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Ortofon Rondo Red Review by James Leahy
Introduction Ok so you got married young which was a torturous mistake, I can't help you with that. Please call 1800-MAKEDAPAINEND. However, you are much older and I would very much hope wiser now and don't wish to make another joy killing decision on your most important investment of all. Your vinyl rig! The average phone call I get each week goes a little something like this...... "Hey Doc, Gowd....I need a good MC cart but da fun police have applied da brakes on my good time cash fund again. Can you help get my vinyl rockin' again and da monkey off my back at da same time?" Well, I am glad to be able to answer a resounding yes!
The Rondo Red by Ortofon is the baby of the Rondo line-up and features a totally new housing made from Aucurum that is said to show excellent resistance to corrosive elements and isolate any electrical interference. The Ortofon Rondo Red is what I would call the entry level and really where the party starts with serious moving coil cartridges and I am here to tell you it only gets better from here on in. The output is 500mV@5cm/sec, high (for MC) but you will still need a MC input. It tracks at 2.3g which is pretty standard for cartridges of this type. Amazingly this cart is tipped with a polished Nude Fine elliptical diamond stylus and mounted on a cylindrical alloy cantilever, unheard of in this price range ever before. What type of performance is it able to crank out for $530.50 and how different would it be to the more expensive models is what we want to know. Does the financially deprived among us ever get a clear break in the Audiophile world of excess and glamour. Well Ortofon have thrown one hell of a party to celebrate the new Rondo line and everyone is invited!
This is one cartridge that looks totally horn in the flesh and when mounted to your tonearm of choice it is enough to make even the most hardcore Audiophiles feel a rush of blood to areas we won't talk about. See HERE (1.41MB) for a detailed view of this beauty in action. Like all of Ortofon's premium MC cartridges the unit is packaged in a very attractive manor. The cartridge is securely mounted in the clam like box with clear Perspex top to show off this fine gun of a cartridge. Like the Jubilee and Kontrapunkt line-up the Rondo cartridges come complete with new cartridge lead wires of excellent quality and a special miniature jeweler's screwdriver provided for you to secure the cartridge to the tonearm or headshell. One set of gold bolts are provided to lock the Rondo cartridge into position as you do not use any nuts in this configuration as the bolt thread go directly into the deep chassis to make a very secure fixing point.
For those who with to know more technical specifications than I have mention please download the Rondo range information sheet PDF file HERE
Sonic Evaluations Warming-up my system for a period of 60 minutes I first auditioned the Rondo Red to 'Jackson Browne's - Running On Empty album (Warner Records, 1977). The presentation first pulled me into the 'zone' which is tight & controlled for such an inexpensive cartridge and gives a feeling of impact and rhythm right off the bat. The surface noise levels were slightly higher then the Kontrapunkt cartridge line but I was expecting that. This was only noticeable in very quite passages and at elevated listening levels. Already I was excited at the high value for money this cart offered and the performance did live up to my hopes.
Dynamics were full and bold without harshness in the highs or mids like some less expensive MC tend to be noted for having. Musical separation between layers is of good depth abet lower then the Kontrapunkt line but only evident to a well trained ear and having been intimately familiar with listening to both. I did not feel I was missing any enjoyment when the track 'Rosie' came on and Brown's voice floated above my seated position like a holographic image with pin point accuracy and detail smacking you right between the eyes with a vise like grip. Never is the sound strained when pairing this well versed performer with an equally accomplished phono stage. Which brings me to my next point. At the time of writing this review I have been comparing many phono stages in the sub $650.00 price point that would typically be purchased to accompany this cartridge and I can attest to the essential nature that your MC phono section be up to the task or you will be sorely disappointed. But such is life. Critical to all highend MC cartridges' excellent performance potential, is an equally excellent and worthy phono stage. While you could 'get away with less' I would suggest making an investment in this primary area first or you will be in for a guaranteed disappointment as a cartridge of this caliber will not perform at it's best. For those of you who doubt this advise please read the following article: 'What's The Most Neglected Component in a Phono System?'. To my ear the Rondo Red showed considerable micro dynamics of the recordings and ambience being evident in all tracks with no listener fatigue. Micro detail was well received with a very high degree of definition that only MC cartridges can give though less than the Kontrapunkt line in the bottom end and in complicated musical passages. All in all it sounded better then it had any right to sound for this price point and I would recommend it to all who want a less expensive MC cart and do not wish to make any sever compromises in performance.
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