Recommend an alternative to the Ortofon 2m Bronze...

There was one very popular AT cart (now discontinued) a few years ago that had a 5dB boost in treble, around 10khz. People took that to mean that all AT have big boosted treble, which is false. The biggest problems people have with ATs are a failure to RTFM and load the cartridges correctly.

Correctly loaded most of the current AT MM range should be close to neutral, assuming you have a phono preamp that is not a wacky design. Many phono preamps are designed well and neutral - unfortunately a few that are popular on this forum are not.

No matter what cart you buy, RTFM.

One more note: I often see folks on here and elsewhere trying to switch cartridges thinking it will solve a problem related to something else. Bad idea. If speakers, for example, have an upward tilt in the response due to the design or the room, or lack bass response, for example, a new cart will not fix that.

 

My phono stage (Lounge Audio LCR III) doesn't have adjustable settings, has anyone used it with the AT? Does it seem like a good match?

 

What @patient_ot is alluding to is 'warmth' and 'forward' are two variables in a system that needs to be addressed separately.

 

I like my Bronze and have never considered it forward sounding.

Actually, I am rather surprised that the OP finds it to be forward sounding?

I agree that the Black, which I also have is more detailed and could easily be described by some as forward sounding.

Although I might add that I do prefer the increased dynamics of the black to the more mellow sound of the Bronze.

The Sonata is maybe the best choice that you can make, when it comes to more realistic and natural sounding vocals.

 

One way of putting it. Another way is: address problems and/or deficiencies at the source of the particular problem. Experimentation and process of elimination may be required to get at the root cause.

I said this before but I recently corresponded with a guy who had a serious sibilance issue. He thought it was the cartridge, the phono stage, etc. Turned out to be the speakers and speaker/room interaction as well as hearing sensitivity at certain frequencies. I'm sure he didn't want that to be the case, as the speakers were new and fairly expensive.

 

Here is an example of a what an audiophile would term a "warm" cart. Note that it starts rolling off around 1Khz. By 10khz, it is ~5dB down. Some people might call that pleasant but I would call it defective by design. This is the kind of thing someone might buy as a "band aid" fix for a system issue when it really just creates another problem.

 

Hmm, interesting choice of wording here, as my response comes to be somewhat of a Schrödinger's cat. I agree and disagree with you

• address problems at the source of the particular problem: Agree
• address deficiencies at the source of the particular problem: Disagree, because there is no 'absolute truth' in audio, mere and endless individual tastes in preferred sound. If we were to discuss something bought at Walmart then deficient would be proper wording. However, components discussed at this forum in terms of being deficient as in not up to standard are rare with a few exceptions. The Ifi phono 2 comes to mind as a deficient component.

The OP can add warmth by swapping cart from the neutral 2M Bronze, but that leaves the forward, and harsh sounding variable unattended. Perhaps it will be somewhat mitigated by swapping out the cart.

 

I am listening to it on my SL-1200 Mk2. I have compared it to the 2M Bronze, black, AT PTG2, retipped and stock Dl-103...Shure M97xe with Paratrace retip, shure M91ED (original US NOS stylus) and others.
This has a full accurate but not spotlit in any one frequency. Tracks and traces as well as I can think with no distortion or sibilance I have encountered, and I am very susceptible to those things.

 

I haven’t used one*, but I have used the AT with two different preamps with a 100pf input capacitance (built-in in a Marantz 2250B and a Schiit Mani). It sounds fine through both. This is in contrast to the 470pf input in my Yamaha integrated. We’ll just say it does not sound good. The input capacitance on the LCR III is 120pf, which is pretty close to the 100 that most seem to be using for this cart. If you’re using low capacitance cables already (which it looks like you may be if you’re using the Blue Jeans phono cables), then it should be fine.

*The Lounge in on my shortlist to replace the Mani.

 

That stylus on the bronze is so much nicer than the “budget” denon and nags that always recommended on this forum.

 

I don't find the Bronze to be bright at all. I'd try lowering the arm height a touch. That'll smooth things out. While the AT carts are nice, they are going to be brighter into the same loading. If I were in your shoes, I'd be looking at a nice integrated amp to replace your receiver and possibly phono stage. As an example of one to try, I would see if I could hear the Rega Elex-R, which is a very sweet sounding unit with a very good phono section in it. The Brio is as well, but the Elex is even more warm and powerful.
-Bill

 

This is what I have found also. Rega uses 100pf in most of their phono sections, but it seems that most other brands use 220 or so. 350 and up is just nuts. That was used for some of the old Shure cartridges.
-Bill

 

Yep, it's way underrated. Tracks wonderfully and can bring out warmth, power, and detail all at once in a proper system. If it's not, I'd look elsewhere for the issue.
-Bill