Ortofon Quintet Red
Hana EL/EH
Ortofon Quintet Blue
Hana SL/SH/Mono MkII
The entry level to the Quintet range builds on the success of the 2M recipe, but with a Moving Coil arrangement.
The Quintet Red features an elliptical diamond which is cut and polished to Ortofon’s high standards. This entry-level MC cartridge has a very high-performance standard and is a perfect all-rounder for the newcomers to the world of Moving Coil cartridges. MC Quintet Red delivers open, dynamic sound with a slight touch of warmth.
What we say:
There’s no doubt that this cart is a great introduction to the finer detail that MC carts are capable of reproducing.
Ortofon Quintet Bronze
Ortofon Quintet Black ‘S’
The Hana EL cartridge has a synthetic Elliptical diamond stylus fitted to a high rigidity aluminium cantilever with cross-shaped armature, offering super transparency and excellent trackability. The body is manufactured from a composite low resonance plastic material in dark green.
This competitively priced Low output moving coil cartridge offers great quality sound referenced against similar priced cartridges. The EL (Elliptical Low output) offers 0.5mv/1KHz output.
What the critics say:
The EH balances a rich, detailed, and refined presentation with impressive tonal accuracy…is emotionally engaging and has a sense of air and space that is unusual at the price.
Perhaps just as importantly, the Hana manages to sound fun as well. it rewards with an exceptional sonic performance!
The Quintet Blue is a very homogeneous cartridge whose sound image will deliver a smoother reproduction compared to Quintet Red and moderate dynamic strength compared to Quintet Bronze.
It features a Nude Elliptical diamond mounted on an aluminium cantilever. The Quintet Blue will bring more space, depth and detail into the sound and is a very good choice for any kind of music, especially rhythmic.
What we say:
This offers a significant jump over the Red for a modest increase in budget. It’s definitely one of the sweet spots of the Quintet range.
The slim profile of this Nude Fine Line diamond stylus will track even the highest frequency information, making it a must for discerning listeners. Additionally, its larger footprint ensures reduced distortion and record wear.
The MC Quintet Bronze adds even more details and resolution but in a very even-handed way that pays respect to all elements. Classical music will be reproduced with power and open space around every instrument.
All types of music will be expressed with the highest accuracy, precision and dynamics.
What we say:
The fine detail this cart offers is a step into the sophistication that can normally only be achieved by investing more money with other cartridges. An excellent performer.
The new SL MK II has upgrades to enhance both the musical performance, and also to offer greater value at the S Series price point.
A new tapered Aluminum cantilever with increased rigidity offers a remarkable improvement in transferring groove modulation from the vinyl record to the cartridge generator. The S Series Mk II indeed features many higher specified parts, advanced materials, and unique technical processes, drawn from Hana’s higher-priced elite cartridge models, furthering the Hana “brilliant and gorgeous” sound.
The heavier Mk II cartridge offers better coupling, improving bass and dynamics; and with expanded compatibility to a wider range of tonearms. The SL MK II generator, is as found in the Umami Blue and ML; incorporating an Alnico magnet and cross-coil design, using high purity 30-micron copper wire with an 8Ω impedance, for improved signal to noise, and reduction of moving mass.
These improved design features offer higher resolution and traceability, optimizing performance for a broader range of phono stages.
The Quintet Black S is graced with a Nude ‘Shibata’ diamond, considered one of the best stylus profiles available, mounted on a high-performance Sapphire cantilever.
The Shibata’s slim, highly polished profile allows an exceedingly wide contact area to the walls of the groove and ensures detailed and pure reproduction throughout the spectrum, including even the most high-frequency groove details.
The Quintet Black S is unfettered by musical genre and will give the closest approach within the Quintet series to Ortofon’s true accuracy in sound.
What we say:
The ‘Black’ option yet again delivers outstanding performance and encapsulates what can be achieved with absolute commitment to defining a range topping standard.