92%
Ortofon MC Cadenza Red
Accuracy level
The sound picture of the Cadenza Red is relaxed, homogeneous, and moderately dynamic and has great space and depth in the stereo image.
The Cadenza Red model is using a Nude Fine Line stylus with a cylindrical aluminium cantilever. The stylus tip radius is r/R 8/40 µm.
The coils are made from 6NX (99.9999 %) pure silver wire. An improved winding process on the armature allows a better channel balance.
The Cadenza series
At Ortofon, we perpetually seek fresh technologies to incorporate into our products, driving the advancement of current technologies. This commitment ensures the attainment of the utmost performance and quality. The Kontrapunkt models and MC Jubilee have set benchmarks in the market, emerging as some of our most sought-after cartridges. Yet, in spite of this success, Ortofon has chosen to embark on the development of a novel cartridge series that aspires to even greater heights.
Each of the five Cadenza Series cartridges has its own individual sonic expression, and all five models together represent the ensemble of five classic variations.
The MC Cadenza Red delivers open, dynamic sound with a touch of warmth.
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Professional Reviews 92/100
Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
91/100
Build Quality
92/100
Features Usability
91/100
Value for Money
94/100
The MC Cadenza Red brings sweetly balanced, open moving-coil sound with emphatic bass, airy midrange presence and expressive low-level detail. Audiophilia found its fine-line stylus revealing through complex recordings, while its rigid metal body and mature manner across contrasting tonearms make it a compelling gateway to high-end analogue.
What Reviewers Are Saying
Pros
Open, sweetly balanced presentation with deep, resonant bass and an uncompressed, airy midrange.
Retrieves substantial detail and preserves expressive, accurate dynamic shading on complex music.
Worked confidently with two markedly different tonearms, showing unusually mature compatibility for its class.
&
Cons
Does not match the exceptional tonal colour or ultimate musical immersion of far more expensive reference moving-coil cartridges.
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 91/100
The MC Cadenza Red is described as open, sweet-natured and notably well balanced, combining deep bass weight with an expressive, unforced midrange. Its fine-line stylus also appears to uncover substantial low-level information, while the review points to stable imaging and convincing musical presence.
Overall Sound
92/100
Audiophilia found the Cadenza Red surprisingly sophisticated and described it as lifting a veil from the presentation. The reviewer praised its sweet disposition, emphatic and resonant bass, and a balanced midrange that lets voices and instruments breathe without sounding compressed or abrasive.
Tracking Retrieval
91/100
The cartridge is said to extract a great deal of detail while retaining expression and accurate dynamic shading. Its fine-line stylus was credited with retrieving previously obscured groove information, and the reviewer heard well behind the main band during complex horn passages.
Soundstage Imaging
87/100
The review associates the improved coil winding with stronger channel balance and imaging, while the listening comments describe a clearer view into the recorded performance. There is less direct discussion of stage width or depth than of detail and tonal balance.
FEATURES USABILITY PERFORMANCE 91/100
Tonearm compatibility / system fit.
Tonearm Compatibility
91/100
The reviewer calls the cartridge benign and reports that it worked with ease on both a Bergmann Magne and a Rega RP8, despite their very different tonearms. As a low-output moving-coil design, it still needs an appropriately quiet MC-capable phono stage and sensible loading adjustment.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
92/100
Audiophilia describes the Cadenza Red as built to very high standards. Its stainless-steel and aluminium sandwich body is presented as a rigid, high-mass structure intended to control vibration and resonance and provide a stable generator platform.
Value for Money
94/100
At a sub-$1,300 price in the review, the Cadenza Red was called a favourite moving-coil cartridge for the money. Audiophilia considered it an unusually affordable route into superior moving-coil performance and felt it handled disparate tonearms with a maturity associated with substantially costlier products.
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Verified Dealers
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Authorized dealers for Ortofon MC Cadenza Red
- In Living Stereo — in-store — New York City, New York, United States (website)
- Resolution A/V — in-store — New York City, New York, United States (website)
- The Audio Association — in-store — Anaheim, California, United States (website)
- 2C Stereo — in-store — Washington, District of Columbia, United States (website)
- à la carte productions — in-store — Palm Coast, Florida, United States (website)
- A Tube High Fidelity — online and in-store — Almere, Flevoland, Netherlands (website)
- A/V Solutions — in-store — Pleasanton, California, United States (website)
- Accent On Music — in-store — Mount Kisco, New York, United States (website)
- Acoustic Sounds — online and in-store — Salina, Kansas, United States (website)
- Acoustic Streams — in-store — Lower Drift, England, United Kingdom (website)
and 371 more verified dealers