Audio T Verdict
The Ortofon MC Cadenza Black sits at the top of the Cadenza stereo range and is very much a cartridge for a turntable system capable of doing it justice. A Nude Shibata stylus and extraordinarily light Boron cantilever give it the ability to dig deeply into the groove, while Ortofon's Wide Range Damping system is there to keep all that information under control.
This is also a proper low-output moving coil design. Its 0.33mV output means the phono stage matters enormously, as do cartridge alignment, tracking force, tonearm matching and loading. Get those things right and the Cadenza Black is capable of superb resolution, precise stereo imaging and an exceptionally clean view into a recording.
It isn't a cartridge we'd buy simply because it sits at the top of a range. It needs a suitably capable turntable, tonearm and phono stage. In the right system, however, it represents a very serious final upgrade rather than another small step along the way.
Ortofon MC Cadenza Black
The MC Cadenza Black is Ortofon's highest-performance stereo cartridge within the Cadenza Series, designed to retrieve fine musical information while maintaining tonal neutrality, consistency and precise soundstage reproduction.
At its heart is a Nude Shibata diamond mounted on an exceptionally light and rigid Boron cantilever, combined with Ortofon's Wide Range Damping system and Aucurum gold-plated 6NX copper coil wire.
- Low-output moving coil cartridge
- Nude Shibata diamond stylus
- Boron cantilever
- Wide Range Damping system
- Aucurum gold-plated 6NX copper coil wire
- 330µV / 0.33mV output
- Less than 0.8dB channel balance at 1kHz
- Greater than 27dB channel separation at 1kHz
- 90µm tracking ability at 315Hz
- 16µm/mN dynamic lateral compliance
- 2.3g recommended tracking force
- Greater than 10-ohm recommended load impedance
- Aluminium and stainless steel cartridge body
- Standard half-inch mounting
- 10.7g cartridge weight
The Top of the Cadenza Stereo Range
Ortofon's Cadenza family is a dedicated moving coil range comprising cartridges with deliberately different stylus, cantilever and generator technologies.
The Black sits at the top of the stereo line-up and combines some of Ortofon's most sophisticated Cadenza technologies in one cartridge.
Ortofon describes its aim as being true to the groove, with high resolution and accurate insight into each recording rather than simply creating a more dramatic or exaggerated presentation.
Nude Shibata Diamond
The MC Cadenza Black uses a Nude Shibata diamond stylus.
The Shibata profile creates a long, narrow contact area against the groove walls, allowing it to trace extremely fine modulation and retrieve high-frequency information that simpler stylus profiles can struggle to follow as accurately.
Ortofon specifies a stylus tip radius of r/R 6/50µm.
Why Shibata?
A record groove contains an extraordinary amount of information in a very small space. The stylus profile determines how it physically contacts those groove walls and how accurately it can follow their movement.
The Shibata profile gives the Cadenza Black a wide contact area vertically while retaining a very fine tracing radius along the direction of groove travel.
This allows it to follow intricate modulation while spreading contact across a larger area of the groove wall than a basic spherical or elliptical design.
Advanced Stylus Profiles Reward Good Setup
A Nude Shibata stylus is capable of excellent tracing accuracy, but that also makes correct cartridge alignment particularly worthwhile. Overhang, offset angle, tracking force and anti-skate should all be set accurately rather than approximately.
Boron Cantilever
The Shibata diamond is mounted on a very thin Boron cantilever.
Boron combines extremely low mass with very high stiffness, allowing the cantilever to respond rapidly to stylus movement without introducing unnecessary flex.
Ortofon specifically highlights the very low effective mass of the Cadenza Black's stylus and cantilever system as one of the key elements behind its performance.
Low Moving Mass
Reducing the effective moving mass of the stylus and cantilever assembly helps the cartridge respond more readily to the tiny and rapidly changing movements contained within the record groove.
That is particularly significant when reproducing delicate transient information, fine textures and complex high-frequency material.
The aim isn't simply to produce 'more detail', but to allow the cartridge to follow the groove more faithfully in the first place.
Wide Range Damping
The Cadenza Black uses Ortofon's WRD, or Wide Range Damping, system.
This technology controls high and low-frequency damping separately, helping the cartridge suspension manage the mechanical behaviour of the stylus and cantilever over a wide frequency range.
Ortofon has also used WRD technology in a number of its more ambitious moving coil designs.
Why Damping Matters
The cartridge suspension has to allow the cantilever to move freely enough to follow the groove while preventing uncontrolled mechanical movement from obscuring the signal.
Effective damping is therefore critical to tracking behaviour, transient accuracy and the cartridge's ability to remain composed during complex passages.
The Cadenza Black's WRD system is designed specifically to control this behaviour across both high and low frequencies.
Aucurum Coil Wire
The generator uses Ortofon's Aucurum coil wire.
Aucurum is a gold-plated 6NX copper wire used within a number of Ortofon's high-performance moving coil cartridge designs.
The ultra-fine wire forms the moving coils responsible for generating the cartridge's electrical signal as the stylus and cantilever respond to the record groove.
A True Low-Output Moving Coil
The Cadenza Black produces just 330µV, or 0.33mV, at 1kHz and 5cm/sec.
This is considerably lower than the 5mV-plus output produced by cartridges such as Ortofon's 2M moving magnet models.
As a result, the Cadenza Black requires a phono stage, phono input or suitable step-up solution designed specifically for low-output moving coil cartridges.
Check Your Phono Stage
The Cadenza Black is a low-output moving coil cartridge. A conventional moving magnet input does not provide the correct gain or loading on its own. Make sure your phono stage has a suitable MC input and can accommodate Ortofon's recommended load impedance before purchasing.
Greater Than 10-Ohm Loading
Ortofon specifies a recommended load impedance of greater than 10 ohms.
The cartridge itself has an internal DC resistance of just 5 ohms.
If your moving coil phono stage provides adjustable loading, this gives scope to optimise the electrical relationship between the cartridge and phono stage while remaining within Ortofon's recommendations.
MC Loading Can Make a Difference
Changing the load impedance of a moving coil cartridge can influence its tonal balance and transient behaviour. Start with the cartridge manufacturer's recommendation and use careful listening rather than assuming that a particular resistance value is universally correct.
90µm Tracking Ability
Ortofon currently specifies a tracking ability of 90µm at 315Hz.
Tracking ability describes how successfully the stylus can follow demanding groove modulation while maintaining stable contact with the record.
That strong figure reflects the combination of the Nude Shibata profile, Boron cantilever and carefully controlled suspension.
2.3g Recommended Tracking Force
The Cadenza Black's tracking-force range is:
- Minimum: 2.0g / 20mN
- Recommended: 2.3g / 23mN
- Maximum: 2.5g / 25mN
For normal installation, Ortofon's recommended 2.3g figure is the correct starting point.
Don't Deliberately Under-Track
A lighter tracking force isn't automatically kinder to your records. If the stylus begins to mistrack it can place greater stress on the groove. Keep the Cadenza Black within Ortofon's specified 2.0 to 2.5g range and start at the recommended 2.3g.
16µm/mN Compliance
Dynamic lateral compliance is specified at 16µm/mN.
Compliance describes the behaviour of the stylus suspension and forms an important part of matching a cartridge to the effective mass of a tonearm.
With a cartridge at this level, mechanical compatibility between arm and cartridge deserves proper consideration rather than simply assuming that any half-inch tonearm will produce the optimum result.
10.7g Cartridge Weight
The Cadenza Black weighs 10.7g.
That is considerably heavier than Ortofon's 7.2g standard 2M cartridges, so the tonearm's cartridge-weight range and available counterweight adjustment should be checked before installation.
Standard Half-Inch Mounting
The Cadenza Black uses conventional half-inch mounting.
This gives it broad physical compatibility with high-quality tonearms using the standard two-screw cartridge mounting arrangement, subject to the required checks for mass, geometry, height and counterweight range.
20-Degree Tracking Angle
Ortofon specifies a tracking angle of 20 degrees.
Correct tonearm geometry and cartridge setup help ensure that the stylus operates within the groove at the angle intended by the manufacturer.
Where the turntable permits adjustment, tonearm height and azimuth should also be checked as part of a thorough installation.
Channel Balance and Separation
Ortofon specifies channel balance at less than 0.8dB at 1kHz.
Channel separation is specified at greater than 27dB at 1kHz.
Strong channel consistency and separation help the cartridge create a stable stereo image with precise positioning of instruments and voices within the soundstage.
Current Frequency Response
Ortofon's current specification gives the Cadenza Black a response of +1.5 / 0dB from 20Hz to 20kHz.
We use this current manufacturer figure rather than older specifications that may still quote additional frequency-range measurements elsewhere online.
Aluminium and Stainless Steel Body
Ortofon specifies the Cadenza Black body materials as aluminium and stainless steel.
The substantial body gives the generator and stylus assembly a rigid mechanical structure and contributes to the cartridge's 10.7g overall mass.
Cadenza Bronze or Cadenza Black?
The Cadenza Bronze and Black are both serious moving coil cartridges, but Ortofon takes quite different mechanical approaches with each model.
Cadenza Bronze
- Replicant 100 diamond
- Conical aluminium cantilever
- Aucurum coil wire
- Field Stabilizing Element
- Reference-level Cadenza design
Cadenza Black
- Nude Shibata diamond
- Boron cantilever
- Aucurum coil wire
- Wide Range Damping system
- Top Cadenza stereo model
This isn't simply a progression from one stylus shape to another. The cantilever and damping technologies also change, which means the two cartridges represent different combinations of Ortofon's moving coil technology.
Not a User-Replaceable Stylus
Unlike Ortofon's 2M moving magnet cartridges, the Cadenza Black does not use a simple user-replaceable stylus assembly.
When a moving coil cartridge of this type becomes worn or damaged, the cartridge should be assessed rather than attempting to remove the stylus assembly at home.
Ortofon currently provides both repair and exchange services for the MC Cadenza Black.
What Happens When the Stylus Wears Out?
Bring the cartridge or turntable to Audio T and we can help assess the next step. Depending on its condition and your plans for the system, that may involve Ortofon's repair or exchange programme or choosing a replacement cartridge.
Careful Setup Is Essential
The Cadenza Black is capable of very fine groove tracing, but that performance depends on the cartridge being installed correctly.
Setup should include:
- Accurate cartridge alignment
- Correct overhang and offset angle
- 2.3g initial tracking force
- Appropriate anti-skate
- Tonearm height where adjustable
- Azimuth where adjustable
- Suitable moving coil phono-stage loading
- Checking tonearm and cartridge mass compatibility
At this level, small setup errors can prevent you hearing what the cartridge is capable of, so professional fitting is well worthwhile.
Is the Cadenza Black Right for My Turntable?
The Cadenza Black makes most sense on a turntable and tonearm capable of exploiting its resolution and tracking ability.
Simply fitting a more expensive cartridge does not automatically produce a better result if the arm, deck or phono stage becomes the limiting factor.
For that reason, we recommend looking at the analogue front end as a complete system: turntable, tonearm, cartridge, phono stage and setup all need to work together.
Key Features
- Ortofon MC Cadenza Black
- Low-output moving coil cartridge
- Stereo playback
- Half-inch mounting
- Nude Shibata diamond
- r/R 6/50µm stylus radius
- Boron cantilever
- Wide Range Damping system
- Aucurum coil wire
- Gold-plated 6NX copper coil wire
- 330µV / 0.33mV output
- Less than 0.8dB channel balance at 1kHz
- Greater than 27dB channel separation at 1kHz
- 20Hz to 20kHz response
- +1.5 / 0dB response tolerance
- 90µm tracking ability at 315Hz
- 16µm/mN dynamic lateral compliance
- 2.0 to 2.5g tracking-force range
- 2.3g recommended tracking force
- 20-degree tracking angle
- 5-ohm internal DC resistance
- Greater than 10-ohm recommended load impedance
- Aluminium and stainless steel body
- Black / Black finish
- 10.7g cartridge weight
- Ortofon repair service available
- Ortofon exchange service available
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Ortofon MC Cadenza Black still current?
Yes. The MC Cadenza Black remains a current model within Ortofon's Cadenza Series.
Is the Cadenza Black moving magnet or moving coil?
It is a low-output moving coil cartridge.
What is the output voltage?
Ortofon specifies 330µV, equivalent to 0.33mV, at 1kHz and 5cm/sec.
Can I use the Cadenza Black with a normal MM phono input?
Not directly. Its 0.33mV output requires a phono stage or suitable step-up arrangement designed for low-output moving coil cartridges.
What load impedance does Ortofon recommend?
Greater than 10 ohms.
What is the cartridge's internal impedance?
5 ohms DC resistance.
What stylus does the Cadenza Black use?
A Nude Shibata diamond with an r/R 6/50µm tip radius.
What cantilever does it use?
A Boron cantilever.
What is WRD?
WRD stands for Wide Range Damping. Ortofon uses the system to control high and low-frequency damping separately within the cartridge suspension.
What is Aucurum wire?
Aucurum is Ortofon's gold-plated 6NX copper coil wire.
What tracking force should I use?
Ortofon recommends 2.3g, or 23mN.
What is the permitted tracking-force range?
2.0 to 2.5g.
What is the tracking ability?
90µm at 315Hz.
What is the compliance?
Dynamic lateral compliance is 16µm/mN.
What is the channel separation?
Greater than 27dB at 1kHz.
What is the channel balance?
Less than 0.8dB at 1kHz.
What is the current published frequency response?
Ortofon currently specifies +1.5 / 0dB from 20Hz to 20kHz.
How much does the Cadenza Black weigh?
10.7g.
What is the body made from?
Ortofon specifies aluminium and stainless steel.
What mounting system does it use?
Standard half-inch mounting.
Can I replace the stylus myself?
No. The Cadenza Black does not use a user-replaceable stylus assembly like Ortofon's 2M moving magnet cartridges.
What happens if the cartridge becomes worn or damaged?
Ortofon currently offers repair and exchange services for the MC Cadenza Black. Audio T can help advise on the appropriate route.
Does cartridge alignment matter?
Yes. Accurate alignment, tracking force, anti-skate and suitable MC loading are particularly important with a cartridge of this level.
Related Ortofon Products and Audio T Guides
Why Buy an Ortofon Moving Coil Cartridge From Audio T?
A cartridge such as the Cadenza Black needs to be considered as part of the complete analogue system. Audio T can help determine whether your tonearm, turntable and phono stage are capable of making the most of it, then help with the setup required to get it performing properly.
- Turntable and tonearm compatibility advice
- Moving coil cartridge matching
- Precision cartridge fitting and alignment
- Tracking-force setup
- Anti-skate setup
- Tonearm height and geometry advice
- MC phono-stage matching
- Cartridge loading advice
- Cadenza model comparison
- Repair and exchange guidance
- Turntable upgrade advice
- In-store demonstrations where appropriate
- Ongoing after-sales support
Contact your local Audio T store to discuss whether the Ortofon MC Cadenza Black is the right cartridge for your turntable, tonearm and phono stage.