Ortofon Concorde MKII TWIN Elite

Ortofon Concorde MKII TWIN Elite, the twin DJ cartridge set

When mixing, you switch from one turntable to the other every few minutes, and the slightest difference in level or tone between the two tonearms can be heard across the room. This set brings together two identical Concorde MKII Elite cartridges, the most advanced model in Ortofon’s Concorde range. It brings a level of detail to the mix rarely achieved by a DJ cartridge and equips both turntables in one go.

Two identical cartridges for both turntables

With the same cartridge on both turntables, the output level, tonal balance and groove tracking are the same on the left and right. The DJ does not have to adjust the gain or EQ at every transition to compensate for differences between two models, and a transition between two records does not change tonal character when the crossfader is moved across. Each cartridge weighs 18.5 g (37 g for the set) and is set up in the same way, which also simplifies installation in a booth or home studio.

A nude elliptical stylus under a gold-plated housing

The Elite version is recognisable by its custom-moulded, gold-plated stylus assembly, which contrasts with the Concorde’s black body. Beneath this housing, Ortofon has mounted an elliptical stylus cut from solid diamond (known as a “nude” stylus) on a rigid 750 µm aluminium-magnesium alloy cantilever. The cantilever is the small rod that holds the stylus and transmits its movements to the generator: the more rigid it is, the less it flexes and the more faithfully the signal follows the groove. The elliptical profile, narrower at its sides than a conventional spherical tip, follows the tightest groove modulations more closely. It reproduces more high frequencies and fine detail, and playback wear is distributed more evenly across the record.

Suspension and coils redesigned for sound reproduction

To make the most of this stylus, Ortofon developed a new rubber suspension and a coil system specific to this model. The suspension damps the cantilever’s movements and controls excessive brightness, delivering detailed high frequencies without harshness. The generator delivers 8.5 mV, a high output for a moving-magnet cartridge, providing a strong signal to the mixer’s phono inputs and keeping background noise well behind the music. The frequency response spans 20 Hz to 20 kHz, and channel separation reaches 25 dB at 1 kHz. This figure is more modest than that of a dedicated hi-fi cartridge, but it is more than sufficient for a club system, where playback is often in mono.

Direct mounting on DJ turntables’ S-shaped tonearms

Like all Concorde models, the Elite combines the cartridge and headshell in a single body: it screws directly onto the bayonet fitting of universal S-shaped tonearms, with no separate headshell or alignment required. These are found on direct-drive DJ turntables such as the Technics SL-1200. The geometry is factory-set. After mounting, all that remains is to balance the tonearm, set the tracking force to 3 g (permitted range of 2 to 4 g), then set anti-skating to the same value. The lateral dynamic compliance of 13 µm/mN suits the medium- to high-mass tonearms of DJ turntables, and the tracking ability of 100 µm at 315 Hz allows the stylus to stay in the groove during loudly cut passages, even when the volume makes the booth vibrate.

Club mixing, record selection and vinyl digitisation

The Concorde MKII Elite is designed for DJs who mix for extended periods and for whom sound quality matters as much as reliability: long house or techno sets, soul or jazz selections at moderate volume, as well as vinyl digitisation or home listening on a DJ turntable. It handles record manipulation when cueing a track, but the elliptical profile is less tolerant than spherical tips of the repeated back-and-forth movements of scratching and intensive back-cueing, which wear the stylus and groove more quickly. For these techniques, the Concorde MKII Scratch and DJ models from the same range remain better suited. The TWIN set belongs in booths where sound is carefully considered, with DJs who mainly play their own records and with those who want both turntables performing at the same level.

Technical specifications

Box contents

• Set of 2 Concorde MKII Elite DJ cartridges

Audio performance

• Output voltage: 8.5 mV
• Channel balance at 1 kHz: 1 dB
• Channel separation:
  • At 1 kHz: 25 dB
  • At 15 kHz: 15 dB
• Frequency range at −3 dB: 20 Hz – 20 kHz

Stylus and tracking parameters

• Stylus type: nude elliptical
• Tracking ability at 315 Hz, at the recommended tracking force: 100 µm
• Dynamic lateral compliance: 13 µm/mN
• Tracking force:
  • Range: 2.0 – 4.0 g
  • Recommended value: 3.0 g
• Tracking angle: 20°

Electrical specifications

• Internal impedance: 1.2 kΩ
• Internal inductance: 800 pF

Finish and weight

• Colour: gold / black
• Weight: 37 g