I've been enjoying the Ortofon 2M Black for quite some time but felt a change coming on. I'd been looking for a Benz Micro Glider for a while when Steve ( Curuthersesq) of this parish offered me his very low hours Quintet Black and knowing nothing much about this cartridge I did some research and was pleasantly surprised by the positive reports.
So, duely purchased and installed I set about setting it up. After the very fiddly 2M the Quintet is much more straightforward and being basically rectangular in shape using the mirrored protector got the angles sorted easily. VTA took a bit longer but nothing like the 2M.
How does it sound?, it has all the qualities of the 2M Black but with an added sense of space and air, a very delicate enhancement of 2M 's excellent detail. I've also noticed less surface noise, surprising really as both cartridges use a nude shibatta tip. It's at the low bass it really scores highly though, while in no way does it sound muddy or boomy the bass extension is quite dramatic, even really heavy dub reggae is clear and precise. It works well with classical music too, Holst's The Planets sounds both moody and lively in all the right places.
Summing up at less than £700 new it is definitely punching above it's weight and worth considering if you're thinking of upgrading. I just want to hear a Cadenza Black now.....although it's a bit out of my price range at the moment.
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