Exact 2 vs 2M Bronze

Hi guys,

I’ll be pulling the trigger on a Rega P6 in the next few weeks and have been trying to decide between the Exact 2 and 2M Bronze. My dealer’s personal preference is with the 2M Bronze, because he thinks the highs are lacking on the Exact.

Reading numerous threads here about the subject, I was pretty confident in the Exact until I read it is prone to some hum due to an unshielded (or poorly shielded) cartridge. My house doesn’t have the best grounding situation, and I think it is an EMI fest. (Single coil pickups in my guitar are pretty buzzy)

So was hoping some of you had some personal experience between the two. How audible is the hum on the Exact? Is the Ortofon 2M Bronze shielded well? Is it dead silent?

Any experience with the sound characteristics between the two?

FYI, the music I listen to is primarily classic rock, pop, funk, soul, and, blues. I like a punchy bass, and sweet mids, with open highs.

 

Had no him with my Exact and loved it’s tonal balance. Personally not a fan of the 2M series and I have a Blue. I find them to be on the thin side and a touch bright. Prefer the ballsy, fuller sound of the exact.

 

There's certainly no lack of highs with the Exact, it does sound fuller/fatter than a 2M (I've only had 2M Red & Blue before) but it sparkles too. I prefer the Rega, especially as a 2M will need a 2mm VTA shim fitted on a Rega arm and with the Rega carts being designed for the Rega tonearms alignment is taken care of just by bolting it on.

There's no audible hum with the Exact on my P6 until it gets into the run out groove where there is a very quiet hum which disappears when moving the arm back but it is very quiet and really, it's nothing to be concerned about. It has no effect on the playback.

 

No hum on my RP-6 w/ Exact. I also have crappy wiring. I think Rega hum issues are due to location of the external PSU or phono stage more than anything else. Rega TTs ground through their RCA lines.


I stuck with the Exact when the last one wore out. It was a simple task, no shimming or VTA adjustment needed. I think your dealer is wrong. I would stick with the cart designed for the TT which gives you perfect alignment and get a used 2M Bronze if you are that curious.

 

I recently bought a P6 with Exact, my previous one was a Pro-Ject with the Bronze. After about 50 hours I decided the Exact was not for me, and installed the Bronze, much better for my tastes. To avoid the hum on the Exact keep the TTPSU as far as possible from the TT (and some people say below it). With the Bronze I use a thinner mat (2mm) instead of the one supplied (4mm) and it works perfectly.

 

Glad to hear that my concerns don’t seem to be a widespread issue. Still leaning toward the exact.

What exactly do you like better about the Bronze? How would you describe the strengths and weaknesses of each?

 

I have both of these cartridges and think the Exact has a slight edge. I find it to be a fuller, richer sound that the Bronze. But really cant go wrong either way imho.

 

Just did not like. A lot of people love it and a lot of people don´t. If you understand mastering differences maybe you will understand that: The Exact sounds like a ´´Strawberry ´´ mastering and the Bronze sound like a ´´Sterling´´ mastering. I avoid Strawberry Studios masterings but a LOT of people like it. Anyway is just down to taste, try both and then you will know.

 

Tonewheelz,

Sorry to piggyback on your thread, but I've been interested in the rega cart and have a question.....
How does the exact 2 track with bad pressings, IGD, etc? Is it any better, same than the 2M bronze?

Thanks.

 

The Exacts I've had never really had to track a "bad pressing" but as a general rule they don't accentuate surface noise and in fact seem to keep it to a minimum. As for IDG, in a Rega arm on a Rega turntable you wont experience any since the Exact is a stellar tracker and the sound remains consistent from the lead in groove to the dead wax. I recommend giving the record a quick dust before play and clean the stylus with a tightly bristled stylus brush and a good liquid cleaner before each play.

 

I have the Exact on my Planar 6 and the Bronze on my old P3(2000). Both are excellent cartridges. The Exact seems to pick up less surface noise, which is definitely a plus and it is much easier to install on Rega players. The Bronze allows you to change the stylus rather than the whole cartridge. Since these cartridges are installed on different turntables and different systems, any sound quality comparisons are apples and oranges comparisons. You can't go wrong with either cartridge.

 

Thanks for the input guys. I think I’m gonna go with the Exact, and eventually a Rega Fono MKIII to try getting that Rega synergy going.

 

The Exact / Rega Fono MKII pairing sounds fantastic. I have that for my Planar 3 along with a Rega TTPSU. Love it.

 

I have a RP6 with Exact. No hum issues at all. My power supply is close to the turntable as well. Also I do not hear any lack of highs.

 

My own experience has been that humming is the fault of the phono stage. Neither the Exact or the Bronze has any humming issues, when Rega phono stages are used. My old Graham Slee 2SE was another story completely.

 

Currently running Nagaoka mp200 on mp110 body on RP6. I had the Exact and OM-30, a kind of old version on Bronz before. Hum was not an issue with Exact but with RP6 and TTPSU since Rega uses a 'strange' philosophy on grounding. You can goolge on hum on rega decks. there you can find plenty.
but I like Exact the least. even less than OM-10. Something was missing while with Exact. I've never enjoyed music with it. if you're on rega facebook group, you will find many who advocate Exact are not experienced with other carts. in the mean time who've used other carts, if not all, many would recommend you to go for some other brands, especially for MM. Rega is not good a making MM carts.
MP200 really gives a heavenly sound btw

 

Rega's TT grounding scheme is going to result in hum sometimes when paired with non-Rega components. It is is possible to work around it, but that requires troubleshooting and experimentation. Many people give up before they figure out a solution.

 

I think some here are misunderstanding the discussion re. the mentioned hum potential of the Exact which was nothing to do with grounding.
The Rega Exact like Grado's Prestige carts have next to no sheilding and so can pick up a bit of EMF from AC motors.
Like I said in my previous post, while this can be detected when the cart is within a couple of inches from the motor it is so quiet that it does not occur during playback and it's really not an issue at all.

 

The Bronze is brighter and the Exact more muffled, ask yourself what kind of sound you prefer, there is no right one.

 

Well I certainly don’t prefer muffled lol. I can’t imagine anyone who does.

Does the Bronze sacrifice anything that it makes up for with the top end?

 

I was hyperbolizing. Some like muffled to be sure, but depending on the rest of your system it could balance out. You have to know your current systen well before knowing what to change, is it too bright or too muffled on most records?

 

This is also my experience. It is a non-issue imo.

 

I have owned both and while the Bronze is excellent, I prefer the Exact by a good margin. Currently run it on both of my RP6s. Exact is a warmer, fuller sounding cart and an excellent tracker. Great balanced tone and still very detailed. No hum issues. I think it is a great cart.

 

In relative terms, I would agree with you. The Bronze is brighter than the Exact. However, I've always found the Bronze to be very neutral sounding, while the Exact is a little on the warm side. Like you said, it comes down to personal taste. Personally, I prefer the neutrality of the Bronze but find that the Exact tracks better with less surface noise and less IGD. It's a trade off for me.

I might add that the Exact really shines with older records.

 

The Bronze has a replaceable stylus plus you can always upgrade to a Black stylus. You will need to use shims though where on the Exact you don't have to. I've had both and I was happy with either of them.