Under $300 Phono Cartridge Comparison: Ortofon 2m Red, Blue, Grado Red2, Nagoaka MP-110, Goldring E3
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.ย. 2024
- A cartridge shootout between Ortofon 2m Red, Ortofon 2m Blue, Nagaoka MP-110, Grado Prestige Red2, and Goldring E3. Best cartridge under $300
We've taken our top 5 selling cartridges and done a head-to-head shootout using the same turntable and record so that you can compare the sound of each directly at home. These include the Ortofon 2m Red, Ortofon 2m Blue, Grado Prestige Red2, Nagaoka MP-110, and Goldring E3.
A few notes on setup... We chose the Debut Carbon because this is the most common turntable out there and because so many people know them and own them, it is also the most frequently upgraded turntable. Everyone wants to know what's the next step after the Red.
We also chose a non-audiophile record to show that these differences are audible to regular people and on less than stellar recordings or vinyl quality. This record has been played hundreds of times, so things like tracking are perhaps more noticeable when done right, or wrong. Here are our notes from the comparison.
Ortofon 2m Red - www.planetofso...
The Ortofon 2m Red is probably the world's best selling cartridge at its price point because of its inclusion on the ubiquitous Pro-Ject Debut Carbon. Many of you will know the sound of this cartridge intimately because you own one of the Carbons. The 2m Red is a detailed cartridge with good frequency extension and a crisp punchy sound. Best for beginners
Ortofon 2m Blue - www.planetofso...
The Blue is physically very similar to the Red, and as a result has a very similar tonal balance. Crisp and precise with great detail. You'll notice from this video the extra air and space around snare drums compared to the Red. The Blue makes the Red sound opaque and one-dimensional in comparison. There is also slightly less distortion during peaks. Best for precision
Nagaoka MP-110 - www.planetofso...
The Nagaoka MP-110 is competitive with the Blue, having a similar bite and precision with perhaps a slightly rounder bass. Whether this is to your taste is up to you and your system balance. It could be useful if you have smaller speakers or ones that tend towards bass lightness. Tracking and distortion sound a little better than the Blue with a little quieter background noise. Best for vintage sound
Grado Prestige Red2 - www.planetofso...
The Grado Red2 has a decided bass and treble lift. Of all the cartridges here it has the most bass, which makes it really suited for party style tunes or if your speakers lack bass. The lower treble is also emphasized for some extra presence, but not the most extended range. Best for bass heads
Goldring E3 - www.planetofso...
The Goldring E3 heard right after the Prestige shows just how more neutral it is with probably the most nuanced and natural midrange of all the cartridges. Bass is also tuneful and suitably extended without any undue exaggeration and the treble is not quite as bright as the Ortofon or Nagaoka, but on closer listening actually provides superior low-level detail. Best for everything
That Ortofon 2m Red was harsh. When those vocals came in... Ouch! I think the Gold Ring was the most balanced & pleasing to my ears.
Whaou ! I'm very impressed by the Goldring E3 !
Glad somebody else noticed! Highly underrated...😉
This is a great comparison. For me as an old school listener with a Thorens 150, the Nagaoka 110 just pips the Goldring. I bought a 110 and am delighted at the way it tracks and sounds, especially for the money (£133).
1. Goldring
2. 2m Blue
3. Nagaoka
4. Grado
5. 2m Red
Nope. Goldring sucks before 1022x sorry IMO.
Agree with the list completely!
@@Jrscarratt , I second your notion but a short list of Lucas first three only!
I wish I could hear a difference. Damn this tinnitus
My preferences: 1. Goldring E3; 2. Grado Red; 3. Nagaoka MP-110; 4. Ortofon Blue; 5. Ortofon Red
Goldring for me
idem
Rolling eyes.
Been a long time user of 2M Red and Blue - since moving up to Blue you can forget about Red with its bonded elliptical. Red sounds okay as a starting cartridge, but really struggles on defined vocals and cymbals, especially towards the end of sides (I listen to metal and rock for the most part).
Blue to me sounds the best of all those. Nagaoka was muffled and overly poor yet sounded a bit better than Red. Grado Red 2 is a strong contender, only a bit less detailed and more smooth which was a bit too much to my taste still. Goldring was better than Grado, but still lost to Blue on bass and attack.
To sum up my rating:
2M Blue
Goldring E3
Grado Red2
Nagaoka MP-110
2M Red
I like the blue also!
The Nagaoka outclasses all the others. The problem with any of these is how well they track/trace. I do not recall if any stand out as best compared with the rest. In some ways, I actually like the sound of the Ortofon Red over the Blue.
It must have been a pain changing the cartridge on the project as the headshell is not removable.
Nice comparison! To those who draw strong conclusions: mind that the sound is an interplay between the cartridge and the preamp. If the capacitance of the preamp changes, so does the sound of the cartridge. On some more advanced preamps you can switch between different options, to better match your specific cartridge. I'm not sure if this was done with this test, so the only comparison that truly is "all else being equal" would be between the Ortofon Red and Blue, which use an identical cartridge (only the stylus is different) and need the same preamp settings.
MP-110 is the stellar performer in this group by a pretty good margin.
Yes sir!! Agree with you 100%!!
Agreed....to my phone speakers anyway. It seemed like the vocals popped way more than all the others
The difference in reverb between the Ortofon Red & Blue is striking.
My first impressions also
What?
@@pointsbeingmade7996 THE DIFFERENCE IN REVERB BETWEEN THE ORTOFON RED & BLUE IS STRIKING.
Yea They both sound boring
Couldn’t agree more. I noticed it immediately
Gold Ring - №1 Nomination "Best Hi Hat")))
Good job brother ignore the stupid comments you help people make
A good buying decision
Amen brutha! Nothing more ridiculous than cartridge comments from viewers....everyone is an expert and 75% use words and adjectives that sound like your at a wine tasting 🤔
Would be interesting to see the same test on a last track of the record to see how each cart handles the inner grooves. Any cart will sound good on the first track.
What a perfect record to test any system
@Niccolo Quattrocchi still a great mix
@Niccolo Quattrocchi It's opus more than likely.
2M Blue or Grado Red on these samples are winners for me. Have a Blue on my Thorens TD318 after years of a bright scratchy Signet cart. The Ortofon sings.
Cmon man. Grado is not up to speed!
The MP-110 sounds the best. Better transient response, better definition in the high frequenties and bass is also much more defined.
Its great. Kicking and tight.
For me it is the 2M Blue, the Nagaoka 110 a close second.
I have a Ortofon 2M Red and a Blue. I recently purchased a Grado Prestige Red 2. I have 4 turntables on 2 systems. I bought the Red 2 because I saw a video on the Red 1 that said it outperforms the 2M Blue, and another that said the Red 2 was supposed to be even better. My first impression was that it was a bit less bright than either of the Ortofon cartridges, and maybe a little more relaxed, but then I realized that that was not the case there was a terrible distortion a slight very low frequency hum making it appear a bit warmer. I had this cartridge on my Thorens TD166 MkII turntable that came with an older Grado cartridge off of Ebay. When I put the Blue on the Thorens the hum was completely gone. I then realized that I actually missed the clarity of the Blue. The 2M Blue seemed to be more balanced, and the soundstage seed more vivid, more airy. Everything seed to have more presence. I am using a contemporary tube (no hybrid) preamp on an high end vintage analog system. I do realize that each cartridge will sound different on a different amps and speakers. My 1977 Marantz reciever sounds very different than my 1973 Sony Amplifier. I actually like the Sony TA-1150 Amp which was nicknamed the "Mac Killer" because Sony tried to make the best amp they could that year, and it turns out that this amp in a side by side blind test sounded as good if not better than the McIntosh amps from that year. So I am in the process of trying to get a refund for the Grado. The seller, not Grado says that it is the way they are supposed to sound, that it is an unshielded cartridge and that causes hum from the motor especially if it is also not shielded. I don't know if any of this is accurate or even true. If this is the case, I would say go with one of the Ortofon Cartridges. I love the 2M Blue, but the 2M Red is great. I have that on my Pioneer turntable. Then again the Nogaoka cartridge gets outstanding reviews, even better than the Goldring, and is much cheaper. The choice is up to you.
Have you had your ears checked since this long winded comment?
Grado cartridges tend to hum on turntables with unshielded motors, or if placed near a big transformer, such as a power amp or other appliance. I run Grados and have no hum from my tables now, but did in my old house when placed too close to the power amp or a refrigerator behind the wall.
@@gurdyman1 its cuz Of the grounding not the things you mention.
Massive amount of warble on the record! As you go through them, the treble clearly drops off. Honestly, I prefer the 2M Red here! Listening with Sennheiser HD600 headphones. It depends on the overall system as well. One stylus will work better than the others, depending on the system. The sum of the parts.
Good idea but quite hard to judge the differences as the audio quality on TH-cam is about the equivalent to basic low- bit-rate MP3 and we are trying to establish a high quality real HiFi sound comparison.
Old thread, but I thought I'd add my impression still... I prefer the more open and crisp sound of the Ortofon cartridges. Nagaoka and Grado sounds too closed-in and mellow for my taste.
Well Said. They suck both Of them. Nagaoaka works 150 and up.
Great comparison video, thanks for the post!
Thanks for the effort, very usefull for us! From comments I realize that each one likes different tastes. To me Nagoaka is one step above for easyness and naturality. But this for me, of course 😊
I am surprised to have not read that anyone had noticed that the Grado PR2 was wired with the L-R swapped! Not generally fan of new budget ortofon, but on this track the 2m Blue and the Red win " closer to the master" and not by a small margin. I wish I had my old Grace F9e. I imagine it would best all of these. Then reserve a b&o 20en or SP12 for casual music enjoyment. Happy Listening! - Sandy
Really.. 😂. Proof!
I noticed that too, it was swapped LR
Grado Red is horrific. I can't believe how much music information is lost compared to every other cart.
0:00 Red
0:35 Blue
1:10 110
1:45 Grado Red
2:20 E3
i dont understand the appeal? if you like the grado sound just throw a blanket over your speakers there ya go, thats that grado sound...... ive had the black blue red silver and gold and they all sound similar, even tried the grado sonatos and some of their woods, they for sure have a house sound, either you love it or you think it was made in shop class,,,,
@@spittindatruthaboutrecords9421 There's a video on here comparing tracking. The grado was horrific. Not only does it sound like crap, it tracks like crap too. If anyone recommends the Grado, that's when you know they know nothing about good sound.
@@five5x but their headphone are good tho 😂
@@five5x ..whew 😰! We here at Grado are glad you made no mention of our notoriously famous hum. A lack of air is the least of our worries. 😱
Yep. That red was awful.
Ortofon Red sounds coarse, Blue is a thoroughbred, nice balanced sound, MP110 and Grado both a little treble shy. MP110 has a nice warm bloom. G3 is a detail and imaging star. G3 and MP110 my favourites. Different sounding to suit different music.
Goldring E3 the better!!
th-cam.com/video/E_98fKQtuhs/w-d-xo.html I'd take the MP110 anyday. Boxes higher than it's class. Ian's videos are much better comparisons in every way.
It should be noted that Grado Prestige cartridges all sound better when loaded down from 47k Ohms to around 23k Ohms. It flattens that slight treble boost and tightens up the bass. Simple to do with a couple of Y-cord adapters, a pair of 47k resistors, a pair of RCA audio cable plugs, a soldering iron and rosin-core solder. They then sound like a much more accurate cartridge with a better sense of "air" and better soundstage.
Ok cool. Perhaps they can change that cuz the bass us blessing into everything lol
1. 2m Blue
2. Mp110
3. E3
4. 2m red
5. Grado blk
genuinely useful video there, many thanks for the work you put in.
Well, after a second listen to see if I was imagining my preference,I just bought an E3 based on this sound demo. Thanks again, I bought with educated money, the best way.
Good test ,really helpful 👍
The greatest blessing I have is not having the ears of an audiophile. They all sound the same to me so I will get the cheapest cartridge.
👌 true.
Let me get this straight.... you're saying you are blessed for having poor hearing and can't hear as well as others can!? I mean sure, it's better for your wallet maybe!
@@tomwebb7091 Yea.. My hearing is shot & I still heard the difference in each. He must not listen too well. His loss.
shallow comment, this is one of the few things in HiFi that is not snake oil. The cartridge does makes a difference.
It’s not just your ears… TH-cam sound is incredibly compressed, whether you intend for it to be or not. After that, the listening equipment still matters, phone speaker, crap ear buds, etc also make it impossible to hear the nuance.
the goldring is very musical yet precise, nagoaka is flatter and very precise, Grado is very warm and easy to love, super vintage and the 2 blue is like the goldring, red does not belong here
I prefer the Nagaoka MP-110, Grado Red 2, and Goldring E3 phono cartridges. And by the way, it is spelled Nagaoka. As an established choice according to reputation sure choice, and for wide range of sound - my choice is the Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge. The Ortofon 2M Red is pretty good, but does not have the full musical sounds of the Ortofon 2M B.
Ortofon 2M Red has a bit of a harsh sound to a couple of notes, and almost sounds two dimensional; besides Red 2 has a conical stylus. The Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge picks up plenty of musical signals; and has an extended, mellow sound. Maybe too mellow which is why more listeners prefer the Nagaoka MP-110; it has an assertive, and lively character, or tone.
Since there is also the factor of a slightly lower price that is involved, my choice is the Nagaoka MP-110 cartridge; and it is made in Japan.
If the vinyl is japanese yes. If European goldring.
Gotta be the goldring for me personally
There’s a couple reasons using sound comparisons like this may not be the best way to make a judgment on which cartridges sound best. The first thing is synergy between the cartridge the phono preamp, the amplifier and the speakers. The other is the fact that we are listening to this basically 2nd hand. Relying on whatever kind of sound recording devices and setup are being utilized that may favor certain audio characteristics of any particular cartridge. The bottom line is figuring out what cartridge plays well in your system can be trial and error. The best advice I’ve heard is if you have system that tends to be on the detail/analytical side perhaps try a warmer cartridge like a Grado or if you have a warmer softer sounding system try out a more detail oriented cartridge like one of the Ortofon’s.
In this comparison you skipping the amp and speakers, etc since it's being sent to a computer for recording. By using the same equipment for each it lets you really hear the differences between each cartridge.
I only hear slight difference. The red is a little harsh, and the Grado sounds less detailed an unbalanced. Blue, E3 & 110 all sound the same to me.
Blue! 👍
Haha, great video. The grado feels like the black sheep, but is it? Its very punchy kinda fun and unique. I'd listen to any of these.
Goldring then the Nagaoka
For me Nagoaka MP-110 the best by big margin!!
I have the Blue... always looking to improve. Never satisfied
i prefer the Nagaoka !
Goldring and Nagaoka sound better than the rest.
MP110 beats them all. th-cam.com/video/E_98fKQtuhs/w-d-xo.html
Nagoaka MP-110
2m blue is the winner imo
Nagaoka rules
2M Blue
I guess I'm just crazy but I don't think the nagaokoa sounds as spectacular as people have been claiming with that said I've only heard youtube comparisons and never listened to the cartridge in person perhaps I would think differently if I heard it in the flesh I do really like the ortofon 2m series and as far as grado is concerned I've only had problems with grado carts every cart I've had from them hums like crazy and I've had two of them where one channel and it's always the left channel goes silent anybody else have that problem?
I agree as I have the 2m red and blue and a Nagaoka mp-10 boron and a Grado black2. my best is an ATvm 95ml and the 2 Ortofon
The one area where the Nagaoka wins hands down over the 2M Red is on tracking. It sails through difficult grooves that upset the Ortofon. Don't know how the others compare, haven't got them :)
I've used various Grado carts for many years. They tend to hum on turntables with AC motors that aren't shielded, or when placed near large transformers, such as power amps. I had a refrigerator behid the wall of my turntable that made Grados hum. Pulling the table another foot into the room got rid of the hum. I'm in a different house now with properly shielded turntables and have no hum from them when using a Grado.
Its cuz its from Japan. It needs japanese vinyl. Its made for them. Thats why bass is present and you feel its closed
0:25 Red
1:00 Blue
1:35 MP110
2:10 Grado
2:45 Goldring
MP110, for me :)
Nice effort, but Useless. Get the Ortofon test record and play the 3 kHz tone for each cartridge and measure the distortion. That would be useful. Unless you adjusted the capacitance and impedance for each cartridge the frequency response isn't flat and of course they sound different. Without doing that this was a waste of time. At least it is better than the guys that just read the spec sheet or talk about a bunch of bs.
Ortofon Red is harsh. The stylus on the Red is known to be crude with large sample to sample variations. Buyer beware. Better yet put on an OM-10 replacement stylus. Sounds better than the stock Red stylus and it's cheaper.
Not true. Both are bad though.
I’ve had the red for some time and I could never get it to sound right. Distortion all the time and vocal and symbol splatter
I am not a fan of the 2M blue, I have tried it on different Tables and through many amps and I can't see what the fuss is about, It sounds lacking to my ears.
I cant hear a difference on you tube with sennheiser phones.
Must be the cartridges.
😜🎧🎷🎷🎤
I cannot hear a difference using my hi-fi speakers... 😂 All these people must have super hearing!!!
Its you man listen again
@@theotherchannel2279It’s trained hearing. Having engineering background helps a lot. You learn what to look for in sound reproduction.
1 Goldring
E3
2 Ortofon Blue
3 Ortofon Red
4 Nagaoka MP 110
5 Grado Red
Nope. th-cam.com/video/E_98fKQtuhs/w-d-xo.html
Isn't the audio-technica 540 ($250) better than all of these?
It is their signature treble. Id go for at150ml or 740ml 540 is good too but not as good as these. Or the oc9.
Yes. The RigB bodied 540ML is better still...
0:16 0:51 1:27 2:01 2:36
1. Ortofon 2.Ortofon and the last one from Goldring. Yes, the cheaper Red Ortofon sounds better to me in this video.
Surprisingly for me too. It has more of drive musical intent shifts are more palpable to me like the bass in the beginning moving a note and that pause as the fretted note is damped and a pause before the next note. The blue is clearer but also more anaemic missing that solidity for me.
@@culturallyrich Exactly, well explained.
@@Xantylon74 it is better goldring rios you off in this category Of price. At 1022 and up they rule.
Same
The real battle is Nagakoa vs Goldring 1:10 - 2:24
the gold ring is a rebaged at 95e
th-cam.com/video/E_98fKQtuhs/w-d-xo.html
@@bobbyhenneberger9219 it's not, it's based off it but it's not, many people who have compared them and put them to the test will tell you that the e3 sounds way better
Goldring is ok but i dont love it.
Should have a Sumiko in there somewhere...
@Niccolo Quattrocchi nice statement. Care to elaborate?
@Niccolo Quattrocchi check out the starling and then wipe your mouth lol.
if I see a great price on blue it would be an easy swap with the red i have now. though no issues with my red is it worth it?
imho yes
It's a stylus swap
its on ebay for 165 for cartridge and stylus now
I have a proper digital setup. Analog working should be fun. I hope I don't need to drag out the lp12.
Change it and eat the Apple Adam.
I cannot hear a difference at all. I am using good-quality speakers, over £1000 worth and nothing they sound the same.
Consider yourself bless that you don't have the ears of an audiophile. You'll save money in the lond run.
@@ollie2244 I think you missed the point. You are listening to this on your system...
1. Goldring 2. Nagaoka 3. Ortofon red, blue. 4. Grado
Ortofon 00:34
Nagaoka 01:10
Grado 01:45
Goldring 02:20
Flame retardant jumpsuit? Check! I don't hear a big difference between any of them. LOL!
BLUE ONE WON.
Red - bass too heavy and boomy
Nagaoka - nice dimension and separation
Goldring - sounds most refined with nice separation.
Grado - boomy bass bled into vocals. Separation was the worst.
Blue - ok but not as good as Nagaoka and Goldring
Bullshit on the the Blue and goldring at this pricepoint. IMO..
i don't hear any difference, lol
@0:49...@1:23...@2:31
I appreciate your effort making this video but they all sounded like Rice Krispies.
They all suck with this record yes
The différence is nothing ,for me is the same
That’s a bad sounding record. It’s distorted and pressed off Centre, so the pitch is wavering.
There's an imbalance on the Grado, right channel is much louder
In the real world the Ortofon Red is a horrible scratchy cartridge and the Blue only just better.
Nagoaka is a more realistic, natural sounding cartridge.
Needle drops tell you nothing.
everybody has different tastes,,, some people like the rolled off highs of the mp 110 and some like the brightness of ortofons and Audio Technicas and some love the dark side of grado,,, Pick the one you like,,, or pick them all, thats what i do...
@@bobbyhenneberger9219 well stated.
th-cam.com/video/E_98fKQtuhs/w-d-xo.html
I'm hearing the friction damage surface noise getting louder with each playing, cartridge after cartridge. Its one of the reasons I replaced so many records with digital. I hate it when just playing a recording damages it ever so slightly every time you play it. You silly hipsters and Vinyl fetishists really make me cringe. I was listening to some well mastered Vintage Sinatra on CD played on a good multi format disc player and it was a revelation. I have never heard certain tracks so clearly with better dynamic range and without the distraction of the pure surface friction noise of Vinyl. High resolution Digital streaming is also wonderful.
What you're hearing is just dust particles. He's probably not cleaning the record off with every play.
Another issue I have with Vinyl, if it is not wear, it is dust.The wear and tear of playing a dirty record inflicts damage on this archaic, obsolete, trendoid, and incredibly high maintenace method of media. Eventually with enough playing, the record is unlistenable.
Taking care of your vinyl and try to make it sound as good as possible is part of the fun. I understand why you like digital, you're clearly not the target audience...
Govert Krul well said
Michael Bradley lol wrong