If you're like me, you love the look of cartridges. Even the ones that are basically cubes (i.e. Koetsus or even my Zu Audio DL-103) can be made beautiful through the use of exotic materials. But this cartridge from Ortofon, the MC A90, is extremely unique in appearance and will undoubtedly be a big hit with audiophiles who don't like to run with the pack.
The A90 is $4200, which isn't chump change, but it is an attempt to further the state of the art. Released to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Ortofon, this cartridge employs a Selective Laser Melting (SLM) technique to reduce resonances in the body. Everything is built into the one-piece body including the magnet assembly, the terminal block and the wire guard.
Unfortunately, the A90 is limited to a production run of 400, and it's already out of production. But the technologies used in the A90 will probably appear in future Ortofon models.
I've been a fan of Ortofon ever since I strapped an X5-MC onto my AR ES-1 back in the late '80s and experienced high-end analog playback for the first time. I've heard plenty of Ortofons since then, and not one has been anything less than excellent (except for maybe the OM-5e they put on the cheaper Regas, which is still decent for its low price). I'm looking forward to hearing the A90 as soon as possible.
