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Ortofon SUPER OM 5E Elliptical Cartridge MM — main product image
Ortofon SUPER OM 5E Elliptical Cartridge MM
Ortofon SUPER OM 5E Elliptical Cartridge MM
Ortofon SUPER OM 5E Elliptical Cartridge MM
Ortofon SUPER OM 5E Elliptical Cartridge MM
Ortofon SUPER OM 5E Elliptical Cartridge MM
Ortofon SUPER OM 5E Elliptical Cartridge MM
Ortofon

Ortofon SUPER OM 5E Elliptical Cartridge MM

★★★★★4.4 (112 reviews)

Elliptical precision meets vinyl's full frequency spectrum — the Super OM 5E delivers clean channel separation and distortion-free tracking for serious turntable listening.

$99.99*
✓ In Stock on Amazon.com
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*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated:Jun 04, 2026.Price and availability are subject to change.

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Overview

The Ortofon Super OM 5E is built for the listener who wants truthful vinyl playback from a well-matched turntable system — not flattering coloration, but accurate groove tracing and honest frequency reproduction. The elliptical stylus (r/R 8/18 µm) reads the groove wall with enough contact precision to resolve treble detail and stereo separation that a spherical tip would blur. It's a cartridge that rewards careful setup: dial in 1.75 g of tracking force, align the body correctly, and you'll hear a composed, linear presentation from 20 Hz to 22 kHz — bass with definition rather than bloom, midrange without the forward push of cheaper cartridges, and highs that extend without hardness.

The Super OM body is built to Ortofon's usual standard — rigid, resonance-resistant construction that keeps the cantilever-to-output signal path clean. The removable weight plate and compliance characteristics make it well-suited to medium-to-low mass tonearms common on prosumer and audiophile tables. What sets this cartridge apart in its tier is not just current performance but its upgrade architecture: the same body accepts Super OM 20 through 40 stylus assemblies, meaning the Super OM 5E can serve as the entry point to a system that grows without incurring full cartridge replacement costs. For turntable owners who are serious about the source but building their system progressively, it's a genuinely intelligent buy.

Key Features

The Ortofon Super OM 5 E cell is the sophisticated advancement of the OM 5 E

Improved frequency range and linearity

Increased channel separation and distortion reduction

Body material ensures high rigidity and absence of resonances

By simply replacing the diamond, the OM Super 5 E can be converted to Super 20, Super 30 or Super 40

Specifications

Stylus Type
Elliptical
Stylus Tip Radius
r/R 8/18 µm
Frequency Response
20–22,000 Hz ±3 dB
Output Voltage (1 kHz, 5 cm/sec)
4 mV
Channel Separation (1 kHz)
22 dB
Channel Separation (15 kHz)
15 dB
Channel Balance (1 kHz)
1.5 dB
Tracking Ability (315 Hz)
60 µm
Compliance, Dynamic, Lateral
20 µm/mN
Tracking Force Range
1.5–2.0 g (15–20 mN)
Recommended Tracking Force
1.75 g (17.5 mN)
Tracking Angle
20°
Internal Impedance
1.0 kOhm
Recommended Load Resistance
47 kOhm
Recommended Load Capacitance
200–500 pF
Internal Inductance
580 mH
Cartridge Type
Moving Magnet (MM)

Pros & Cons

👍 Pros

  • Elliptical stylus delivers noticeably cleaner channel separation — 22 dB at 1 kHz means left/right imaging is tight and precise across the soundstage.
  • At 4 mV output, the Super OM 5E drives any standard MM phono stage with authority, requiring no special gain staging or step-up transformer.
  • The upgradeable stylus system means you can move to a higher-tier Ortofon Super OM diamond (20, 30, or 40) as your system improves without purchasing a new cartridge body.
  • Tracking ability of 60 µm at 315 Hz handles dynamic peaks on well-cut vinyl with composure — no mistracking breakup on loud passages.
  • Rigid body construction suppresses micro-resonances that would otherwise color the signal between stylus and cantilever.

👎 Cons

  • 22 dB channel separation at 1 kHz, while solid for the price tier, is audibly behind premium stylus profiles (Shibata, line-contact) that push 30+ dB — critical listeners in high-resolution systems will notice the ceiling.
  • The 580 mH internal inductance makes the Super OM 5E more sensitive to phono stage input capacitance than lower-inductance cartridges — tonal balance can shift if your cable and stage combination falls outside the 200–500 pF window.
  • At 20 µm/mN dynamic compliance, tonearm matching is important; low-mass arms will suit this cartridge best, and pairing with a high-mass arm can cause resonance issues in the 5–10 Hz range.
  • No user-adjustable output level or additional stylus guard features — tracking force must be set precisely with a stylus gauge for best performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Super OM 5E is a moving magnet (MM) cartridge with a 4 mV output at 1 kHz — well within the input sensitivity range of any standard MM phono stage. A recommended load resistance of 47 kOhm is the industry norm for MM, so virtually every phono preamp, integrated amp with phono input, or DJ mixer phono stage will interface correctly without any gain adjustments.
The elliptical tip radius of r/R 8/18 µm traces groove modulations with significantly more contact precision than a spherical stylus. In practice, you'll hear tighter stereo imaging, improved high-frequency detail retrieval, and reduced inner-groove distortion — especially on complex program material in the final bands of an LP side.
Ortofon specifies 1.5–2.0 g with 1.75 g recommended. Running too light increases distortion and mistracking on dynamic peaks; too heavy accelerates stylus and record wear. At the recommended 1.75 g, the Super OM 5E's 60 µm tracking ability at 315 Hz gives it clean transient response on percussive material without the smearing you'd hear from an overtracked cartridge.
Yes — this is one of the Super OM series' defining practical advantages. The stylus assembly is user-replaceable, and the Super OM body is compatible with Super 20, 30, and 40 stylus upgrades. You're not locked in; the cartridge body grows with your system and budget.
With a recommended load capacitance of 200–500 pF, the Super OM 5E has a reasonably wide tolerance window. Tonearm cable capacitance typically runs 100–200 pF, and most phono stages add another 100 pF or so — you'll likely land within spec without modification. Capacitance outside this range can cause a treble peak or rolloff, so it's worth checking your phono stage's adjustable capacitance setting if one is available.

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