If you feel a sense of déjà vu when you first see the most affordable member of Ortofon’s distinguished “Exclusive Series,” you’re not imagining things.
The story of the Ortofon MC 90X actually goes back to 2008 when its great-grandfather, the MC A90, was conceived. At that time, Ortofon’s chief engineer, Leif Johannsen, asked himself – on the occasion of the Danish company’s 90th anniversary – what could be eliminated from a phono cartridge without sacrificing performance. His starting point was the MC Windfeld, named in honor of his predecessor, Per Windfeld. But it soon became clear that simply removing the outer housing parts wasn’t enough.
A completely new type of frame had to be created. Normally, the shape would have to be milled from a single piece of metal, but during development, Johannsen learned of a process called SLM (Selective Laser Melting), which allows even complex structures to be produced in a single step. As he demonstrated to interested customers as well as in interviews, various early prototypes exhibited differing resonance characteristics depending on their shape. Even the final version required additional damping to meet Johannsen’s demanding standards. That damping is provided – just as before – by a small plastic insert that also conceals the delicate wires carrying the minuscule currents from the generator to the terminal pins.
The result was a phono cartridge as purist as it was spectacular – one that broke so fundamentally with Denmark’s traditional cartridge design language that long-time Ortofon fans initially struggled to warm up to its look. Perhaps it was also this design that led some listeners, as Johannsen once noted in a YouTube interview, to describe the MC A90’s sound as “too analytical.”
Apparently, though, there were enough admirers to justify Ortofon releasing a revised version under the name MC 90X. At first glance – aside from its color and lettering – it seems like a clone of the late A90. The carrier frame is once again made of stainless steel, but the weight has increased from 8 to 9.5 grams, suggesting small refinements in shape. The generator still uses a cross-shaped armature wound with Aucurum (high-purity, gold-plated copper wire). Also retained is the well-established FSE (Field Stabilizing Element), along with the compact, high-strength neodymium magnet.
The rubber components of the Wide Range Damping System (WRD) have been modified in unspecified ways, which shows up in the cartridge’s compliance: reduced from 16 µm/mN in the A90 to 11 µm/mN in the 90X. This makes the 90X a perfect match for the heavier tonearms (effective mass >15 g) now back in vogue – and even suitable for very heavy ones (over 20 g). With a recommended tracking force of 23 mN, it tracks a very respectable 70 µm for such low compliance.
Notably, the 90X proves relatively uncritical regarding tonearm or headshell choice – likely thanks to the low-resonance nature of its minimalist housing, which leaves the arm itself with fewer problems to deal with.
With a modest output of 0.25 mV (5 cm/s), a high-quality phono preamp is naturally a must. Ortofon recommends an input impedance of at least 10 ohms; I found it performs beautifully at both 100 and 330 ohms. For the cantilever and stylus, Ortofon relies on the proven combination of a short boron rod tipped with a perfectly polished Replicant 100 diamond. This pairing is likely responsible for the 90X’s extraordinarily quiet groove tracking.
It performs flawlessly even with frequently played records, such as my Stella LP by Yello. “Vicious Games” is as engaging as it is danceable, though the full fun factor doesn’t come through immediately. With a fresh, not yet broken-in MC 90X, everything is kind of there – but the sound still feels a bit stiff. Ten LPs later, you get a completely different picture – one that made me quickly conclude that this newest Danish creation ranks among the most lively cartridges ever to give a guest performance my system. Lightning-fast as it is, it never loses composure. Imaging and tonal neutrality – well-established hallmarks of cartridges from Nakskov – leave absolutely nothing to be desired.
The MC 90X isn’t limited to dynamic pop; it’s also an excellent choice for classical music lovers. One recent test record was Ravel (Warner Classics), where Martha Argerich makes several of the French composer’s works shine in their best light, including the enchanting Adagio assai from the Piano Concerto in G major, accompanied by the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana under Jacek Kaspszyk. And “the best light” is no empty phrase: few pianists exhibit such dazzling virtuosity in Ravel’s piano music as does Argerich. The Ortofon conveys this with an abundance of detail that never feels exaggerated or artificial, allowing the listener to effortlessly perceive even the subtlest nuances in Argerich’s playing.
Another area where the 90X shines is the reproduction of female vocals – a classic challenge for any cartridge. It’s almost superfluous to mention that it excels here too: on Dianne Reeves’s “I Remember Sky,” it performs with the refinement only true top-tier cartridges can deliver.
As for the “analytical” character once attributed to the A90 – I simply can’t hear it in the 90X. It withholds no detail, yet presents everything naturally within a cohesive musical context, never spotlit or overemphasized for its own sake. Only the very best cartridges achieve this delicate balance – and the Ortofon MC 90X is unquestionably among them.
DANISH ALPHABET SOUP
SLM stands for Selective Laser Melting, a process in which a laser beam fuses metal powder particles into a three-dimensional structure. It’s roughly comparable to modern 3D printing, except that thermoplastic polymers are replaced by metal.
FSE abbreviates Field Stabilizing Element: a conductive ring surrounding the generator coils that keeps the magnetic field parallel regardless of armature position, thereby minimizing dynamic distortion and improving channel separation.
WRD (Wide Range Damping) has been an Ortofon hallmark for decades. It refers to the specialized damper that supports the moving-coil armature. It consists of three elements – two rings made from different rubber compounds joined by a ring of heavy metal (gold or platinum). This arrangement damps both high and low frequencies more evenly than a single rubber ring could. As usual with Ortofon, the rubber parts are pre-aged to ensure their characteristics remain stable for many years.
Ortofon LH-9000 Headshell
In addition to its vast range of cartridges, Ortofon also offers numerous headshells. For the MC 90X, the Danes specifically recommend the LH-9000, a classically shaped model made primarily from a magnesium alloy. A rectangular carbon-fiber inlay on the underside helps suppress any residual resonance. The headshell, fitted with high-quality leads and a gold-plated bayonet mount, weighs 16.4 grams and retails for €199.
Accompanying Equipment
Turntable: Technics SL-1200MK2 | Drive units: Dr. Feickert Analogue Woodpecker, Linn Sondek LP12 (Majik) | Tonearm: Linn Ittok LV II/2 | Headshells: Audio-Technica MS-8, Ortofon LH-6000, Technics | Cartridges: Denon DL-103, Linn Adikt, Ortofon Concorde R, Ortofon Jubilee, Ortofon Vero Special, Transrotor Uccello | Phono preamp: Lehmannaudio Decade | Network tuner: Onkyo NS-6170 | Preamplifier: Bryston BPS-25MC | Power amplifier: Linn LK100 | Headphones: Sony MDR-1 RNC | Passive speakers: Naim Credo | Active speakers: Neumann KH 310 A | Speaker stands: Millenium BS-1100 | Rack: DIY | Cables: Sommer Cable | Accessories: Clearaudio Professional Analogue Toolkit
Ortofon MC 90X Phono Cartridge
Type: Moving Coil (MC) | Special features: Minimalist stainless steel SLM body | Cantilever: Boron rod | Stylus: Replicant 100 | Compliance: 11 µm/mN (10 Hz) | Recommended tracking force: 23 mN | Recommended tonearm mass: Medium to very heavy (>12 g) | Output voltage: 0.25 mV (1 kHz, 5 cm/s) | Internal impedance: 4 Ω | Recommended load impedance: >10 Ω | Weight: 9.5 g | Warranty: 2 years | Price: €4,999 (repair €2,500; trade-in credit for a new MC 90X or higher model: €1,249.75)
Ortofon
Stavangervej 9
4900 Nakskov
Denmark
Phone: +49 8441 805411