MC Quintet Blue

The Quintet Blue is a very homogeneous cartridge

The Quintet Blue's sound image will tend to more smooth reproduction compared to Quintet Red and moderate dynamic strength compared to Quintet Bronze.

It features a Nude Elliptical diamond mounted on an aluminium cantilever.

The Quintet Blue will bring more space, depth and detail into the sound and is a very good choice for any kind of music, especially rhythmic.

The ST-7 transformer is a perfect match for the MC Quintet Blue cartridge.

LH-4000 headshell is specially recommended for MC Quintet cartridges series. 

Review quotes and Awards

What Hi-Fi? Awards 2022 winner in the category "Best Cartridge Over £250”

"It doesn't take long to realise that the Quintet Blue is a terrific performer"

VERDICT:
"Given a suitably capable system we have no doubt the Ortofon Quintet Blue will impress. It’s a well-balanced design with no obvious weaknesses. If you’ve always hankered after a moving coil cartridge we can’t think of an alternative we prefer. Buy this one with confidence."

SCORES:
Sound 5
Compatibility 5
Build 5

Read the full review here: https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/ortofon-quintet-blue 

What Hi-Fi? Awards 2020 & 2021 winner in the category "Best Cartridge Over £150”

"If you’re after an affordable cartridge, we haven’t heard a better option".

"...The Quintet Blue handles the music’s frantic dynamic swings with composure, refusing to harden-up even when provoked. We’re impressed by its refinement and ability to render treble textures.

...The Ortofon (MC Quintet Blue -red.) is a secure tracker too at the recommended 2.3g. The presentation’s even tonality and pleasing sense of life mean that we don’t feel the need to play around with the tracking weight one bit..."

What Hi-Fi? Awards 2019 winner in the category "A modestly priced moving coil cartridge"

What Hi-Fi July 2019

"...Detailed and precise presentation, expressive dynamics, easy to fit..."

VERDICT:
Given a suitably capable system we have no doubt the Ortofon Quintet Blue will impress. It’s a well-balanced design with no obvious weaknesses. If you’ve always hankered after a moving coil cartridge we can’t think of an alternative we prefer. Buy this one with confidence.

SCORES:
Sound 5
Compatibility 5
Build 5

TNT USA October 2015
Reviewed by Todd Bromgard

"...The Quintet Blue has few faults, particularly at its price point. It plays relatively neutral, without obvious colorations or frequency dips, and strikes a good balance between musical and analytical. While it's not the last word in resolving power, it is detailed, dynamic and casts a three-dimension soundstage. Its weaknesses are apparent only when compared to more expensive cartridges. Happily, I have been listening to the Quintet Blue for several months and it continues to be a satisfying performer. Highly recommended!"

Hi-Fi Choice October 2014
Reviewed and tested by Andrew Simpson

Verdict: Superb sounding all-rounder that shows analogue at its best. Excellent value.

"... It offers the most comprehensive and enjoyable performance with all music, showing Ortofon has clearly hit upon another magic formula...
...it presents all the detail in the track with real dymanism … its soundstage is expansive left to right…and it also possesses a greater talent for bringing instruments within it to life...

…Each instrument gets the space to let its notes grow, which it knits together into a cohesive whole, revealing its measured and neutral presentation…
…Bass is well articulated and evenly presented without being overly emphasized or rolling off too early, making its presence and detail felt without becoming overwhelming on more demanding bass-heavy music."

Ease of use

Top-mounting of the Quintet cartridges is easy and secure using the screws supplied. The aluminuim frame has threaded mounting holes and is fitted easily with the 5mm or 7mm screws depending on the thickness of the headshell.  

The Quintet series’ right angles, straight lines, stylus visibility and ample distance between the record surface and the cartridge’s bottom will make it easy to mount and align the cartridge and tonearm correctly. The Quintet Series gives excellent results with most common tonearms.

Output voltage at 1 kHz 5 cm/sec 

0.5 mV

Channel balance 

< 1.5 dB

Channel separation at 1 kHz 

> 21 dB

Channel separation at 15 kHz 

> 14 dB

Frequency response 20-20.000 Hz 

+/-2.5 dB

Tracking ability at 315 Hz at recommended tracking force *) 

70 μm

Compliance, dynamic, lateral 

15 μm/mN

Stylus type 

Nude Elliptical

Stylus tip radius 

r/R 8/18 μm

Tracking force range 

2.1-2.5 g (21-25 mN)

Tracking force recommended 

2.3 g (23 mN)

Tracking angle 

20º

Internal impedance, DC resistance 

7 Ohm

Recommended load impedance 

>20 Ohm

Cartridge body material 

ABS/Aluminium

Coil wire material 

Pure 4-nines silver

Cartridge colour 

Blue

Cartridge weight 

9 g

Compatibility with Rega brand TT/TA: 

REGA brand cartridges’ height from stylus tip to the top cartridge mounting surface is lower than standard. Therefore you would need spacers to ensure the correct set-up of the Ortofon cartridge. Please read about cartridge set-up and alignment on tonearm on our FAQ. 
Adjusting the height of your Rega tonearm is easy with Acoustic Signature's Spacer Set. It allows you to adjust the height from 0.5 mm to 3.5 mm in precise steps of 0.5 mm - without removing the tone arm. Simply loosen the screws, insert the AS-spacer, then lock the screws back down, and you're tonearm is ready to play.
3.2 - 4 mm spacers should be enough for Quintet cartridge.