ORTOFON T20 MKII

Second-hand. In good conditions. Shows signs of wear as seen in the photos. Without original packaging.

The Ortofon T20 MKII is a step-up transformer designed for low-output moving coil (MC) cartridges, which are often regarded as some of the finest in terms of sound quality. However, due to their very low output levels, they are often incompatible with many modern amplifiers that only feature moving magnet (MM) phono inputs. Furthermore, when working with MC cartridges outputting less than 300 μV, minimizing system noise is essential for achieving optimal performance—a challenge that usually requires very high-end phono preamps.

The T20 MKII offers a simple yet effective solution: it allows users to keep their existing MM phono preamp while benefiting from a clean 28 dB gain, sufficient to handle cartridges with outputs as low as 100 μV without introducing noticeable noise. This makes enjoying low-output MC cartridges both accessible and free from the typical background noise issues.

Compact, lightweight, and completely passive, the T20 MKII requires no power supply and can be placed anywhere with ease. It features a highly shielded toroidal transformer that delivers a wide and linear frequency response, ensuring transparent and dynamic sound reproduction.

The unit is built with an all-steel chassis and internal permalloy shielding to protect the signal from external magnetic interference, helping preserve audio purity. In short, the T20 MKII is the ideal choice for those who want to get the most out of their MC cartridges without overhauling their entire audio setup.

Specifications:

• Precise gain of 25X (28 dB)
• Shielded toroidal transformer
• Gold-plated connectors
• Cartridge impedance: 2–6 Ohms
• Output load: 47K Ohms // 150 pF
• Frequency response: 10 – 60 kHz
• Noise: 12 nV referred to input
• Dimensions: 8.3 x 12.7 x 3.2 cm (3.25 x 5 x 1.25")
• Shipping weight: 1.8 kg (4 lbs)