HELP! Ortofon 2M Black Mistracking Fagen's Nightfly MoFi 1-Step?

FWIW, I am staying away from these MoFi one step releases because of my experience with the Sunday At The Village Vanguard release. With my 2M bronze, I kept getting distortion on side 3, disk 2. MoFi did send me a replacement, which has the same distortion on the same spot. When I have the chance, and patience, I will try the original and replacement disks on another table/cart at the local dealer. For now, I am just assuming it has to do with my TT/2M bronze.

 

The 2M Black is detailed to the point of Forensic. It tends to dig surface noise and distortion and bring them forward.

 

I've tried three different copies of the 45rpm MoFi One-Step. All three do the same thing - distortion on track 1, disc 2 ("Goodbye Look").

 

If it actually sound good at 1.78 then that is its correct vtf.
I would not concern yourself about tests 3 and 4. I am reliably informed
That test 3 . 300+14 db is the level all records are cut at. And its music your cartridge had been designed for. Not over the top tests

 

Maybe you just reached the limit of the 2M Black. The AT is cleaner no doubt, and it has a boron cantilever and a microcline stylus. I have the same experience comparing the OM40 vs Shure V15Vx with a SAS/boron stylus. The Shure/SAS is just cleaner in the highs.

 

Yes the problem is on the record, the needle can't be this bad. Played the original record, sounds much better.

 

The 2M Black is a good cartridge but certainly there are better and more capable cartridges out there. It is quite possible that the 2M cannot track the Mofi Fagen accurately.

That being said, I want to see more evidence from other users that this is the case. When I owned the 2M Black I never had any problems with mistracking, even in the most modulated passages.

IMO, these one step pressings are very demanding. They test your system to the limit and reveal weaknesses and limitations where you don't expect it.

Unless more users come out and provide evidence that they have similar problems with the 2M Black and this particular pressing, for me, the problem might be with something else.

If I had to guess, I would say that the issue is not with the cartridge per se but rather with the stylus being worn or problematic.

 

This has a lot of right channel sizzle and crackle. The right channel is the wall of the groove to the outside of the record edge. After ensuring you are using antiskate that matches the weight (you should always use this if it functions correctly - it corrects the skew force from tonearm offset angle that pulls the tonearm inward), I would set the tracking weight to the max for the cartridge. This could be too hot a record for the stylus to track without downforce.

It also could be a pressing fill problem.

The example above is not exactly what I would call detailed, compare to the digital track (31:33) even after lossy video/audio compression:
(set youtube volume to match)

 

I had the 2m for about a year. It is very revealing. You hear every pop and crackle.
Switched to a Cadenza MC Red. noise gone.
currently considering a cadenza bronze.

 

Sometimes there’s no apparent rhyme or reason. Some stylus shapes and carts deal with different pressings differently sometimes.

If you are considering changing out the 2M Black, which you say you otherwise like, just for this issue with this particular record then I think that’s a bad idea personally. Just my 2 cents...

 

The lesson here appears to avoid Ortofon 2M cartridges. I have found AT cartridges track superbly but I would recommend the MC models especially 33 series for a smoother top end. Maybe go for an elliptical profile where alignment is slightly less critical than line contact designs. No distortion issues here with the one step Night Fly.

 

The 2M's are good carts but the AT's are better, especially those with boron cantilevers and microline styli (150mlx, 33ptg/ii). Aluminum simply can't keep up with boron. The only thing that betters boron is beryllium. It's a champ in the inner groove.

 

Except for the cantilever mass and stiffness, the most important factor is how well the parts are assembled and the quality of stylus polishing. I believe that in general MC cartridges are assembled with higher precision. MM cartridges have separate stylii produced in higher quantities and can vary more in precision.

 

It's the record. I also went through two copies, different stampers, both of which distort in the same places on Side 3 (listening to it again as I write this). In my case, it's a grainy haze in the left channel that appears several times.

I have had the distortion problem not only with two different 2M Bronze styli, but with a Grace F9E Ruby and a Sumiko Blue Point. Makes it real hard to blame the Ortofon...

 

I upgraded my cart to a Lyra Delos and no more distortion. Makes me feel bad for asking a replacement from MoFi. At the same time, why can't they make it so that a 2M bronze (very popular cart) can track it? I have no tracking issues with the 2M Bronze except for this single disk. (The pressing is very dynamic and sounds glorious with the Lyra! Makes me want to get more one step releases ).

Yes, you are describing the distortion I heard on the left channel.

 

I have a 2m black, had it set up by a pro after owning it for a couple years. still not completely happy. i think its time to move on? i have a Musical Fidelity X208cr premp that has MC option but no adjustments. Not sure what MC I could use? Maybe 20x2 high to MM?

 

Correction Musical Fidelity A308cr premp