because all OM series styli share the same fitting, the 5S is also mechanically interchangeable with other OM cartridge bodies, although fitting it to a higher-tier body (OM 10, OM 20, OM 30 or OM 40) will not unlock the performance of those generators. The natural upgrade path from the 5S is to the elliptical Stylus 5E, which fits the same OM 5S body without any other change.
Tracking and Setup
Ortofon recommends a tracking force of 1.75 g, with an acceptable range of 1.5 to 2.0 g. The stylus has a tracking angle of 20° and a dynamic lateral compliance of 20 µm/mN, suiting medium-mass tonearms commonly fitted to Pro-Ject, Rega and similar entry-level decks. Recommended electrical loading is 47,000 Ω with 200 to 500 pF capacitance, which is the standard moving magnet phono input specification.