Ortofon Super OM 5E Cartridge

What sets the Super OM 5E apart within the OM 5 Series?

The Super OM 5E is the flagship cartridge of Ortofon's OM 5 Series, built on the same low-mass body as the OM 5S and OM 5E but engineered further at two points. Ortofon used computer simulation to define the natural pivot point of the cartridge's moving system with a precision earlier OM models didn't have, achieving an optimum oscillation balance through the whole assembly; this is what gives the Super OM 5E its improved linearity and higher channel separation over the standard-tier OM cartridges. The second change is electrical: the Super OM 5E carries Ortofon's split pole pin construction, which cuts magnetic losses at the treble end of the frequency range. That's a meaningful distinction on the spec sheet, not just a marketing line — the Super OM 5E is rated to 22,000 Hz, against 20,000 Hz for the OM 5S and OM 5E, and its channel separation at 15 kHz reaches 15 dB compared with 12 dB on the OM 5S. Ortofon describes the split pole pin design as letting a moving magnet cartridge approach the flat frequency response normally associated with a moving coil cartridge, which is the comparison worth keeping in mind if you're weighing the Super OM 5E against a moving coil alternative rather than another moving magnet model.

Which OM 5 Series cartridge should you choose?

The OM 5 Series is built around three cartridges sharing one mounting platform: the OM 5S, the OM 5E, and the Super OM 5E. The OM 5S carries a spherical diamond stylus, a robust and economical way to play vinyl if outright tracking accuracy isn't your main concern. The OM 5E steps up to an elliptical stylus for closer groove contact, and the Super OM 5E pairs that same elliptical stylus with the pivot-optimised body and split pole pins described above, so it's the cartridge to choose if you want the series' widest frequency response and the extra refinements built into its magnetic circuit, rather than just the elliptical stylus on its own. Because all three share the same body and headshell fitting, you don't have to commit to the Super OM 5E from day one — you can start with the OM 5S or OM 5E and move up later by changing only the stylus, keeping your existing mounting and alignment.

Will the Super OM 5E fit your tonearm and headshell?

The Super OM 5E is built to the OM body standard, designed for straightforward mounting and alignment on both top mount and bottom mount headshells, so it works with a standard headshell or cartridge mount without needing a specialist fitting. A tiny, removable weight plate sits at the top of the mounting bracket to match the cartridge to different tonearm types. Leave the plate in place on a standard tonearm and you use the cartridge at its full weight, including the extra weight, of 5 g. Remove it on a low-mass tonearm and the Super OM 5E drops to 2.5 g, keeping the moving mass within the range those tonearms need for correct resonance behaviour. That's one cartridge covering both tonearm categories rather than two separate models.

How do you set tracking force and load matching for correct playback?

The Super OM 5E is set up correctly through two adjustments: tracking force and electrical loading. Ortofon's recommended tracking force is 1.75 g, within a permitted range of 1.5 to 2.0 g, and setting the counterweight to this figure keeps the elliptical stylus properly seated in the groove — too light and it under-tracks, causing distortion; too heavy and it wears the record and stylus faster than it should. On the electrical side, the Super OM 5E wants a load resistance of 47 kOhm and a load capacitance of 200 to 500 pF at the phono input. Matching your preamplifier's settings to this range protects the frequency response and channel separation the cartridge's engineering is built to deliver, since a mismatched capacitance can shift the treble balance of a moving magnet design like this one.

Can you upgrade the stylus without replacing the cartridge?

The Super OM 5E is designed around a replaceable stylus rather than a sealed body, which was a deliberate aim of the OM 5 Series: to let you refine sound reproduction without buying a new cartridge every time. Styli across the range are interchangeable and include the 3E, 5E, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 78 types, plus the D25M, so you can move between stylus profiles on the same mounting bracket and body as your preferences or budget change — not only once the original stylus wears out or gets damaged. That makes the Super OM 5E body a long-term platform: its split pole pins and optimised pivot point stay in place regardless of which compatible stylus you fit.

How does the elliptical stylus improve tracking accuracy?

The Super OM 5E is fitted with an elliptical diamond stylus with a tip radius of 8/18 µm, in place of the spherical diamond on the entry-level OM 5S. The elliptical shape follows the groove's oscillations more closely than a spherical tip, thanks to its contoured profile, which is what produces the cartridge's tracking ability figure of 60 µm at 315 Hz. It's the same diamond geometry behind the wider channel separation figures already noted for the OM 5E and Super OM 5E over the OM 5S — a result of the stylus shape itself, distinct from the pivot-point and pole-pin work built into the Super OM 5E specifically.

What is the Super OM 5E cartridge body made from?

The Super OM 5E body is manufactured from Noryl, a lightweight compound of plastic and glass, in place of a plain plastic moulding. Noryl gives the body higher rigidity and better resistance to resonance than an unreinforced plastic housing, which matters because a body that flexes or resonates under stylus movement can colour the signal reaching the cantilever and mask the linearity gained from the cartridge's pivot-point and pole-pin design. Its low weight also keeps the finished cartridge within the mass figures the OM body relies on for tonearm matching, so the material choice supports both the sound engineering and the fit described above rather than working against either.