Ortofon Concorde Music Black MM Phono Cartridge

Ortofon Concorde Black MM Phono Cartridge

The Ortofon Concorde Black MM Phono Cartridge is a high-performance moving magnet cartridge designed for listeners who want to extract greater detail and precision from their vinyl collection. Positioned just below the flagship Concorde Black LVB, it combines a sophisticated Shibata diamond stylus with an upgraded cartridge body, improved internal wiring and carefully optimised construction.

Designed for accurate groove tracking and excellent high-frequency reproduction, the Concorde Black reveals subtle musical details while helping minimise distortion and record wear. Its plug-and-play Concorde design also makes installation straightforward on compatible tonearms.

Shibata Stylus for Detailed Vinyl Playback

At the heart of the Concorde Black is its fine-line Shibata diamond stylus. Compared with more conventional stylus profiles, the Shibata shape provides a larger contact area with the record groove, allowing the cartridge to retrieve more of the information contained within your vinyl.

This extended contact area contributes to accurate high-frequency tracking, improved detail retrieval and reduced distortion. It can also help minimise unnecessary wear to both the stylus and record grooves. When required, the stylus can be replaced, with Shibata styli typically offering a lifespan of around 400 hours depending on usage and record condition.

Enhanced Cartridge Construction

Ortofon has equipped the Concorde Black with an improved body constructed from a Noryl plastic and glass combination. This rigid material helps control unwanted resonance, supporting a cleaner and more precise audio presentation.

The cartridge also incorporates split pole pins designed to reduce eddy currents, while silver-plated internal wires provide improved electrical conductivity. Together, these refinements contribute to the cartridge's detailed and responsive performance.

Convenient Concorde Design

The Concorde Black retains the distinctive integrated design associated with the Concorde range. Its plug-and-play construction makes fitting and changing the cartridge considerably simpler than traditional cartridge mounting systems.

Designed to work with SME-style tonearms, its weight and configuration are suited to a wide range of modern turntables, making it a practical upgrade for vinyl enthusiasts looking for improved playback performance without a complicated installation process.

Moving Magnet Cartridge Technology

The Ortofon Concorde Black uses moving magnet technology, producing an output of approximately 6mV. This relatively high output makes it suitable for use with most standard MM phono stages and phono preamplifiers.

Unlike moving magnet designs, moving coil cartridges place the coils on the cantilever while using a fixed magnet arrangement. This can allow for lower moving mass and excellent tracking performance, although MC cartridges generally produce a lower output and often require more specialised amplification.

The moving magnet design of the Concorde Black provides a practical combination of high-quality vinyl reproduction, compatibility and ease of use.

Choosing the Right Concorde Stylus

The Ortofon Concorde family is available with several stylus profiles, allowing users to select a cartridge according to their performance requirements and budget.

Entry-level models use bonded elliptical stylus profiles, while higher models feature nude elliptical designs and upgraded cartridge engines. At the upper end of the range, Shibata stylus technology provides enhanced groove contact and detailed high-frequency retrieval.

The Concorde Black sits among the premium models, offering the performance benefits of a Shibata stylus in a cartridge designed for straightforward installation.

Phono Preamp Compatibility

With its moving magnet design and approximately 6mV output, the Concorde Black is compatible with a broad range of MM phono stages. If your amplifier does not include a dedicated phono input, an external phono preamplifier can be added between the turntable and amplifier.

A higher-quality phono stage can also help you get the most from a premium cartridge such as the Concorde Black, allowing its detailed stylus and refined cartridge construction to perform at their full potential.

Key Features

• Premium moving magnet phono cartridge for high-quality vinyl playback


• Shibata diamond stylus for accurate groove tracking and detailed reproduction


• Larger groove contact area helps retrieve fine musical information


• Excellent high-frequency tracking performance


• Replaceable stylus design


• Approximate Shibata stylus lifespan of 400 hours


• Rigid Noryl plastic and glass cartridge body


• Construction designed to minimise unwanted resonance


• Split pole pins help reduce eddy currents


• Silver-plated internal wiring for improved conductivity


• Approximately 6mV output


• Compatible with most MM phono stages


• Plug-and-play Concorde design


• Compatible with SME-style tonearms


• Designed for straightforward cartridge installation and replacement