Cantilever Twisted on Ortofon 2m Blue

Hello,

I've got a frustrating problem that I can't seem to remedy and it is driving me nuts.

I don't know how long it has been like this, but I have recently noticed that my cantilever is twisted right (towards the outer groove) on my 3 year old Ortofon 2m Blue cartridge. The stylus itself seems to be straight. I have been making adjustments to my azimuth on my Project turntable, but in order to get it straight, the cartridge has to be turned clockwise so that it is nearly touching the record on the one side. Is this too much? I'd post a picture, but I'm not sure how. It sounds good to my ears (I don't know if I can hear a discernable difference from when the stylus was not perpendicular) but I'm worried that I may be damaging something else in the process of trying to correct this azimuth problem. What should I do?

 

The twisted cantilever sounds like the antiskating not properly adjusted but I can't give you details due to not being familiar with your TT

 

Time for a new stylus.
Risk of distortion/record damage too high.

 

New stylus.

 

3 years old. Prob time for a new stylus anyway.

 

Thanks for the input guys.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do at this point. I don't know for sure, but I'm calculating roughly 468 hours on the stylus over 3 years and Ortofon claims 1,000 hours of useful life before degradation in performance. I'd hate to just toss it after half of it's useful life.

But I'm considering an upgrade to the VM540ML.

 

It's just not economical to get that fixed. You could send the cart to a retipper, but it wouldn't be worth it. For the money it would cost you would just buy a new cartridge instead.

 

It's hard to look at it that way. Sometimes you just can't control what happens and you might have to toss a cartridge with 100 hrs on it, it is one of the risks of using vinyl particularly when expensive cartridges are in the equation.

 

I've has Ortofon cantilevers that were rotated, and I've rotated them back using the end of a bamboo skewer. I just put the blunt end of the skewer against the cantilever and apply a slight pressure why I spin the skewer between my thumb and finger in the direction I'm trying to turn the cantilever.

These were not new and I have no idea how they got that way. Got them cheap though.

I'd never do this with new.

 

Yes, I have done it in a similar way. Cantilevers that are rotated can be rotated back.

 

The stylus is user replaceable on the 2M Blue

 

Go for the VM540ML - much better than the Blue. You will rediscover your record collection.

 

I am aware. OP talked about buy a totally different cart so...

 

Well, since you also have Esprit SB DC like myself, I'd ask you the following - were you satisfied with 2M sound in general? If yes, then the easiest way would be just to by a new stylus. Mind you that you don't necessary have to reach out for a whole new 2M cartridge since the geometry is the same on all models. You can even try to save some funds and get previous model stylus which also can be fit (20, 30, 40) and work pretty good - I had an experience of trying out 40 on my 2M Red body. Otherwise you can upgrade to a whole 2M Bronze cart and then have an option to use Black stylus or older 40.
If you plan to move away from 2M line at all, then check what can be appropriate for Pro-Ject 8.6cc tonearm. You mentioned VM540ML cart, which of course seems to be a great one, but I see that it has low compilance which might be a tad inapropriate for your tonearm. If someone could chime in on using low compilance carts on 6g Pro-Ject carbon tonearms then maybe it's not as bad as I think. But based on Resonance Calculator it's not really a good fit.

 

Funny, I rediscovered my vinyl collection with the 2mBlue

@DrD77 get a new stylus for the 2m and yes I know, it is stupid expensive, especially when a new 2mBlue cartridge only costs a bit more.

 

If you actually "upgrade" your equipment, you will rediscover many things... The Blue is a dull sounding cart compared to the AT (imo).

 

The Dual 1229 is an upgrade, I used to have a "Close 'N Play" and that 2mBlue is anything but dull sounding playing records on my tube sound system! I'm not saying that what you recommend isn't better, but I get the Music Direct catalog and I'm fully aware that there are also cartridges that sell for $15,000. Which always leads me to believe that there's one born every minute (or one born with a daddy that gave them $1,000,000 dollars, but we'll save that for another forum)!

 

Ya, that Music Direct catalog is like audio porn.