Ortofon Echelon Moving Coil Cartridges - MC Anna Diamond

The MC Anna Diamond design elements

• The housing and the body of the cartridge are made in Titanium with the Selective Laser Melting technique
• High-performance iron-cobalt alloy is applied for select parts of the magnet system.
• The Wide-Range armature damping system provides complete elimination of unwanted resonance.
• The Ortofon Replicant 100 diamond, thin and light, with an extraordinarily large contact surface, provides tracing accuracy unparalleled by any other needle in existence.
• The use of Diamond cantilever in the MC Anna Diamond has prompted a paradigm shift in our understanding of analogue reproduction. The improvements found in the use of a Diamond cantilever have redefined the boundaries of analog reproduction, presenting greater inner detail, subtlety, and depth like never before.

High-end materials and benefits of technology

The MC Anna Diamond employs a greater degree of control over vibrations by a way of a newly-improved Wide-Range armature damping system. By extending the armature beyond the coils, it can interface directly with the rubber dampers, which sandwich a small heavy disc of platinum. This offers more consistent movement, and thereby better stereo perspective and transient delineation.

System resonances are also damped by the use of the Thermo Plastic Elastomer (TPE) compound which comprises the bottom cover assembly.

The MC Anna Diamond makes use of Ortofon’s Replicant 100 diamond, known for its thin and light profile and extraordinarily large contact surface. Since the Replicant 100 is closest to the shape of the cutting stylus, it can trace with accuracy unparalleled by any other needle in existence. Special polishing of the diamond along with the use of a Diamond cantilever provides the best possible interface between the stylus and armature, owing to its hardness and crystal structure. 

Higher efficiency magnet system

The optimized geometry of the magnet system combined with choice materials like neodymium and iron-cobalt offers an unprecedented consistency of the flux density within the system’s air gap. Due to an increase of active material inside of the magnet system, the magnetic field strength is delivered more uniformly, allowing each coil to sense identical flux density regardless of its position. Because of this, dynamics and impulse linearity are preserved to an overwhelming extent.

The use of this optimized magnet system allows for the use of a lightweight, non-magnetic armature, which also provides noteworthy benefit to the dynamic capability of the MC Anna Diamond. The reason for this is that our specially designed precision moulded non-magnetic armature does not alter the magnetic field during movement. Hence when combined with ultrapure oxygen-free copper coil wire, it delivers perfect reproduction of the cantilever movements without compromise. The material applied for the armature has very high strength and rigidity.

STYLUS RAKE ANGLE (SRA)

With a complex stylus shape like the Replicant 100, there must be special attention paid to positioning the diamond in the groove. The SRA (see figure in the left) is very important to the performance of the Replicant 100 stylus, and the long contact surface (the sharp edge) of the diamond should be almost perpendicular to the record surface when viewed from the side.  The angle between the record surface and the cantilever is close to 23 degrees when SRA is 90 degrees.

A perfect starting point is to set the tonearm parallel to the record surface and to use the recommended tracking force. The contact surface will be close to perpendicular to the record surface with this setting. The SRA can now gradually and carefully be changed be adjusting VTF and, if necessary, the tonearm height. The target should be an SRA around 92 degrees, determined by the listening experience. In other words, the point of the stylus should point slightly towards the tonearm base.

A range of compatibilities

Output impedance of 6 ohm and a low-to-medium output voltage of 0.2 mV make the MC Anna Diamond perfect partner for most MC phono preamps and step-up transformers, including the Ortofon ST-80 SE MC transformer.

The cartridge is a perfect match for a high-mass, high-precision tonearm with gimbaled bearing.

The MC Anna Diamond focuses on providing music in its entirety without compromise, offering an ideal balance of precision and musicality with fine attention to both micro and macro dynamics combined with fluid tonality and texture. Considering Ortofon’s world-class knowledge in analogue sound reproduction, the new MC Anna Diamond will undoubtedly provide sound which is literally unsurpassed and simply has to be experienced.

The story behind the MC Anna cartridges

Historically, Ortofon has a long tradition of paying tribute to persons who have been highly influential within the high-end audio culture and in music culture and history in general. In honor of these remarkable persons, Ortofon has introduced numerous products throughout the years, including the SPU Meister, MC Rohmann, Kontrapunkt series and Windfeld cartridges.

Continuing this tradition with the MC Anna and the MC Anna Diamond, Ortofon dedicates these flagship cartridges to the operatic soprano Anna Netrebko, a virtuoso whose performance displays a formidable technical arsenal of endless versatility.

With the dedication of the MC Anna, Ortofon once again emphasizes the company’s unchanging commitment and devotion to the music and to the purest delivery of recorded sound. Much like Anna Netrebko, Ortofon aspires to provide the ultimate musical experience through a mixture of innovation and technical expertise, combined with inspiration that goes beyond mere thought to reveal true inner emotion.