Головки звукоснимателя — Ortofon MC X20

The Ortofon MC X20 belongs to the Danish maker's MC X family of MC pickups for turntables, which was launched at High End Munich 2025. It sits one step above the MC X10 and below the MC X30 and MC X40, and Ortofon lists it at EUR 499 (GBP 429 in the UK). It fits tonearms through a standard 12.7 mm mount. Compared with the EUR 299 MC X10, which carries a plain elliptical diamond of the same tip radius rather than a nude one, the X20 adds 1 dB of channel separation, halves the frequency response tolerance and raises lateral compliance.

Key specs that matter

Output is 0.4 mV at 1 kHz and 5 cm per second. Internal impedance, given as DC resistance, is 6 ohms, and Ortofon recommends a load above 50 ohms. The nude elliptical diamond has an r/R 8/18 micrometre tip radius and is carried on an aluminium cantilever. The recommended tracking force is 2.0 g. Frequency response is 20 Hz to 20 kHz within plus or minus 1 dB. Channel separation at 1 kHz exceeds 25 dB and channel balance is 0.5 dB. The body is black, and total weight comes to 8.6 g.

Engineering and use context

Its coils use high-purity silver wire, and the magnet system uses a one-piece pole cylinder combined with a rear magnet yoke, which Ortofon specifies for maximum magnetic efficiency. Damping relies on rubber compounds developed by the company for this series to keep the moving system stable and precise. The body is formed by Metal Injection Molding from stainless steel shaped into a honeycomb core structure, and its surface receives a physical vapor deposition treatment. Ortofon credits the MIM honeycomb frame with the mechanical stability of the whole series, and the same frame, coil wire and magnet layout are shared across the X models, with stylus profile and cantilever material separating them.

Pairing

With its low output the MC X20 belongs with an MC phono input or with a step-up device feeding an MM input. The loading requirement is stated only as a minimum, so any MC input set above it meets the maker's figure.

Alternatives

One rung up in Ortofon's X range, the MC X30 replaces the elliptical tip with a nude Fine-Line stone of 8/40 micrometre radius.