{"product_id":"ortofon-mc-a-mono","title":"Ortofon MC A Mono","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Ortofon MC A Mono is a genuine mono moving-coil cartridge with a bare Replicant 100 diamond on a boron cantilever and SLM titanium housing, built for uncompromising reproduction of mono microgroove records.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy the MC A Mono?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA genuine mono cartridge responds only to the horizontal movement of the groove and ignores the vertical – exactly where, on mono pressings, only noise, dust and scratches sit. The WRD damping system with platinum disc and the rigid SLM titanium housing hold the Replicant 100 diamond absolutely stable in the track. A mono switch on the amplifier, by contrast, is only a stopgap.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat you hear\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA stable, powerful and cohesive sound picture: voices and instruments stand compact and tangible in the centre, the background becomes noticeably calmer. Mono classics gain an authority and substance that a stereo cartridge doesn't reach on the same records.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWho is the MC A Mono for – and who is it not for?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIdeal for collectors of genuine mono pressings (microgroove, roughly from 1950 onward) who want to hear their treasures at reference quality. \u003cstrong\u003ePlain talk:\u003c\/strong\u003e for modern \"pseudo-mono\" reissues based on stereo masters, it's almost too much of a good thing. It is not suitable for 78 rpm shellac – the fine Replicant profile doesn't fit the wide shellac groove. And at 6 g lightweight, it wants a properly matched tonearm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eOur verdict\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe MC A Mono is a reference-level specialist: anyone with a serious mono collection who can dedicate a tonearm to it gets a cohesion and weight that puts any mono switch to shame.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat the press says:\u003c\/strong\u003e \"The picture was smooth, full-bodied, well-detailed, and powerful.\" – Stereophile, Analog Corner (Michael Fremer, 2020).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eTechnical data\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eType: moving-coil cartridge (MC), genuine mono system (True Mono)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStylus profile: Ortofon Replicant 100 (bare)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCantilever: boron\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOutput voltage: 0.2 mV (1 kHz, 5 cm\/s)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChannel separation: Pure Mono\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrequency response: 20–20,000 Hz (+2 \/ −1 dB)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTracking ability: 90 µm (315 Hz)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCompliance: 13 µm\/mN\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRecommended tracking force: 2.3 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInternal impedance: 7 Ω\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRecommended load: \u0026gt; 10 Ω\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCoil material: Aucurum (gold-plated 6NX copper)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHousing material: SLM titanium\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWeight: 6 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eScope of delivery: cartridge, stylus guard, mounting screws, stylus brush, screwdriver, individual test report\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently asked questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDoes mono really sound better with this system than with the mono switch?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes. A genuine mono system like the MC A Mono produces no phase errors and no vertical crosstalk, because it doesn't pick up the vertical groove movement in the first place. The sound picture becomes more stable, calmer and weightier than with a stereo system switched to mono.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCan I also play old shellac records with the MC A Mono?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo. The Replicant 100 profile is made for mono microgroove vinyl (roughly from 1950 onward) and far too fine for the wide grooves of 78 rpm shellac – both would be damaged. Shellac needs its own system with a larger tip radius.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy buy the Ortofon MC A Mono at HD Zürisee?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBecause mono playback is its own chapter, one we know from decades of practice. We advise you on the right combination of tonearm, phono stage and turntable, mount the lightweight system precisely, and tell you honestly whether a second tonearm is worth it for you.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eGoes well with\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGoes well with:\u003c\/strong\u003e a matching \u003ca href=\"\/en\/collections\/phono-vorverstarker\"\u003ephono preamplifier\u003c\/a\u003e, a high-quality \u003ca href=\"\/en\/collections\/plattenspieler\"\u003eturntable\u003c\/a\u003e and further \u003ca href=\"\/en\/collections\/tonabnehmer\"\u003ecartridges\u003c\/a\u003e for stereo playback.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ortofon","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52989548724560,"sku":"303426","price":5499.0,"currency_code":"CHF","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0932\/3262\/8048\/files\/ortofon-mc-a-mono-mc-tonabnehmer-frontansicht.png?v=1786614462","url":"https:\/\/hdzuerisee.ch\/en\/products\/ortofon-mc-a-mono","provider":"HD Zürisee AG","version":"1.0","type":"link"}