{"product_id":"ortofon-concorde-music-blue","title":"Ortofon Concorde Music Blue (MM Cartridge)","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Ortofon Concorde Music Blue is the step into the audiophile territory of the Concorde line: an MM cartridge with a bare elliptical stylus in a plug-and-play housing, where the jump over entry-level systems becomes truly audible for the first time.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHere the fun of plug-and-play doesn't stop, but the ambition begins: the bare diamond tracks so finely that you'll hear the premium over the entry-level Red on your very first favourite album.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWhy the Concorde Music Blue?\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe step from Red to Blue is the most important in the whole line – and the only one that means not just a different diamond shape, but a bare stylus. \"Bare\" means: no metal shaft the tip is bonded to, but the diamond connected directly to the cantilever. Less moving mass, faster response, less distortion – in the same housing, with the same quad-coil generator. Hi-Fi Choice awarded it 5 stars and the \"Recommended Product\" seal.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWhat you hear\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eCompared with the Red, you gain mainly detail resolution in the mids and cleanliness in the treble. Voices become more present, plucks on acoustic guitars gain bite, cymbals sound like cymbals instead of diffuse noise. The soundstage opens up audibly – with 25 dB channel separation at 1 kHz, the Blue resolves noticeably finer than the bonded-elliptical Red. Bass and frequency response remain just as assured: this isn't a jump in bass, but one in resolution.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWho is the Concorde Music Blue suited for?\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor anyone with an S-tonearm turntable who listens to vinyl seriously, not just in passing – Technics SL-1200\/1210, Reloop, Pioneer PLX. \u003cstrong\u003eStraight talk:\u003c\/strong\u003e if you mainly spin records for nostalgia and aren't actively listening, you'll barely notice the premium over the Red; and straight tonearms with a standard headshell (Rega, Pro-Ject) need an adapter for the Concorde design. But if you're after the difference between \"sounds good\" and \"sounds right\", the Blue is where it starts.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eOur verdict\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe first genuinely audiophile Concorde: bare elliptical stylus, noticeably more resolution than the Red, knighted by Hi-Fi Choice with 5 stars. The sweet spot of the range for anyone who wants to listen seriously without jumping straight to the Shibata grind.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eTechnical Data\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eType: moving magnet cartridge (MM), Concorde design with integrated headshell\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStylus shape: bare elliptical\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCantilever: aluminium\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGenerator: quad-coil with silver-plated coils\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOutput voltage: 6 mV (1 kHz, 5 cm\/s)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRecommended tracking force: 1.8 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrequency response: 20–20,000 Hz\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChannel separation: 25 dB at 1 kHz \/ 15 dB at 15 kHz\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChannel balance: 1.5 dB at 1 kHz\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCompliance: 15 µm\/mN\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRecommended load resistance: 47 kΩ\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRecommended load capacitance: 150–300 pF\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMounting: SME\/bayonet (S-shaped) tonearm, plug-and-play\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWeight: 18 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhat's included: 1 Concorde system with pre-mounted stylus, stylus brush and rubber ring\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch2\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat does a bare stylus offer over a bonded one?\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith a bare (nude) stylus, the entire diamond is the contact area and mounted directly on the cantilever, instead of being glued to a metal shaft. That lowers moving mass, speeds up response and brings audibly more detail resolution, especially in the treble. This exact step is what separates the Blue from the entry-level Red.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhat distinguishes the Concorde Music Blue from the Red?\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eSame housing, same quad-coil generator – the difference lies purely in the stylus: Red bonded elliptical, Blue bare elliptical. The bare stylus resolves more finely and tracks more cleanly. If you already own a Red, you upgrade to the Blue with a simple stylus swap.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhich turntable suits the Concorde Music Blue?\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eBest suited is a turntable with an S-shaped tonearm and bayonet mount – classically a Technics SL-1200\/1210, Reloop or Pioneer PLX. There you plug the Blue in tool-free and start listening. On straight tonearms with a standard headshell (Rega, Pro-Ject), a Concorde adapter helps.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhy buy the Concorde Music Blue from HD Zürisee?\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eBecause we've A\/B'd the Blue against the Red and Bronze in Wädenswil and can tell you honestly when the next step is worth it – and when the Blue is already enough. Advice straight from us, no ticket system; Mauri mounts and aligns the system on the tonearm properly if you'd like.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eGoes well with\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eA \u003ca href=\"\/en\/collections\/plattenspieler\"\u003eturntable\u003c\/a\u003e with an S-tonearm, a \u003ca href=\"\/en\/collections\/phono-vorverstarker\"\u003ephono preamp\u003c\/a\u003e, and more \u003ca href=\"\/en\/collections\/tonabnehmer\"\u003ecartridges\u003c\/a\u003e from the range for a later upgrade all go well with it.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ortofon","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52989548167504,"sku":"303741","price":249.0,"currency_code":"CHF","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0932\/3262\/8048\/files\/ortofon-concorde-music-blue-produktdetail-perspektive.png?v=1786610778","url":"https:\/\/hdzuerisee.ch\/en\/products\/ortofon-concorde-music-blue","provider":"HD Zürisee AG","version":"1.0","type":"link"}