Let's be candid about it – Father's Day can sneak up on the best of us. But for those of you looking to splash out on dad this weekend – and you've left it very last minute to buy something meaningful – this Ortofon MC Quintet Blue moving coil cartridge might be just the thing.
If your dad has a turntable that is in dire need of an upgrade, then one way to refresh it could be by updating the cartridge. The five-star Ortofon Quintet Blue is a former What Hi-Fi? Award-winner that will do the trick, and you can even make a decent saving thanks to its current discount.
Available for just £399 from Peter Tyson, this deal could complete or upgrade your old man's vinyl setup. But act fast, as there's only one left in stock!
Ortofon has been making moving coil cartridges for almost 80 years. In that time, the company has produced more than 100 different models, and this experience makes itself known in products like the Quintet Blue.
Moving coil cartridges tend to be more pricey than moving magnet designs, but the Quintet Blue walks the line between affordability and precision by implementing an elliptical tip and aluminium cantilever into a design that is otherwise reminiscent of Ortofon’s more premium Black cartridge.
Weighing 9g, the Blue should sit comfortably at the end of most tonearms, and is easily mounted via a squared-off ABS body with captive threads.
The cartridge’s output voltage of 0.5mV (1kHz, 5cm/sec) is also fairly respectable for a moving coil, which tends to output lower voltages than a moving magnet design, but it is still low enough that you'll need a dedicated moving coil input on your amplifier or phono stage.
If you are buying the MC cartridge for Father’s Day, it might be worth checking whether your dad’s system already has these features.
So let's talk about the sound. In our review, we described the Quintet Blue as a “terrific performer”, adding that we were impressed by its “refinement and ability to render treble textures”.
Rhythmically, we found it “surefooted” with a “fine sense of drive”, but did note that it fell slightly behind the similarly-priced Goldring 2400 moving magnet cartridge when listening to heavy rock music.
If your dad has been looking to add a moving coil cartridge to his record player, as dads sometimes do, this bargain could be just the thing for those willing to spend a little extra on Father’s Day.
Whoever you're buying for, there’s only one left in stock, so don't hang around if you want to pick up this Ortofon Quintet Blue MC cartridge for just £399 from Peter Tyson.
MORE
Read our guide to the best cartridges: budget and premium options for your turntable
Check out our Ortofon Quintet Blue review
And our best turntables 2026: top record players tested by our expert reviewers
