TECHNICAL DATA for OM "40" STYLUS
Frequency range at - 3dB=20-30.000 Hz
Frequency response=20-20,000 Hz + 2 / - 0 dB
FIM distortion at recommended tracking force=1%
Tracking ability at 315Hz at recommended tracking force=90 um
Compliance, dynamic, latera=l25 um/mN
Stylus type=Nude FG 70
Stylus tip radius=r/R 5/70 um
Equivalent stylus tip mass=0.3 mg
Tracking force range=1.25-1.75 g
Tracking force recommended=1.5 g
Tracking angle=20 degrees
Stylus colour=Black
CARTRIDGE=OM 40, OM 40 Gold
Price=under $200

Ortofon's OM 40 Gold was one of the premier moving magnet phono cartridges of its day. It featured a Ven-Den-Hul stylus that superbly tracked just about any piece of vinyl one could throw its way making phono reproduction a rather enjoyable art to experience. The original discounted price for such a masterful work of art was $140 from the popular mail order houses of the early 80's.

There was no doubt in the audiophile's mind that he or she had something special upon receiving the rectangular bright orange and white package with the Ortofon logo stamped on it. Inside this excellent packaging was quite a new found treasure indeed! I purchased mine in 1985 from Sound Reproduction and have never rewed the day! The OM40 Gold arrived to the audiophile in a mahogany red box with a gold-plated latch. The cart itself was gold plated as was its terminals. Also included was an individual calibration sheet showing the actual response graph of the particular cartridge.

The mounting kit included the usual necessary hardware plus a screwdriver and four color-coded cartridge wires just in case your old headshell's wiring was worn or needed to be replaced. Ortofon wanted to be absolutely sure you would enjoy the cartridge's full potential! What really separated the OM40 Gold from others was its ultra wide stereo separation and its extended frequency response all the way out to 30KHz.

All phono cartridges have a resonant frequency toward the upper end of their limits resulting in a rise at the given frequency which can alter the disc's original sound or make it downright harsh. Audiophiles will not stand for such coloration! Thankfully, the OM40's resonance was and still is well above the audible range. Cheaper cartridges have this resonance placed around 17 to 18 KHz which will readily be noticeable on sibilant sounds where the singer uses pronounced "S"-sss-ssssounds.A bad cart will splatter the sound across both channels giving an edgy sandpapery-like quality to the sound.

The OM40 Gold would have no part of that! As a step up from its slightly lower costing brother...the OM30...it exceeded all the accolades that the previous cartridge embraced. The OM30 Super had indeed been given "best" product awards from several sources. I never did get to see a review on the OM40 Gold as it simply disappeared from the market while the digital compact disc had already grabbed the audio world by its ears...killing off whatever reasons audio buffs had to cling to the so-called woes of the tonearm and turntable.

So folks...this is a review over twenty years in the making for one of the finest phono cartridges and styli ever created at any price...The Ortofon OM40 Gold which now has returned with its new "FG" stylus!

Although Dee Jays and owners of the popular Ortofon nightclub turntable/OM combos will be attracted to this replacement stylus...it should be noted that it is not designed for scratching or backcuing but rather is a wonderful audiophile upgrade for such turntable owners. Dee Jays are audiophiles also sometimes and with this particular stylus now made available again by Ortofon...the DJ can simply go home after a good performance and enjoy really serious sound! The stylus is great for archiving purposes. If the DJ only wishes for a non-upgrade backcuing stylus...then that person would be better off just purchasing the original low compliance spherical "S" $50 replacement which is yet still great sounding!

I remember very well how this cartridge performed with its highly compliant Ven-Den-Hul stylus that featured a super long footprint for superior stylus-to-groove contact! Placing one of my favorite Broadway recordings of all-time...The Original London Cast Stereo recording of "My Fair Lady" on the Dual CS-515 that cost actually a bit less than the cartridge itself...how stunning the performance was! I'll never forget wondering why I never heard or felt such emotion from the record before!

But it doesn't stop there. Album after album is enjoyed to the ultimate with this cartridge. For over twenty years the "40" has been a top favorite of mine and now it is back in the sense that one can purchase any number from Ortofon's "OM" Series and simply upgrade to the number "40" stylus. The only thing lacking is the original gold body of the original cartridge when doing this as the cartridge is not sold anymore...only the newest upgrade stylus for it.

Even though the "40" stylus can be mounted in any of the OM Series carts...it is probably best to use one of the "Super OM" models...10...20...or 30 as these cartridges supposedly have a slightly higher grade of internal components.

I have never heard Chicago's debut album simply entitled..."Chicago Transit Authority" sounding better! The piano, brass and percussion lack the edginess that I've heard when playing the record with lesser cartridges. Listen to the full version of "Beginnings" and you'll understand what I'm getting at! The lengthy percussion riff at the end will send shivers up your spine! The experience only gets better with "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is".

Everything is smooth and emotional with much lower harmonic distortion on the inner grooves than previously encountered. The new Fritz Geiger Stylus seems to pick up every single detail while not reproducing the extraneous groove noises that the original "Ven-Den-Hul" stylus was sometimes guilty of.

The highly polished and crafted transducer has an amazing tracking ability when set to precisely 1 1/2 grams tracking force in the Dual CS-515 semi-auto turntable's "ULM" tonearm. By the way...when mounting the Ortofon OM cartridge in this TT...remove the golden arrow weight embedded in the cartridge's top by gently prying it out with the small screwdriver. This further lowers the already low mass of the cartridge/tonearm combo rendering superior high frequency reproduction and warp-tracking. The mids improve also when doing so.

Former Pickering XSV and Stanton 881S lovers as well as Rega P2 and P3 owners may very well wish to give this special transducer a try. And just in case you think that the OM5E sounds great {and it does!}...baby...you ain't heard nothin' yet until you've tried on an OM40!

The deep detailed bass response is unbelievable as is the OM40's overall breathtaking performance! The stylus is not cheap by any stretch of one's imagination but yet is still one of Analog's better bargains. The stylus itself will cost between $150 to $200 nowadays but is well worth it! I am so glad Ortofon had the wisdom to bring the OM40 back as it remains...at least in my mind...to be one of a handful of phono cartridges that can truly be tagged as..."Reference"...P2

Important Update 2/6/2006:

The Ortofon OM 40 is now available as a complete cartridge for under $240.





Recommended: Yes