A century of accuracy in soundOrtofon has always been a leading company in the field of sound reproduction.
Founded in Copenhagen in 1918, Ortofon started by creating technology which
served as the basis for adding a soundtrack to the silent movies of the early 1920s. In
1948, the company developed the first moving coil cartridge, and since then Ortofon
has developed and manufactured more than 300 different cartridges with our latest
being the MC Verismo.
Today Ortofon is the world leader in phono cartridges. This is the result of combining
design with technology and the highest level of engineering in the audio industry.
Acoustics, materials technology and micro mechanics are key competences in thecompany´s technological prowess. Ortofon has its research and manufacturing
facilities in Denmark: the production of cartridges and components is carried out at
the factory in Nakskov. Production is based on experienced operators with a highlevel of craftsmanship. This assures the high uniform quality of Ortofon products.
Ortofon is today recognized among consumers and industry professionals as a quality
brand. Our products concentrate not only on providing the best sound, but more
importantly the faithful and correct reproduction of the recorded sound. Ortofon’s
world-class engineering and manufacturing continually raise the bar for accuratesound reproduction, with a vast array of products that provide both exceptionally highperformance and value for all listeners – music lovers and high-end audiophiles alike.
3Ortofon MC Verismo
The story behind the name Verismo
The name Verismo is derived from the
Italian “vero”, meaning “true” and is
the Italian for "realism". Verismo was a
post-Romantic operatic genre, that had
its origins in an Italian literary movementin the late 19th and early 20 th centuries.
Verismo operatic tradition is associatedwith Italian composers such as Pietro
Mascagni, Ruggero Leoncavallo,
Umberto Giordano, Francesco Cilea andGiacomo Puccini, who sought to portraythe world with greater realism.

The Ortofon Exclusives series cartridges are widely acknowledged as being someof the best Moving Coil cartridges on the market, and we are continuously working
on expanding the Exclusives range to offer music lovers even more opportunities
to experience the supreme quality, precision, impact and dynamics that a high-end
reference cartridge conveys.
The MC Verismo model has been developed based on our extensive knowledgeof vibration properties, different shapes and materials characteristics, as wellas competences in magnetism, mechanical design and technologies. This newstate-of-the-art product, representative of numerous Ortofon design ideals, istruly exemplary of the highest degree of performance possible in contemporary
analogue playback technology.

At Ortofon, our ultimate purpose is to continually raise the bar for true, faithful andaccurate reproduction of recorded sound. It is to provide the ultimate musicalexperience through a mixture of innovation and technical expertise, creating uniquevalue for all listeners by allowing them to reveal music’s true inner emotions. We
believe that our legacy is best preserved and strengthened by the development ofexciting new products that keeps Ortofon viable for the future.
45

Design elements
High-end materials and technological prowess
The housing of the MC Verismo cartridge is made in Titanium with the Selective
Laser Melting (SLM) technique. The SLM technique was pioneered by Ortofon in2008 for manufacturing of the MC A90 and the SPU A90 Anniversary cartridges,
and since then was refined in subsequent Exclusive Series models. The SLM
technology and high precision process eschews traditional techniques: considered
an engineering breakthrough, the SLM process welds fine particles of Titanium
together, layer-by layer, to construct a single piece body devoid of extraneousmaterial. This technique allows for precise control of the density of the bodymaterial, allowing for extremely high internal damping. The final result provides
freedom over vibrations within the cartridge body material.
Consistent use of Titanium in the Exclusives cartridges has provided a furtherimprovement to the overall rigidity of the structures, the cartridges’ weight and theirdynamic capability. For the brand new MC Verismo, this also allows this cartridge tobe perfectly matched with an extremely wide array of different tonearms. Becauseof the nature of SLM-based construction, each cartridge body is cosmeticallyunique and will show small dimples or lines under close examination.

7

Magnet system

Enhanced damping capabilities
The magnet system is based on anextremely strong, compact neodymium
magnet, which makes the generator
system both compact and lighter throughits minimal dimensions.

Much like its predecessors, the MC A95
and the MC Windfeld Ti, the MC Verismo
employs the special designed armaturecomprised of a metal alloy which is less magnetic than normal iron. This provides
noteworthy benefit to the dynamic capabilities of the cartridge. The reason forthis is that our high-tech armature has almost no influence on the magnetic field
during movement. Moreover, it allows to achieve extreme precision in each coilturn in all layers. This enables the MC Verismo to obtain a higher degree of channel
separation, while simultaneously offering lower distortion and better channelbalance.
Using Oroton’s Aucurum coils of gold-plated, 6NX oxygen free copper allows
for zero-loss transmission of the diamond’s movements via its Diamond cantilever.
This combination makes use of low moving mass and an extremely high degree ofrigidity.
8Ortofon’s Field Stabilizing Element(FSE), a small cylinder of conductive
material strategically placed inside themagnet system, guarantees that themagnetic field remains stable regardlessof the movement of the armature. FSE
improves the channel separation, whileat the same time minimizing dynamic
distortion and intermodulation. The result:fantastic dynamics and even more elbow room between the musicians. You simply
experience greater breadth, height and depth in the sound scenario between thehigh-end system’s loudspeakers!
One of the important components is Ortofon’s patented Wide Range Damping
system (WRD), in which a small, heavy platinum disc is sandwiched between
two rubber absorbers, both with different properties. This ensures not only an
exceptional tracking performance, but also creates a perfect damping throughthe entire frequency range. Because of this, distortion and resonance are virtuallyeliminated.

9

Diamond
The WRD system, which was originally introduced in the MC 20 Mk II in 1979 andthen was also consequently used in the entire Exclusives series cartridges, is one
significant reason why the MC Verismo, while achieving the most linear frequency
response and the highest upper frequency limit ever, at the same time tracks afantastic 80 μm at a vertical tracking force of 2.6 grams.
To attain an optimal interaction between compliance and damping, a newly
developed rubber compound for the suspension system has been used. The
new rubber compound formula based on the Multi Wall Carbon Nano Tubes(MWCNT) highly efficient nano filler. The MWCNT-based compound offers desirable
mechanical properties, which ensure better damping and improve the overall
performance of the cartridge.

Replicant 100- the finest diamond in the world
One of the preconditions for linear reproduction
with a wide frequency range and optimal tracking
performance is a diamond - the shape of which is
as close as possible to the original cutting stylus.
As in all Exclusives series cartridges, the MC
Verismo makes use of the Ortofon's Replicant
100 diamond. This Line Contact type stylus distinguishes itself by having anarrow and long contact surface, which is as close as possible to the original
cutting stylus. This ensures the most accurate reproduction, lowest distortion andextended frequency range.
The addition of a solid Diamond cantilever provides the best possible interface
between the stylus and armature, owing to its hardness and crystal structure.
The improvements found in the use of a Diamond cantilever have redefined theboundaries of analogue reproduction, presenting greater inner detail, subtlety, anddepth like never before.

1011Stylus protection guard

1234

The stylus guard provided for the MC Verismo is designed to be easily replaced
and removed without risking contact to the fragile stylus assembly. To avoid
accidental damage to the stylus or cantilever please mount the enclosed stylus
guard onto the cartridge whenever the cartridge is not in use. The stylus guard
should also be attached during mounting or removal of the cartridge.
As illustrated by the drawing, the stylus guard is easily removed by grasping thesides using the thumb and forefinger, and pulling straight along the orientation of thecartridge and then tilting down.
Affixing the stylus guard is of course accomplished by the reverse movement:
hold the stylus guard obliquely, push it into place, and tilt it up as indicated by thearrows.
Please read our recommendations for stylus care on our HiFi FAQ:
www.ortofon.com/support/support-hifi/faq-installation.

1213

Set-up
Historically, Ortofon has always followed its own path with regard to the mechanicaldesign of the cartridge housing, because mechanical rigidity and total freedom

In addition to alignment, consideration must be made to adjust azimuth, anti-skating
and VTA/SRA in order to maximize the potential performance of any high-end

from unwanted vibrations in the audible range are a precondition for optimal soundquality. In the MC Verismo the cartridge’s contact with the tonearm takes placethrough three well-defined contact points placed on the top side of the cartridge.
This means that the mechanical integration of the cartridge and the tonearm isalways absolutely perfect and will result in a significant and breathtaking increase in
dynamics, resolution, and richness in detail.

cartridge.
Please find our recommendations for set-up and alignment on our HiFi FAQ:
www.ortofon.com/support/support-hifi/faq-installation.

With optimized weight and moderate compliance to suit the majority of modern
tonearms, the MC Verismo is easily compatible with an endless array ofcontemporary high-end turntable equipment. A low internal impedance of 7 ohm
and a low output voltage of 0.2 mV makes the Ortofon MC Verismo a perfect
partner for most MC pre-amps as well as step-up transformers, including theOrtofon ST-80 SE.
As with any cartridge, set-up is absolutely crucial in order to ensure the best soundreproduction capabilities. Although there are many valid paradigms that exist withregard to cartridge set-up, Ortofon does not endorse a specific methodology andencourages users to explore the options as suggested by their High-End Audio
dealer, including professional set-up.
1415

Stylus Rake Angle (SRA)

Azimuth adjustment

With a complex stylus shape like the Replicant 100, there must be special attention

In order to attain maximum channel

paid to positioning the diamond in the groove.

separation, it may be possible to adjust
the azimuth. Should the cartridge not be
perfectly perpendicular to the record’ssurface, the tonearm or headshell may
require to be tilted a few degrees.

SRAThe Stylus Rake Angle (SRA - see figure) is very importantto the performance of the Replicant 100 stylus, and the longcontact surface (the sharp edge) of the diamond should bealmost perpendicular to the record surface when viewed
from the side. The angle between the record surface and thecantilever is close to 23 degrees when SRA is 90 degrees.

A perfect starting point is to set the tonearm parallel to the record surface andto use the recommended tracking force. The contact surface will be close toperpendicular to the record surface with this setting. The SRA can now graduallyand 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 thetonearm base.

16

Correct azimuth is established by observing
the reflected image of the 2 parallel cartridge
front lines. The cartridge’s front lines must
form a straight line with the reflected lines. A
flat mirror may also be used to facilitate thisprocess.

Mirror17

Terminal connections

Mounting

Please correlate the colour code for the terminals on the drawing with the colour
coding on the cartridge.

There are 4 sets of screws included for mounting the cartridge to your tonearm. It
is of great importance to choose the correct length of screws when mounting theThe terminals for right and left channel have the same position as normal for Ortofon
cartridges. We recommend the enclosed LW-7N leadwires to be mounted on thecartridge and tonearm before aligning and calibrating the cartridge. The length ofthe enclosed lead wires will fit a distance between cartridge and tonearm terminals
of 35 mm, which will work with most headshells.

cartridge. Using too long screws may stop the screws inside the cartridge resulting
in insufficient mounting in the headshell.
The choice of screw length depends on the thickness of the headshell, and amaximum of 2.5 mm free screw length under the headshell.
Mount the cartridge loosely to the headshell during this procedure.

Antiskating

Red R+White L+

Green RG

Blue LG

Correct bias or anti-skating adjustment is important in order to achieve optimal
tracking ability and thereby minimum record wear and distortion. For the Ortofon
Replicant stylus used in MC Verismo just set normal antiskating according torecommended tracking force.

Cartridge break-in
Although the MC Verismo will provide top reproduction right out of the box, thecartridge may slightly change character during the first tens of hours of use. This iscompletely normal and you may, in fact, find that this adds further refinement to yourlistening experience.
18

19

Maintenance20

Stylus care

Repair service

Ortofon does not recommend the use of solvents of any kind for cleaning of either

Ortofon MC Verismo is an exclusive cartridge of very high quality. To support ourthe record surface or stylus. If necessary, records may be washed in lukewarm
demineralized water with a dash of sulphonic soap. Remove dust carefully fromrecord surfaces by using a fine antistatic brush or cloth before every use. The useof solvents on the stylus and cantilever may damage stylus cement; interior partsof the cartridge can be affected seriously by the intrusion of solvents. The Ortofon
warranty will not be valid in cases where suchtreatment has caused malfunction.

customers who have accidentally damaged their cartridges, Ortofon offers a special
Repair service and/or Exchange service. Should you have a need for any service,please contact your local Ortofon authorized HiFi partner for further assistance:
www.ortofon.com/where-to-buy.

For cleaning the stylus, use the enclosed fiber
brush a few times along the cantilever in the
direction of the stylus, whenever you play a
new record or change sides. Record careshould also be performed regularly and is ofparamount importance to prolong the lifeand condition of the stylus. Because ofthis, a record cleaning machine may beconsidered for ease and quality of record
cleaning.

WarningSpecial Repair service is also available through Ortofon webshop:
www.ortofon.com/hifi/products/repair-service.

Ortofon MC Verismo cartridge is only for mounting on tonearms and must not be
used for other purposes.

21MC Verismo Technical Data

22

TECHNICAL DATAMC Verismo

Output voltage at 1 kHz, 5cm/sec.

0.2 mV

Channel balance at 1 kHz

0.5 dB

Channel separation at 1 kHz

25 dB

Channel separation at 15 kHz

20 dB

Frequency response

20 Hz – 20 kHz +2 dB/-1 dB

Tracking ability at 315 Hz at
recommended tracking force

80 µm

Compliance, dynamic, lateral13 µm/mN

Stylus typeSpecial polished Nude Ortofon Replicant 100
on Diamond Cantilever

Stylus tip radiusr/R 5/100 µm

Tracking force, recommended

2.6 g (26 mN)

Tracking angle

23°

Internal impedance, DC resistance

7 Ohm

Recommended load impedance

10 OhmCoil wire material

Aucurum, gold-plated, 6NX oxygen free copper

Cartridge body material

SLM Titanium

Cartridge colour

SilverCartidge weight

9.5 gDate:		

09/2021 5-800167-12 MC Verismo UserguideGet more information about
the Ortofon cartridges

Approved by:Ortofon A/S | Stavangervej 9 | DK-4900 Nakskov | Denmark | support@ortofon.dk | www.ortofon.com