Ortofon 2M red

My system is basic: VPI Scout into Rogue Audio Sphinx w/ Wharfedale 10.7 diamonds. I wouldn't say it's bass light but not bass heavy. Some say the at440mla is treble harsh, but it's not bad on my rig. Does the Blue bring out a good amount of bass and midrange? I'm ok with a sideways step from the AT440mla, but I don't want to downgrade.

 

I don't see how a basic nude elliptical (which is what the 2M Blue is) can be an upgrade from a Microline type stylus (which is what the 440 is).

 

Sonically maybe? So what you are saying is the Bronze is a better choice. I'm always trying to save money, but if budgeting and saving a little while longer for a better cartridge is a better option, then I can hold on a little longer.

 

Yes, if you want to get closer to comparing apples to apples w/the 440MLa, then you need to move up in the Ortofon line. I would assume Ortofon's fine line is much closer in profile (though maybe not exactly) to AT's microline stylus. The 2m blue would be more comparable to an AT120E, which is a basic nude elliptical.

Sonics are a matter of taste, IMHO.

If you want something closer in price to the 2m blue, maybe look into the Denon DL-110. This seems to be a fairly popular cart, and I plan to try one myself in the next month or two. Not sure how good of a match it is with your TT, but you could look into that. Note that is a very different cart from the AT as well as it's a HOMC with a "special elliptical" stylus, which I'm guessing is similar to what some companies call a "hyperelliptical".

 

Thanks. I have tried the Denon cart, and it was nice on my Rega P1 a while back. I guess I would get the Blue if it were similar to the AT440 maybe, since it also is a cheaper price than the Bronze. However, it seems that the Bronze, even though its more expensive, might be the way to go for me. I like the AT440, but I think the Bronze might be a better quality build, similar yet better tracking. I also really like the threaded mounting on the Bronze versus the AT cart.

 

Perhaps I can get some advice. For the last 3 years I've used the Nagaoka MP110, and now it's worn. I can get a replacement 110 stylus, but I'm looking to try something new. My first thought was to go with the AT440mlb, but I have not had good sound with AT carts,moo bright in my system. I'm thinking the 2M Blue.

Anyone here have good results and/or feedback with this cart? I've listened to a few comparison clips on YouTube and I was impressed. I feel the MP110 is a little veiled in the mids in my system, and perhaps too warm. I'm also not happy with it handles IGD, so I'm thinking the 2M Blue might be a good compromise and fits my budget.

 

IGD disappears when you move from Red to Bronze. You get what you pay for here.

 

The Blue is a great cart. It's pretty lively, dynamic and exciting. I would call it more detailed than warm. I would value it well beyond it's $235 price point.

 

Thanks! Just placed an order for the 2M Blue, and I can't wait to get it set up. I was able to get it for $181US, so I think that is a good price.

If I find I prefer the Nagaoka, all I have to do is get the replacement stylus for $90 and I'll keep the Ortofon as a back up.

 

I had an AT440. I listened to the Blue and the Bronze. I found the Blue to be the sweet spot in the Ortofon line. I carefully set my table up and the The Blue tracks great. No sibilance or noticeable IGD. I'm running mine on an RP6 and Ortofons work great with Rega arms so maybe that has something to do with it. I found the Blue to sound much more realistic than the AT440. The 440 always sounded a little to bright and etched to me. The Bronze is very nice and more detailed than the Blue but still more realistic sounding than the 440. I didn't really notice any difference in surface noise between the Blue and the Bronze. In the end the Blue just seemed a touch more musical to me and I couldnt justify the price difference between it and the Bronze. Under 500 bucks my favorite cartridges are the 2M Blue and Denon DL-110 for what it's worth.

 

I upgraded from red to blue and I really, really dig the blue. The red is a great stylus for the money, but the blue is another level and worth the price difference. As others here have pointed out, the blue almost completely eliminates inner groove distortion. I love the sound of the blue and have no plans to upgrade further. Listening to Houses of the Holy right now as I type this. The guitars sound incredible...

 

I'm not sure why I never did this before, but watching those cartridge comparison clips on YouTube was really interesting. In some of the videos it was hard to really hear the differences, but in some of the better quality videos, the differences were really apparent.

What a great alternative to having to go out and actually buy all these different carts yourself. Just in utilizing the videos I was able to quickly determine which cartridge would work best in my situation, and which to avoid. What a fantastic resource and I'm not sure why I never really watched those types of videos before.

What sealed the deal for me was hearing the 2M Blue play selections from Miles Davis Seven Steps To Heaven and Black Sabbath's Vol 4. To hear how it tracked the last song on side two, Under The Sun, was very encouraging. How it handled different styles of music, as that is very important to me.

I just had a gut feeling that it was the sound I was missing in my set up, for the money I could spend on a cart. I would have jumped to the Black of course but out of my budget for now. The Blue is the best I can do in my budget for my system, and I loved what I heard.

 

That's good to know. Thank you for the responses, everyone. What it boils down to me is budget. Of course, I want the best for my system, but if I could save money that would be great too. Also, you get what you pay for sometimes, and I guess I'm trying to ration if the Bronze is worth the extra money over the Blue by that much, or if I could be happy with the Blue. Some differences are small and incremental. To be honest, I've had some more expensive carts like a Dynavector 10x5 on my VPI Scout and also a Soundsmith Othello, and I wasn't really impressed. They brought out the best in wonderfully pressed records, but they were terrible with handling inner grooves. The cart on my setup that I have been the most pleased with so far is the AT440mla, which seems to track almost anything, and I rarely hear IGD.

I've had my heart set on the Bronze for a while now, but saving a few hundred dollars for the Blue is tempting!

 

I did an A/B comparison last night of the Blue and Black. I've got two tables, a Carbon with the Blue and a Classic with the Black. I've been getting a little paranoid about the Black wearing out, it's got a lot of hours on in the last 15 months. By comparison, My Blue has seen a fraction of the that use.

I only swapped out the stylus, keeping the cartridge body in place. Even with the extra miles on the Black, it is a much better sounding than the Blue. I am a big fan of the Blue but it sounds much harsher than the Black. There is a veil that is lifted.

I have read many many times on this forum about about surface noise associated with these carts and that the Black is the worst offender. This not my experience at all. I was playing an original pressing of a David Allen Coe record. As you might imagine, it was not originally owned buy someone that was OCD about taking care of records. No SN from either cart.

I know that cart preferences are extremely subjective but if you are into the 2M line and like it, there is no reason to believe that the Black isn't the top of the line as advertised and priced.

 

I'm on a budget...so...I'm probably going to eventually get the Bronze, even though I can quickly and easily purchase the Blue right now. My AT440mla has roughly 700 hours on it, but I am meticulous with record cleaning and stylus cleaning. Bronze it is I guess?

 

I have friends who have the bronze. They like it. Is it worth the price difference from the blue? I don't know; that's up to the purchaser! But hell, safe bet it won't suck...

 

How about the blue?

 

In my experience, the blue almost completely eliminated igd. I went from red to blue....

 

Excellent. I want to go bronze but thats realistic from a budget sense. I appreciate your candor on this.

 

That was my experience, too. Plus much less sibilances.

 

Just my $.02 but I upgraded from a 440mla to the 150mlx about a year ago.............everything the 440 does well, the 150 does better. No disrespect to the Ortofon's but if you like the 440mla, you'll love the 150mlx.

 

I have my mind set on either the Blue or Bronze, even though I really enjoy the AT440mla. With my AT440mla I have practically no IGD or sibilance, only on really bad records, poorly pressed or in poor condition. So if the Blue has practically no IGD, then I would be fine with that to be honest.

 

No direct experience of the blue but the bronze is very, very nice indeed. Eliminates IGD. If the blue is like the OM20 and the bronze is like the OM30, then it is another significant step up IMO.

 

I would expect the black to be better as it's much more money. Same with Nagaoka, so I would have liked to have jumped to the MP-500 but out of my budget.

 

Today I received my 2m Blue in the mail. The cart comes with two sets of screws, so does anyone know which set should be used in mounting to an original Technics headshell?

I didn't realize the screws actually go into the top of the cart, I've always seen carts with the screws coming down the sides.