Ortofon Concorde MK2 Mix Twin Cartridge Review (2026)

Who the Concorde MK2 Mix twin pack is for

This twin pack suits a DJ running two turntables who wants matched cartridges out of the box rather than buying and aligning two separate units individually. Ortofon positions the Mix as a general-purpose, entry-level model in its Concorde MK2 line, built for everyday back-cueing and mixing rather than as a specialist for one particular technique. That makes it a sensible starting point for someone building a first proper DJ cartridge setup, or replacing worn stock cartridges on club turntables, without paying for scratch-specific tracking force or a moving-coil-style Club cartridge tuned for studio sound. Anyone doing frequent, aggressive scratching should look at Ortofon's own Scratch model instead, since that is the line built specifically for that use.

What is actually in the box

The twin pack includes two Concorde MK2 Mix cartridge bodies with styli pre-mounted, housed together in an aluminum flight case, and each cartridge weighs about 18.5 grams. Ortofon's own comparison of the MK2 line describes the Mix as a balanced and functional entry-level cartridge, sitting below the Club and Scratch models in tracking force and output, with a spherical stylus, a 3 gram recommended tracking force, and an output around 6 millivolts. Frequency range is rated at 20Hz to 20,000Hz, matching the DJ and Club variants in that spec, and the Concorde body design means the cartridge and headshell are one integrated piece that bayonets onto any SME-mount tonearm rather than needing separate headshell mounting.

Setting it up and living with it

Because the Concorde design combines cartridge and headshell, installation is largely limited to locking it onto the tonearm and setting tracking force to the recommended 3 grams, without the usual overhang and azimuth alignment a standard cartridge needs. Ortofon recommends cleaning the record with a carbon fiber brush before and after each use, brushing the stylus from the rear toward the tip rather than side to side, and periodically checking antiskating and tracking force as the stylus wears. Replacement styli are sold separately under the matching Concorde MK2 Mix name, so the cartridge body itself does not need replacing when the stylus eventually wears out. For hard scratch routines, expect more skipping than with Ortofon's dedicated Scratch cartridge, which uses a higher recommended tracking force built for that kind of handling.

How it compares with other DJ cartridges

In the DJ-cartridges ranking here, the Concorde MK2 Mix Twin sits in the middle of an eight-item field, behind Ortofon's own Concorde MK2 Scratch Twin and the Concorde Scratch Kit, both built with a higher tracking force specifically for scratch resistance. It ranks ahead of the single Concorde MK2 Scratch cartridge and the OM Scratch White models further down the list. Against the pricier Scratch twin pack, the Mix trades some skip resistance under hard cuts for a lower cost and Ortofon's general-purpose tuning, which suits back-cueing and standard mixing better than aggressive scratch routines.

Bottom line

Get the Concorde MK2 Mix twin pack if you want two matched, easy-to-mount DJ cartridges for standard mixing and back-cueing across two decks, at a lower cost than Ortofon's scratch-specific models. It scores well here for value and general performance, reflecting a genuinely solid, long-running entry point in Ortofon's DJ lineup rather than a cartridge tuned narrowly for club-style sound. If your routine leans heavily on hard scratching, the Concorde MK2 Scratch Twin in this same ranking uses a higher tracking force built to resist skipping under that kind of handling.

Frequently asked questions