Thinking of upgrading my Cartridge from the Grado Black3 to the Ortofon Blue. Would love to hear from people that have the Ortofon Blue and their thoughts on it. I do like the Grado and the punchy bass it has will that be lost with the Blue? Im going to my local dealer where I can bring in my TT and set it up so I can listen to it, but that wont be for another 2 weeks. So in for the time being was just wondering what you all thought. Im open to other suggestions in that price range it would be nice to give my dealer a list so when I do come in I could listen to them all.
Maybe consider the Grado Red or Gold if you like the Grado sound. Grado also has new cart called the Opus3 that is priced similarly to the Gold if you want to explore wood bodies. The Opus is made of maple instead of the Jarrah Wood used on the other wood bodies.
I like the blue very much. Great allrounder. In my system the bass is not very deep, but it is tight and punchy and always present. What I like most about the blue is that bass, mid and treble are all very much present without emphasizing any of them to much. Treble is clear but not bright. But off course your results may and will vary. I have been a blue user for years so I’m so used to it and my system that it is unlikely that I’m giving proper unbiased advice. Never heard the Grado so I can’t compare. Used the blue for years on different tables and never been disappointed. No (noticeable) IGD, rarely any sibilance and easy to install. Since a couple of month I use the Bronze. It is better, but not that much. Good luck and enjoy your search.
I had the 2m blue until needs stylus replacement ... then AT appears with the new vm500 AT cartridges. "A micro line stylus on that price? practically the same price as a new 2m blue? I will check that" I bought the vm540ml ... and ... forget about IGD / sibilance / distortion on records where the 2m blue fails ... much more clear sound. Check it out before you pay the same for a standard profile stylus ... or better ... test the new vm95ml for around 160 bucks with also micro line stylus.
I was never a fan of the Grado Prestige lineup. It has its fans, particularly the Gold, but I found it too thick, like a steak smothered in gravy. The Ortofon 2M Blue is very clean, clear and neutral to a fault. It's a great budget cartridge and for $200, you can't do any better. That said, Audio Technica and Nagaoka also have great carts at that price range. I'd also recommend the Denon DL-100...if it were still priced at $140. At $350, it's far too expensive and outclassed by other brands in that price range.
I have a 2M Blue and recently bought an AT VM95ML and I absolutely love it. Best bang for your money is the AT VM95ML and sounds amazing. Listening to some Neil Young album Comes A Time and the acoustic guitars are amazing. I like the Blue and love the VM95ML
Microline (or micro-ridge) is the more advanced diamond existent, the closest to the shape of a cutting stylus, wears more evenly and have more lifespan than any other stylus. I will not say anymore, but who thinks that 2m blue with standard elliptical stylus is great value and not listened the vm540ml or the vm95ml for the same (or less) price ... well I do it ... and it's another level of sound.
Recently installed 2M Blue on my table. Really enjoying it. As already mentioned, it’s a nicely balanced cart. I upgraded from an AT 120E, which overly emphasized the highs, sounded shrill and thin. AT sound?
AT 120e is the previous AT line, I don't listened to that "generation" ... but the new cartridges are balanced and smooth, you can check that AT added more VTF to the new cartridges, for example. And ... you need to check the capacitance, because AT asks for 150pF maximum and Ortofon for 300 pF. If you have long cables or high capacitance preamp you'll favour Ortofon. More capacitance generates a "skinny" sound.
That is a previous generation AT which had a small top-end boost. That top-end boost can become shrill when the cart is improperly loaded with too much capacitance, which was a common problem. I don't know how you had the cart loaded. Anyway, the whole AT MM line went through some new design tweaks and is much more neutral now. However, they do spec low capacitance for all these cartridges, no more than 200pf total, including tonearm wiring and phono cables.
The 2M Blue will sound completely different from the Grado. It will likely track better. I would be careful about spending too much money on a cart for the UTurn though. You are better off saving that money for a better turntable first.
Agree not gonna spend a ton of money on the U turn, will be upgrading to a Rega 3, or if I can find a decent priced on the Linn Sondek in the future. For now I just want to upgrade and play around with other Carts. Thank you all for your thoughts on the different Carts Ill be keeping my dealer busy
I would too. In that $1k - $1500 range, it often seems to come down to Rega and Technics, which are obviously very different tables. I'd throw the new Project X2 in the mix too. If I went with the SL1500c, I would get a different cart right off the bat. I have the 2M Blue on my U-turn now, and I find it good overall, no real complaints. The AT VM95ML or 540 would be on my list next. Personally, I don't think you would hear a big difference in the lower end Rega models and the U-Turn with a good cart and good phono preamp. I could be wrong, but in an A/B test, I think most people wouldn't find them worlds apart at all. That said, my next table will probably be a Technics, just not sure which one yet. Depends when I have the funds. But really, I have no complaints with the u-turn. Their company service is exemplary. For example, recently my motor has been making little clicking noise. Not audible through the speaker, but just something that shouldn't be there. I emailed the folks, and free of charge, they sent me a new motor and a new belt. I haven't installed them yet, but will if the original motor bites the dust (that piece is made in China apparently, the rest I think is made in the US (not sure where the tonearm is made).
The 1500C is a great upgrade over the uturn. I don't like the "basic" features on Rega ... and the construction quality ... did you see a Rega p3 from the bottom? The motor is like a joke ... 1k usd? without vta? without a quality antiskating? And the legendary rega bit quick speed, only corrected with the neo psu ... after talking bad about the technics quartz lock since 70s. I don't say rega turntables are bad, only overpriced. A Technics / Mofi / Vpi / Avid / Clearaudio ... better values.
I had a 2M Blue for awhile and to be honest, I never liked it. It didn't track well, it spotlit certain frequencies and overall just didn't do it for me. I couldn't wait to get rid of it. Now, I have always like the sound of Audio Technica carts and currently own the VM540ML. It's easy to set up, tracks like a bloodhound and makes everything sound good. It can play Hip Hop, it can play jazz, it can play rock. It doesn't care.
I believe my preamp, Cambridge Audio Azur 640p, has a 220 load. Looks like the AT’s are speced to a 100-200 load, while the 2M Blue is 150-300. Probably a better match for my preamp. Good to know!
I don't care for them either - obviously many people like them or they wouldn't be selling so many. The motor is the same cheap off-the-shelf industrial motor that a lot of belt-drive turntable companies use. It's very cheap when purchased in large bulk quantities. Now, there is a way to calibrate the speed without the the upgraded PSU, but that requires using a strobe disk and placing layers of thin electrical tape on the subplatter. Another option is to purchase an aftermarket subplatter and/or belt and see if that improves things. Even if you get the PSU, you will still need to calibrate with a strobe disk. Not something I have the patience for at this point in my life.
I agree ... That's why I prefer a Technics for the same price tag. Spot on speed, fully configurable, detachable headshell and without belt changing. Only 2 drops of oil on the spindle every 2000 hours ... I have one with 38 years and that's the only thing I do ... 2 drops of oil every 4 years ... and working flawless.
Chiming in because my beloved DL-160 on myAT-PL120 finally bit the dust. I was getting kinda sick of that table and its inconsistent speeds anyway, so impulsively grabbed a cheap Pro Ject Debut Carbon second hand, along with a new 2M Blue stylus to replace the stock Red. Set it all up, tossed a couple of hockey pucks under my floor speakers and BOOM! I cannot BELIEVE how much better this new setup sounds. The 2M Blue has a soundstage so wide you could drive a truck through it, and I am loving how even the highs, mids and lows are coming through. It's like all my records sound new again! Cannot recommend the Blue highly enough! Now to blow more money on records I cannot afford!
I have all 3 of those. They’re all totally different sounding. The VM95ML is a beast. It’s got excellent overall sound, perfect tracking, great bass as well. It’s what I would recommend. I do however love the Grado. Even though i get a bit of a hum in my system, I don’t care. That’s how much I love it. It has its quirks though. It’s got mega bass, more than the other two. But everything about it is so lush. I like having it in my collection. If you like that laid back sound, stay away from the 2M blue. The 2m Blue sounds very cold. I like it for some music, but it’s not my favorite cart I own by far. Money wise, knowing now how the 2m blue sounds, it’s not worth usd retail. I got a great deal from a forum member, so I’m not mad about it lol. The blue isn’t bad, you just have to like that kind of sound. If you can hear it first, do that. Blind buy? Audio Technica VM95ML all the way.