Ortofon Xpression Moving Coil Phono Cartridge

Replicant 100 stylus. Boron cantilever. Integrated SME-style headshell.

The Ortofon Xpression combines the integrated headshell design of Ortofon's SPU cartridges with engineering developed for its high-end moving coil models. Its one-piece construction connects directly to a compatible tonearm through a standard SME-style bayonet connector, eliminating the need to mount and wire a separate cartridge to a headshell.

A specially polished Nude Replicant 100 diamond stylus and boron cantilever work alongside Aucurum coils, a neodymium magnet, and Ortofon's Field Stabilizing Element to deliver precise groove tracking and detailed stereo reproduction.

The Xpression also features a Selective Laser Melted stainless-steel body, a proprietary damping compound, and Ortofon's Wide Range Damping system.

Key Features

• Integrated headshell design: Direct SME-style bayonet connection for compatible tonearms.

• Nude Replicant 100 stylus: Specially polished diamond with a 5/100 µm profile.

• Boron cantilever: Lightweight, rigid construction for accurate stylus movement.

• Aucurum coils: Gold-plated 6NX oxygen-free copper.

• Neodymium magnet and Field Stabilizing Element: Designed to maintain magnetic-field stability and reduce dynamic distortion.

• Wide Range Damping: Platinum-disc damping system for resonance control.

• SLM stainless-steel body: Combined with a proprietary thermoplastic elastomer damping compound.

• 90 µm tracking ability: Achieved at the recommended 2.6 g tracking force.

   

Complete Technical Specifications

Integrated Headshell Design

The Xpression's defining feature is its SPU-inspired construction. Rather than attaching a conventional half-inch cartridge to a separate headshell, the generator and headshell are integrated into a single assembly.

This provides a direct connection to compatible SME-style tonearms and incorporates ultra-high-purity silver internal wiring between the generator and headshell connector.

The body is manufactured using Selective Laser Melting, with a proprietary thermoplastic elastomer bottom cover for additional damping.

Compatibility & Installation

Important: The Xpression is not a standard half-inch-mount cartridge. It requires a tonearm with a compatible SME-style bayonet connection and sufficient counterweight capacity for its 28 g mass.

Its 0.3 mV output requires a suitable moving coil phono stage or properly matched step-up transformer. Ortofon recommends a tracking force of 2.6 grams and a load impedance greater than 10 ohms.

Discover Ortofon at The Grid HiFi. Our Houston team can assist with cartridge selection, tonearm compatibility, and moving coil phono stage matching.