Ortofon MC A90 cartridge

Having used the Jubilee for couple of years before acquiring the A90, I can say emphatically that the latter is on a completely different performance plane.

The Jubilee does share some of the same ease (tracking prowess?) and throws a pretty big stable soundstage while balancing neutrality and robustness well.

But the Jubilee does not have anything like the open window clarity of the A90. The A90 throws a wider deeper stage and has far more life and transient quickness. The top end of the A90 kills the Jubilee.

As others have said, the A90 is a real chameleon, it's sound can change dramatically from record to record and track to track (the Jubilee does this to a lesser extent). The field of depth is greatly expanded - records recorded distantly from the mics sound further back, upfront recordings further forward. But it's the clarity/transparency I can't get over. It's the first really expensive cartridge i've owned, so maybe this is par for the course, but it's made my (relatively modest) system sound much more transparent than I thought it could.

If you want hear back into the recording and be put in touch with the musicians, this is a great cartridge.

The posts above summed it up well. This cartridge's clarity is amazing.

Hi MikeL - I'm curious to hear your thoughts on the A90/Reed combo. Steve has said good things about it, and I'm taking the leap on a Reed 2P. I'd be curious to hear your impressions as well. - Chris

Dear Downunder: I don't own the A-90 but I already heard it in my system, here is what I posted that time:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1200430667&openflup&1026&4#1026

Ortofon was in this cartridge market for so many years, I always admire their skills/knowledge about. Why their top LOMC cartridges were not " inside " the high-end community day by day " mouth "? is something that I can't explain due to Ortofon great cartridges quality performance.

I'm glad that with the A-90 things are improving in this regard as improving is their cartridge top performance.
The A-90 motor/stylus is similar of that of the Windfeld and the 7500 model but that A-90 new cartridge body makes a difference for the better making " dust " several top today LOMC cartridges, of course that each cartridge performance is system dependent and owner dependent but with the A-90 I think that any one that can hear it will concur on its very high quality performance.
No I don't go/run to buy it but I like it.

regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Raul,
I just read your post in the above link.Very Interesting and Informative.Thank you for taking the time and giving us insight to your experiences with cartridges.
I for one appreciate your efforts
Thank you

Chris,

last night i did install the used Ortofon Jubilee on the Technics/Reed and this morning jtinn (who is visiting me this weekend) and i dialed it in. i'd say that it's set-up level is 'fairly close', but not spot on perfect.

there is a significant chasm in many ways between the refinement of the Jubilee compared to the A90 or the Olympos. those two thoroughbreds leave the Jubilee in the dust in the ability to see into the recording and levels of realism and nuance. i'm not being negative on the Jubilee, as it is a very 'nice' cartridge to listen to, better behaved and with more balance overall than some other (un-named) cartridges in that 'around $2k' price range (the Jubilee is no longer made i understand). of course, everyone has their own perspective on the merits of 'well-behaved' and 'nice'....and even 'balanced'.

OTOH the Technics/Reed allow the Jubilee to likely have more overall energy and particularly more bass slam. the Reed really has a 'jump' factor, and the Jubilee sings and boggies on the Reed. we played 'Hey Nineteen' from 'Gaucho', a half speed MCA pressing. this had been a reference Lp earlier in the decade in jtinn's and my sessions. in many ways we preferred the Reed/Jubilee's take on the cut. those big fat bass whacks really hit us in the chest. the detail was lacking but in this case the tt/arm delivered the goods.

the Reed is the real deal....and i can't wait to be able to compare the Technics/Reed to the Garrard/Triplaner head to head both with A90's next week.