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Ortofon MC Windfeld Ti

Cartridge

Relative price

above typical

Among the 89 cartridges in the catalogue, this one is above typical.

A band places a component against its peers and carries no price. It is deliberately the only price indicator on this page: a second one, measured against a different set, would narrow the two together far enough to give the figure away.

What it is

Ortofon "Exclusive Series" reference MC — sits above Cadenza Black and below Verismo / MC Anna. Named in tribute to Per Windfeld, Ortofon's former chief engineer.

Factory-fitted on SME Synergy MK2 turntable system — SME selected it specifically because its 13 µm/mN compliance and 11g body pair perfectly with the SME Series IV tonearm's 11g effective mass (giving a 9.5 Hz resonance — squarely in the ideal 8-12 Hz window). The Aucurum (gold-plated 6NX OFC) coils + Replicant 100 stylus on boron cantilever is the top-tier Ortofon MC voicing without the four-figure premium of Verismo.

Tracking sweet-spot range: 9-12 inch arms with 8-19g effective mass. Compatible with most modern high-end tonearms including SME Series IV/V, Ortofon TA-110/210, and Linn Ekos SE.

Competition record

Assessed against 17 rivals across the sixty systems: it takes the slot in none of its 120 head-to-heads.

Where it gives ground

The dimension the engine names as the weakest link, counted across every head-to-head it lost.

  • bass control ×63
  • rhythmic grip ×46
  • quietness at rest ×32
  • low-level clarity ×15
  • speed stability ×12

Who it comes up against

van den Hul The Frog

38 lost · Anchored, Artisan, BBC Sound, Cavity-Native, Characterful, Intimate, PRaT, Reference, Romantic, Twin Arms

Against the Anchored brief, the van den Hul The Frog keeps the slot decisively.

With the Vertere Groove Runner X, the pairing gives up most on bass control.

With the Musical Fidelity M8x Vinyl, the pairing gives up most on quietness at rest.

On its own merits the Ortofon MC Windfeld Ti is the weaker cartridge for that brief.

boron cantileverOrtofon Windfeld Ti reviews

van den Hul The Crimson

29 lost · Anchored, BBC Sound, Cavity-Native, Characterful, Intimate, PRaT, Reference, Romantic, Twin Arms

Against the Characterful brief, the van den Hul The Crimson keeps the slot decisively.

With the Musical Fidelity M8x Vinyl, the pairing gives up most on low-level clarity.

With the Vertere Groove Runner X, the pairing gives up most on bass control.

On its own merits the Ortofon MC Windfeld Ti is the weaker cartridge for that brief.

boron cantileverOrtofon Windfeld Ti reviews

Goldring Eroica HX MC

8 lost · Silent Path

Against the Silent Path brief, the Goldring Eroica HX MC keeps the slot decisively.

With the Whest Audio 60Se Pro, the pairing gives up most on quietness at rest.

On its own merits the Ortofon MC Windfeld Ti is the stronger cartridge — but it loses here on fit: the pairing with the Whest Audio 60Se Pro gives up quietness at rest under the Silent Path weighting.

It sits well above the share of the budget this brief aims at the cartridge position.

Hana EL MC

8 lost · Anchored, Characterful, Intimate, Romantic

Against the Anchored brief, the Hana EL MC keeps the slot decisively.

With the Rega Aria Mk3 MM/MC, the pairing gives up most on quietness at rest.

With the ProJect Tonearm 8.6 Carbon (Debut PRO), the pairing gives up most on bass control.

On its own merits the Ortofon MC Windfeld Ti is the stronger cartridge — but it loses here on fit: the pairing with the Rega Aria Mk3 MM/MC gives up quietness at rest under the Anchored weighting.

remarkable job tracing groovesPositive Feedback (Gibbs) 2018
boron cantileverOrtofon Windfeld Ti reviews

Sumiko Blue Point No.3 Low MC

8 lost · Artisan, Cavity-Native, PRaT, Reference

Against the Artisan brief, the Sumiko Blue Point No.3 Low MC keeps the slot decisively.

With the Rega Aria Mk3 MM/MC, the pairing gives up most on quietness at rest.

With the ProJect Tonearm 8.6 Carbon (Debut PRO), the pairing gives up most on speed stability.

On its own merits the Ortofon MC Windfeld Ti is the stronger cartridge — but it loses here on fit: the pairing with the Rega Aria Mk3 MM/MC gives up quietness at rest under the Artisan weighting.

boron cantileverOrtofon Windfeld Ti reviews

van den Hul The Colibri

6 lost · Artisan, Reference

Against the Artisan brief, the van den Hul The Colibri keeps the slot decisively.

With the Vertere Groove Runner X, the pairing gives up most on bass control.

On its own merits the Ortofon MC Windfeld Ti is the weaker cartridge for that brief.

boron cantileverOrtofon Windfeld Ti reviews

Etsuro Urushi Gold MC

4 lost · Vocals-First

Against the Vocals-First brief, the Etsuro Urushi Gold MC keeps the slot by a whisker.

On its own merits the Ortofon MC Windfeld Ti is the weaker cartridge for that brief.

Etsuro Urushi Cobalt Blue MC

4 lost · Vocals-First

Against the Vocals-First brief, the Etsuro Urushi Cobalt Blue MC keeps the slot by a whisker.

On its own merits the Ortofon MC Windfeld Ti is the weaker cartridge for that brief.

van den Hul MC One Special

3 lost · Romantic, Twin Arms

Against the Romantic brief, the van den Hul MC One Special keeps the slot decisively.

With the Rega Aria Mk3 MM/MC, the pairing gives up most on quietness at rest.

With the Technics S-shape magnesium tonearm (SL-1200G), the pairing gives up most on bass control.

On its own merits the Ortofon MC Windfeld Ti is the stronger cartridge — but it loses here on fit: the pairing with the Rega Aria Mk3 MM/MC gives up quietness at rest under the Romantic weighting.

almost total lack of groove noise and distortionSoundStage! (Lyle) 2001
boron cantileverOrtofon Windfeld Ti reviews

Linn Kendo MC

2 lost · Twin Arms

Against the Twin Arms brief, the Linn Kendo MC keeps the slot decisively.

On its own merits the Ortofon MC Windfeld Ti is the stronger cartridge — but it loses here on fit: the way it sits with the rest of this system under the Twin Arms weighting.

Ortofon MC Quintet Black S

2 lost · Vocals-First

Against the Vocals-First brief, the Ortofon MC Quintet Black S keeps the slot by a whisker.

On its own merits the Ortofon MC Windfeld Ti is the weaker cartridge for that brief.

It sits well above the share of the budget this brief aims at the cartridge position.

Rega Nd3 MM

2 lost · Silent Path

Against the Silent Path brief, the Rega Nd3 MM keeps the slot decisively.

With the Rega Aria Mk3 MM/MC, the pairing gives up most on quietness at rest.

On its own merits the Ortofon MC Windfeld Ti is the weaker cartridge for that brief.

It sits well above the share of the budget this brief aims at the cartridge position.

Linn Koil MC

2 lost · BBC Sound

Against the BBC Sound brief, the Linn Koil MC keeps the slot decisively.

With the Rega Aria Mk3 MM/MC, the pairing gives up most on low-level clarity.

With the ProJect Tonearm 8.6 Carbon (Debut PRO), the pairing gives up most on speed stability.

On its own merits the Ortofon MC Windfeld Ti is the stronger cartridge — but it loses here on fit: the pairing with the Rega Aria Mk3 MM/MC gives up low-level clarity under the BBC Sound weighting.

entry-level MC for those stepping up from AdiktCymbiosis dealer + Linn cartridge family overview
entry-level MC for those stepping up from AdiktCymbiosis dealer + Linn cartridge family overview
boron cantileverOrtofon Windfeld Ti reviews

Koetsu Azule Platinum MC

1 lost · Twin Arms

Against the Twin Arms brief, the Koetsu Azule Platinum MC keeps the slot decisively.

On its own merits the Ortofon MC Windfeld Ti is the weaker cartridge for that brief.

Koetsu Onyx Platinum MC

1 lost · Twin Arms

Against the Twin Arms brief, the Koetsu Onyx Platinum MC keeps the slot decisively.

On its own merits the Ortofon MC Windfeld Ti is the weaker cartridge for that brief.

Goldring Eroica LX MC

1 lost · Twin Arms

Against the Twin Arms brief, the Goldring Eroica LX MC keeps the slot decisively.

On its own merits the Ortofon MC Windfeld Ti is the stronger cartridge — but it loses here on fit: the way it sits with the rest of this system under the Twin Arms weighting.

It sits well above the share of the budget this brief aims at the cartridge position.

Goldring 1042 MM

1 lost · Twin Arms

Against the Twin Arms brief, the Goldring 1042 MM keeps the slot decisively.

On its own merits the Ortofon MC Windfeld Ti is the stronger cartridge — but it loses here on fit: the way it sits with the rest of this system under the Twin Arms weighting.

It sits well above the share of the budget this brief aims at the cartridge position.

What the reviewers said

Replicant 100 Ortofon Windfeld Ti press record (Hi-Fi News / Analog Planet class)· Spatial resolution
boron cantilever Ortofon Windfeld Ti reviews· Transient attack
neutral Ortofon Windfeld Ti reviews· Tonal consistency
tracking Ortofon owner consensus· Micro-dynamic resolution
solid, 3D images on wide, deep, stable soundstages Stereophile (Fremer) 2022· Spatial resolution
sweetness and lushness Stereophile (Fremer) 2022· Tonal body
massed strings as well as any cartridge Stereophile (Fremer) 2022· Harmonic texture
slightly soft with brass, cymbals Stereophile (Fremer) 2022· Transient attack
25dB channel separation at 1kHz SPEC: channel separation 25dB @1kHz (manufacturer)· Spatial naturalness

How it scores

Clarity

  • Spatial resolution 82 from listening evidence

Voice

  • Tonal body 82 from listening evidence
  • Harmonic texture 76 from listening evidence
  • Spatial naturalness 70 from listening evidence

Rhythm

  • Transient attack 72 from listening evidence

LowerVolume

  • Micro-dynamic resolution 71 from listening evidence
  • Tonal consistency 74 from listening evidence

Specifications

cartridge typeMC
output mv0.2
internal impedance ohm7.0
recommended load ohm100
tracking force g2.0/2.5
compliance dynamic um per mn19.5
weight g11.0
stylus profileSpecial polished Nude Replicant 100
cantilever materialboron
body materialSLM titanium + stainless steel
frequency response hz10/50000
channel separation db25.0
notes