Tell me about the Ortolan Cadenza Black

I heard on a Merrill Williams TT with a new 9 inch Ortofon arm at George Merrill's shop. It was very, very nice with a good balance between warmth and detail. Excellent soundstage. It was a bit higher than my price range and I settled for a Cadenza Red which I enjoyed for about three years with a Merrill Heirloom TT and an SME M2-9 arm and tubed Quad Mono Blocks. Personally I think the Cadenza line is superb for the money.

I think lots of folks prefer the Cadenza Bronze to the Black, if that's an option for you. The Bronze is less expensive.

I chose the Ortofon Cadenza Bronze on my Nottingham Dais with the Origin Live Enterprise-C tonearm. It tracks like a dream, is extremely quiet in the groove, and has a touch more warmth than the Black. Depending upon the balance of the rest of your system and which way you'd like to take it you can choose either the Black or Bronze. I find the Bronze to be a bit more musical while the Black may be a bit more revealing or analytical in nature.

I used the Black with my Kuzma Stabi Reference and Stogi Reference arm.
I thought it to be a steal at its price point.
When i upgraded to a TW GT and 10.5 arm I opted for a Windfeld.
I very seldom recommend anything but if you can swing it the Windfeld is special