Ortofon 2m red to blue upgrade

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Craig Spiegel, Sep 8, 2017.

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  1. punkmusick

    punkmusick Amateur drummer

    Location:
    Brazil
    I measured 54mm from stylus tip to headshell washer, which gives the Technics alignment in my Pioneer (instead of the 52mm of the SL1200). But I'm not even sure I did it right when I was using that 54mm measure, maybe it was slightly misaligned, I don't know. Anyway, the problem was the alignment not the 2M Blue. No problem when properly aligned to Baerwald.
     
    Leonthepro likes this.
  2. hitmanhart408

    hitmanhart408 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Miami, FL
    This afternoon I placed an order on Music Direct for the $236 blue. I currently have the Red on my Pro-Ject TT. Now i'm seeing that I can get the much cheaper $189 Blue stylus instead. Is this correct?
     
  3. BIGGER Dave

    BIGGER Dave Forum Resident

    The Blue cartridge is a direct retrofit for the Red catridge. (Because the Red cartridge and the Blue cartridge are exactly the same).
     
    H8SLKC likes this.
  4. Echoes Myron

    Echoes Myron Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Yes. Just the Blue stylus is all you need.
     
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  5. BIGGER Dave

    BIGGER Dave Forum Resident

    Sorry, I meant to say - The Blue STYLUS is a direct retrofit for the Red catridge. (Because the Red cartridge and the Blue cartridge are exactly the same).
     
    H8SLKC likes this.
  6. Kristofa

    Kristofa Enthusiast of small convenient sound carrier units

    Location:
    usa
    I think there might be an even cheaper option somewhere on the SHF classifieds.
     
  7. Socalguy

    Socalguy Forum Resident

    Location:
    CA
    It ain’t gonna sound any better after 50 hours of “break in”. It is what it is.
     
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  8. Hobhood

    Hobhood New Member

    Location:
    winchester
    I have now tried 2 Ortofon Blue replacement styluses from two different suppliers in order to upgrade a red cartridge, Both distort. I tried your suggestion - giving it an extra squeeze and it still did not work. Both were Anniversary editions. I suspect some kind of manufacturing issue here...
     
  9. Henry Phillpotts

    Henry Phillpotts Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Oxford, UK
    Interesting. In the end my blue proved to be faulty too. I returned it and bought an OM40 stylus instead which I am much happier with.
     
  10. Danderpet

    Danderpet Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    I upgraded from the Ortofon Silver with a Blue stylus. The first time, it was lots of distortion and electrical interference. After returning that one and ordering from another place, the Blue is so nice- just keeps sounding better and better. Been a few months of playing.
     
  11. Vinyl Fan 1973

    Vinyl Fan 1973 "They're like soup, they're like....nothing bad"

    My anniversary Blue is sublime and absolutely no issues with it. My first blue did have a crooked stylus though.
     
  12. Manimal

    Manimal Forum Resident

    Location:
    Southern US
    How is the anniversary different from regular blue?
    My brother just got the bronze. Sounds awesome. I have blue.
     
  13. Vinyl Fan 1973

    Vinyl Fan 1973 "They're like soup, they're like....nothing bad"

    Manimal likes this.
  14. Soundslave

    Soundslave Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tomsk,Russia
    Just wanted to add 2 cents of my experience, since we already had a very light intersection with Vinyl Fan on the forums :)

    I have a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Esprit SB DC and for quite some time wanted to make an upgrade on it. So far, I got a 74$ deal for the Blue stylus, so I couldn't resist.
    I had some little trouble disconnecting Red stylus because it was somewhat tight on the cartridge, but eventually I've found the right angle and force to took it off and replace with the Blue. Using 1.8g as recommended tracking force.
    The volume was lower, not significantly though, but I had to add like 5db on my SA-9900 amp. What really drew my attention is lower noise, I guess that is called IGD. Then the overall sound was more balanced now. With the Red I heard some sibilance and more forward vocals (with a bit of a "crunch" coloration) on recordings here and there, Blue now delivers amazing vocals to my ears. Nice instrument separation and a more detailed sound. Bass is now more tight, but at first I got the impression that it was kinda less "wide". Yet again, there's a little more kick to it now. Overall very realistic, dynamic, detailed and extended sound over the Red stylus. Oh, I also really like how cymbals are presented now - a bit airy, separated and extended hence additional upper kHz on the Blue.

    For now I guess it was a good experience and really the right amount of advantages for the given price.
     
  15. Danderpet

    Danderpet Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    This is a personal update, about 7 months in from upgrading my Ortofon silver with a Blue cartridge...
    I'm a writer and often sit in the room with records playing, only half aware of what I'm listening to. It takes a lot, in the heat of working on a new project, to be pulled out.
    Preamble over, maybe three weeks ago, the sound of my spinning vinyl would just stop me in my tracks.
    I've heard from people worth trusting that there really is very little difference in the break-in period, others say to wait to be wowed.
    Well, this cartridge is twice as full and nuanced as the first months mounted. I have never heard music sound this good.
    I just put on Nick Cave's," Push the Sky Away," after months apart, and it is a very different experience.
    So, anyone thinking of a similar upgrade- maybe this helps.
     
  16. Leonthepro

    Leonthepro Skeptically Optimistic

    Location:
    Sweden
    No cart Ive ever used have I had this experience with, neither would I dare to claim I actually did even if I thought it happened since remembering what things sounded like even yesterday is hard enough.
     
    Socalguy likes this.
  17. Danderpet

    Danderpet Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    Isn't that the beauty of subjective experience?

    That was mine.
     
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  18. Michael Landstrom

    Michael Landstrom Active Member

    Location:
    Rock Island
    Well, looks like the right channel of my red died on my debut carbon esprit, so I went ahead and ordered a blue cartridge. Hopefully i will hear an improvement. I would think the stylus from the red that died is still good, no?
     
  19. Leonthepro

    Leonthepro Skeptically Optimistic

    Location:
    Sweden
    How much has it been used?
     
    Soundslave likes this.
  20. Soundslave

    Soundslave Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tomsk,Russia
    Um, if you're saying that the right channel has died I guess the stylus worn out for sure, how could it be "still good" then? :) Or you consider it to be the problem with the interconnection inside the shell?
     
  21. Michael Landstrom

    Michael Landstrom Active Member

    Location:
    Rock Island
    I get a load of about 1200 ohms across the pins of the left channel of the cartridge but the right side pins are open. I'm getting continuity from where the wires plug onto the cartridge, to the output connectors, so I figure the problem must be within the cartridge. I wasn't sure if just the right side of a stylus could go bad, so I assumed it's something other than the stylus that is bad within the cartridge.
     
    Last edited: Oct 16, 2018
    Soundslave likes this.
  22. Michael Landstrom

    Michael Landstrom Active Member

    Location:
    Rock Island
    I've had it since Dec. or Jan
     
  23. Michael Landstrom

    Michael Landstrom Active Member

    Location:
    Rock Island
    I would think the coil for the right channel must have came unsoldered internally and that the stylus is still good. I'll find out tomorrow when the new cartridge arrives
     
    Soundslave likes this.
  24. Leonthepro

    Leonthepro Skeptically Optimistic

    Location:
    Sweden
    Well, Ive got no idea how much you play so it could either be very worn or very slightly so.
     
  25. Michael Landstrom

    Michael Landstrom Active Member

    Location:
    Rock Island
    I'm guessing it's probably got close to 200 hours on it
     
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