CES 2015

Ortofon Launches A95 Moving Coil Cartridge (Corrected 1/12/15)

Michael Fremer  |  Jan 8, 2015

Ortofon launched at CES the long awaited A95 moving coil cartridge, which replaces the discontinued A90—among the most special phono cartridges (both sonically and technically) produced over the last decade.

The minimal body, similar in shape to the A90's is created from powdered Titanium using Ortofon's Selective Laser Melting (SLM) technology. Coils are of gold-plated 6NX oxygen free copper turned on a specially designed armature said to produce greater channel separation and lower distortion.

Output is low at .2mV, channel separation is claimed to be greater than 25dB at 1kHz and greater than 22dB at 15kHz, which is exceptional. The A95 features a Replicant stylus and Boron cantilever.

Ortofon President Christen H. Nielsen told analogplanet.com editor Michael Fremer that the first A95 (other than the one Jeff Catalano was using in the Highwater Sound room) in America would be at his door a few days after CES.

While the cartridge was still "green", the sound seemed to combine the A90's tonal neutrality and speed with some of the MC Anna's velvety-richness. After I said that's what I heard, Ortofon America's Louis Dorio exclaimed "Precisely! The A95's armature uses significantly less magnetic alloy than any of the other cartridges in Ortofon's line, with the exception of the Anna, the armature of which is polymer-based and thus is non-magnetic. The system's other magnets must make up the difference. This cannot be done with an "open" cartridge like the A95. The price is $6500.

Analogplanet editor with Ortofon President Christen H. Niesen

COMPANY INFO

COMMENTS
marmaduke's picture
Submitted by marmaduke on Thu, 2015-01-08 09:36

I hope Ortofon has a generous trade in/up allowance program for we of the non trust fund 1% rung on the ladder.

Not complaining, it just it what it is.

VirginVinyl's picture
Submitted by VirginVinyl on Thu, 2015-01-08 18:10

Who cares what it sounds like, Its gorgeous and futuristic looking. I wish I had money that I can throw around like a Wall Street Investor. Snorting whisky and drinking cocain. ; )

Ortofan's picture
Submitted by Ortofan on Thu, 2015-01-08 22:50

So, if you ask Ortofon, which cartridge design format represents the future of the technology? Is it more like the A95, with a relatively lightweight and vestigial body, or is it more like the Anna (or Windfeld), with a relatively heavy and more conventional style body?

Also, are they planning to send you a sample of the ST-80SE transformer for evaluation along with the A95?

fm-maniac's picture
Submitted by fm-maniac on Thu, 2015-01-08 23:02

Let's hope that these are of better build quality than the four A90 I had. None of it had it's cantilever perpendicular to the housing. While this can be compensated by installation, at least one sample had and SRA of only 80deg (!) while the tonearm was parallel to the platter.
I can provide microscope pictures proving that this is caused by a wrongly attached stylus. There's a 10deg wedge shaped gap between cantilever and stylus shaft. And if you can easily imagine this can't be compensatetd by raising the tonearm 40mm for a 11inch Kuzma 4point...

So is it again just expensive scrap sold to some audiophile nuts?

Michael Fremer's picture
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Sat, 2015-01-10 15:10
The contact area is the BACK edge of the stylus not a mid-point line....I bet there was nothing wrong with those cartridges unless I'm reading your description incorrectly. Please post a picture on the Gallery page and supply the URL..
kimi imacman's picture
Submitted by kimi imacman on Fri, 2015-01-09 08:25

Hi Michael, I've just noticed on Ortofon's site that they recommend an SRA of 92 degrees. This is the first time I've seen a manufacturer state this. Your efforts in this regard seem to have an effect!

From their site...

STYLUS RAKE ANGLE (SRA)

mc a95 sraWith a complex stylus shape like the Replicant 100, there must be special attention paid to positioning the diamond in the groove.
The Stylus Rake Angle (SRA - see figure) 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

isaacrivera's picture
Submitted by isaacrivera on Sat, 2015-01-10 08:59

I called them about mounting a Cadenza Black a few months ago. The manual for this cart specifies a tracking angle of 20deg, which I believe is in relation to the cantilever. On the phone they told me to ignore the 20deg tracking angle and set the cart to a 92deg SRA.

Michael Fremer's picture
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Sat, 2015-01-10 15:11
:-)
mjohnson229's picture
Submitted by mjohnson229 on Fri, 2015-01-09 19:58

I have the MMC Blue. I hope to trade it in for this one. Hopefully they give me a good deal.

fm-maniac's picture
Submitted by fm-maniac on Sun, 2015-01-11 06:15

... which is in fact a Gyger.

Michael,

I've over 30 years experience in vinyl playpach and setting up cartridges. I know that it's the backside of the Replicant 100 that has to be at 92deg. If the center line would be at 80deg as you assumed, the SRA would be even worse.

I'll post an example on the gallery that shows the stylus at nominal VTF of 23mN and with the tonarm being parallel to the record surface. There are more available...

BR

Michael

fm-maniac's picture
Submitted by fm-maniac on Mon, 2015-01-12 04:23

I had a phone call with Wally Malewicz just before christmas. I sent him the pictures also posted in the gallery and he shares my opinion that this A90 is way out of specification.

Ortofon itself refuses any support and instead shrinks aside in formal things...

Very poor for a 4000USD top of the line 90th anniversary model. I I would like to ask why should anyone expect, that they won't sell scrap with the A95 or the MC Anna?

Michael Fremer's picture
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Mon, 2015-01-12 09:46
Your original email wasn't clear when you wrote "perpendicular to housing" I didn't know what to make of that. The photo tells me you meant that the stylus wasn't glued with its shank fully contacting the end of the cantilever, which left that wedge shaped space (correct?) and thus the SRA was well off. However, it's critical to get the photo directly to the side of the profile. The rear of the Replicant/Geiger is a flat plane and in the first photo it appears that the angle is slightly off and you're measuring another angle. The later photos are more accurate but I trust your measurements. I'm less concerned with VTA, which is far less important than SRA. Did all 4 of your samples show the same wedge? I'm going to examine the new A95 more carefully and also look at my A90 and Anna photos.
Jan Frennström's picture
Submitted by Jan Frennström on Thu, 2015-02-12 00:02

Hi Folks,
I also have the unfortunate experience of having an Ortofon A90 with a "skew" stylus. However, recently I found out that Ortofon offers a complete re-build (renovation) of the pick-up during which all "loose parts" are replaced so that only the "shell" remains intact. The cost here in Sweden is around 6000SEK (approx.500US$) and my question to you is (of course):
Is there anyone out there with an experience of this procedure?
Do you really end upp with a brand new (and fault free) pick-up?

Best ...

//j

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