Great review! I was so tired of streaming music that I bought a completely new stereo system. With a Pro-Ject turntable, valves etc. It feels so good to "feel" music again and to realize how weak 320kb are. Especially in the case of rocksound the hi-hats and cymbals sound crystal clear ike they used to be. Just awesome.
I would say that the Audio Technica AT carts are the best "To Start With" at a price range of $40 to $50 and the Ortifons are Definitely better and higher end. Carts that cost $100 or more are not "Entry Level". These are more for people that really need more "audiophile" type sound quality, not for Beginners just starting to listen to vinyl. Yes, there are far more expensive carts out there but several of those don't get the great reviews that these get. Ortifon Red performs well above it's price point! I heard Many say that the 2m Blue is Too Picky, that old records may not sound as good as on the 2m Red. That's a very big deal! Most of my records are vintage originals between VG+ to Near Mint quality. I've read that people actually switched back to the Red because of this. I don't want to spend another hundred for the blue just to have my old records sound worse! No thanks Lol.
I've had terrible luck lately with Audio Technica. The cantilevers on the VM540ML are showing up bent out of the box. I finally broke down and bought a Red and am hoping for the best. I have to agree about the vinyl - 90% of mine is vintage as I find most of the new releases to be digital returned to analog which defeats the purpose for me. I may try the AT cart on your advice if this does not pan out. I will say that even if the VM540ML showed up perfect the cantilever is so delicate that the slightest "mistake" causes issues. At 207 bucks a clip I can't afford to replace them that often. So once again the Red is much more inviting at 87 bucks to replace the stylus.
Beware... older posts mention this. You can upgrade red to blue, or bronze to black. The bronze or black will fit on the red, but they are different engines and you will not get the full benefit.
Shouldn't you guys be upgrading to a blue with that kind of gear? (All things being equal) I have a P1 and the red is what I'm gonna get as I don't want to put $250 into it at the moment.
I just received this cartridge with a TT for $30, I would not give you $5 for it. I bought an Ortofon head shell to mount it on, and yes, it was the correct shell. I mounted my old Denon DL-160 on the Denon TT shell and compared. And yes, I used a protractor to set up both cartridges and set the tonearm and skate. The 2M Red was just in your face loud and high pitched, there was noting pleasant about it. The old Denon DL-160 did its job and reproduced the sound as intended. The TT is the Denon DP-400 (semi automatic, I'm lazy), using the Pro-Ject Phono amp set to MM, TT is grounded to the amp, no hum, thank God. From there it is out to the Schiit Audio Freya tube amp, then to the Emotiva XPA-2 out to the SVS Ultra Bookshelf speakers. I tried the Freya on all of its settings, nothing could make the 2M sound good. Not surprised, but slightly disappointed as it is normally a $100 cartridge. Wish I could get my $30 back.
Resist the FOMO. At 3:00 he lays it out clearly: "this honestly could be the last cart you ever need to purchase". That is a bold statement, considering the Red's low price and his elite setup. I agree, the Red is wonderful.
G'day mate, as has already been mentioned although the RED, BLUE, BRONZE and BLACK styli will fit on the RED body, the cartridge generator is different from the BRONZE and BLACK. The RED and BLUE share the same generator body. I had a 2M RED and whilst initially quite happy with it, its very 'brightish/ in your face' sort of sound quality quickly annoyed me and I gave mine away. Its tendency to noticeable inner groove distortion and sibilance gave it a 'no' tick as far as I am concerned. The main issue appears to be the RED stylus and I am advised that the BLUE stylus is a lot better although I haven't tried it.
Part of a system that’s often overlooked is the phono stage. I run the 2m red on a 70s vintage Rega Planar 2 with original R200 tonearm. But just as important is my amplifier.A vintage 70s Trio KA-1500 a fantastic amp with a knockout phono stage that just allows the 2m red to do its stuff! Simply absolutely stunning audio, imho.pluss of course easy to set up.
Beware sample to sample variations on the Red. The stylus is rather crude so try to exam in under a good scope before you buy; make sure it's straight and true with good polish. The blue stylus is better but costs double. BTW, Ortofon's OM styli work on the 2M series bodies. It looks weird but they are perfectly compatible and sound awesome. They might be a better value upgrade when it's time to replace the stylus.
Just changed my AT 95E for the Ortofon 2M RED. Way better! Everything is crystal clear with it. Audio Technica sounds muffled compared to the 2M RED. Another thing that I liked is that I hear less noise between tracks with the Ortofon.
That's good to hear. Just broke my old at95e cantilever on accident. I'm getting fussy with my vinyl since I'm starting to digitize my records that dont come with free downloads. I cant stand the noise even after I cleaned them.
I did not have much luck with this cartridge. I really wanted to believe the reviews and tried very hard to like it. Mounted to a Technics SL1200 TT / Sansui 9090db/ Snell E. Comparing this cart to Stanton 681eee & most vintage Shure carts that I had, my observations are as follows:1. The Ortofon Red produces a louder surface noise than my other carts, picking up scratches and bad pressings on slightly used LP's. 2. It does sound full bodied with a slightly pronounced lower end and some sibilance on vocals, the midrange detail an upper end are OK but vary widely with the type of music being played. Yet the worst experience was with IGD, I have aligned it via several templates, but inner groove distortion was obvious as it approached the last 1/4 end of the record. I have many TT & carts, yet I could not get rid of the sibilance and IGD which was unbearable. Yet my Stanton 681EEE, Shure M91ED, M95HE, M95ED, M75, M97xe & Signet MR5.0 do not exhibit any IGD or sibIlance. Not sure if the upper end Ortofon carts would alleviate this problem. I did use the cart for about 50 hours on many different LP's which I purchased new and used. I feel the problem lies with the diamond stylus itself, it being of a lower grade & cut.I have been into audio since the late 70's & have Snell A's in my reference system, which are extremely revealing, detailing breathing and other studio noises present on vinyl LP's. I tried hard to like this cart based on the reviews, but it just did not hit the mark, I also purchased the Shure M97xe as a back up cart for another TT. Although the Shure does roll of the top high end and the stereo separation is not as great as the Red, it did not exhibit any IGD or sibIlance. I did sell it and the buyer loved it! Maybe my TT was not a good match. Should have tried it on Thorens TD 145 or Grace 303 Arm or Denon 62.
Well, the 2M Series is easy to install. With S-shape tonearm, and given the proper stylus to headshell tail distance, the Ortofon cartridges can be eyeballed to be square with headshell and they'll produce all you can expect from an LP, without need to align with a protractor. I have a 2M Red. I purchased it to supplement a Shure V15V-MR. Although the 2M Red plays some material without complaint, sibilance is a problem with Diana Krall singing Straighten Up And Fly Right. This prompted me to buy another highly reviewed cartridge, a Shure M97xE. The Shure does not disappoint. In fact, it's really difficult to distinguish it from the V15V-MR so far on most of my outings with it.
You can put a 2M black stylus on a 2M red cartridge, but it'll be a bad match. You can even put the 2M Black stylus on a 2nd generation DJ Concorde, I've tried 😜
as the sound is picked up by the stylus, the vibrations go through the body then into the cart body causing resonance and a muddy midrange and this affects the rest of the parameters.
Nope. Not significant. Resist the FOMO, not saying you have it but still. At 3:00 he lays it out clearly- "this could be the last cart you ever need to purchase". Strong advice. I agree.
i have a stanton 505 v3 dj stylus now, would it make a noticeable difference upgrading to this, like actual noticeable not having to a/b test it back and forth to hear it
I had the Red on my Pro-Ject table and didn't like it. As one person mentioned below, (" its very 'brightish/ in your face' ") it was too loud and bright for me. I found every record I played sounded loud. I was pretty disappointed with it since all the reviews rave about it. Glad I got it as an "included" cart and didn't actually buy it. I had a Sure M97XE hanging around and stuck it on and just love it's balanced and smooth sound.
Robert Kohut They are terrible but the media loves them, I think old people don't hear how bright they are cos their hearing probs don't go above 10k? All Ortofon MM's are the same, the higher you go the more bright they get too but track a little better. The output isn't 5.5mv but somewhere in the 11mv range when tested. Like all Ortofon's they are terrible trackers and will suffer from sibilance/distortion and when measured they DO have a frequency response that is boosted at the highs!!! Insane. But then Ortofon are magic beans sales people putting emphasis on their super expensive MC's, of course they aren't going to properly engineer their MM's to sound as good. MM's can be just as good if not better, problem is no one make the good ones any more and every one has been brainwashed into thinking MC is the only way to achieve high end nirvana ;-) I think Grado are the only ones left making needles that didn't go with the bright trend but I hate their designs as they aren't shielded so will hum. Stanton, Technics, Shure and even AKG made some fine MM's but sadly all no longer made, sad fact is nothing modern even touches them.
I have an om pro. It comes with a 1 mil stylus, useless for stereo. It will take the 541 generics and sounds pretty decent. I have a .4x.7 that tracks at 4 grams and a .3x.7 that tracks at 1.5. There is an upgrade path but I'm not into $300 needles. I have 2 tables and right now i have a Shure m75ed with a Shure ndc-ej and I'm trying different generics on an m91ed on the other. I also have a v15rs that sounds great with an n25e on it and a 1000e tp4. I bought the Ortofon to hear a more modern sound but I kinda like the Shures. BTW the om stylus fit the Red, got to snip some plastic, very minor I've read and they are moving iron. There is no magnet in the stylus. Check it with a compass, I did. I forgot to mention my m44e and m44g with generic n447, n44e, n44g Shure n447 and g. Oh and a sc35c with n35s, .6 mil astatic and a couple Shure 35c tips and 97 and 92lt stylus fit. So do n95e. The Ortofon doesnt get out the box much.
I have been struggling with AT quality control lately (every vm540ml I have bought was damaged somehow - all brand new) I decided to give the 2m red a try. It's a nice cartridge but I am sad to say the overall sound quality is not as good as the AT. I'm at an impasse as I'm tired of returning damaged AT products but the red isn't quite doing it for me. I'm starting to wonder if the blue is my solution
My wife and I picked up an Audio-Technica AT-LP1240, and dug out all the old LP's from storage that we've had since the 70's-80's. Do you think this cartridge would be a good match for that turntable? The other option would be maybe a Shure M97Xe, but wanted to ask your opinion on this first.
What's wrong with you people? The magnet structure for the Red and Blue are the same. Upgrading the stylus will give you the same performance as buying a blue in the box. Grado started this upgrade strategy with the Prestige series, Black, Green, Blue, Red, and Gold. The magnet structure is identical for each stylus.
What is most compelling about the 2M Red is even a cave man can easily install one properly to an S shaped tonearm's detachable headshell, especially pressed sheet metal shells which will give the user the proper VTA with tonearms which are not adjustable for height. Just set the stylus to the turntable's headshell spec of 49 or 52mm length to tonearm collar with cartridge squared up to the headshell and perfect allignment without need of a protractor is assured. OK, that's the good news, perfect alignment easily to come by for good tracking. But, the rest of the story is that this cartridge is exceeded in all manner by the Shure M97xE, which sells for about the same price as the Ortofon. With the Shure, it will take more dexterity to install, as well as square up to headshell; but, the user will be rewarded for the extra effort with sound tone and detail much like the famous Shure V15V-MR at a fraction of what that cartridge would cost today if it was still being produced.
It's good, but replacing the stylus costs almost the same as buying a new cartridge - $86 for red , $200 for the blue. I guess the only advantage is you don't have to re-balance the arm (is that so hard?).
@@gsoltis29 So when time came to replace the stylus I switched to Nagaoka MP110 , bought the cart and a replacement stylus that I remember was quite a bit cheaper, so now I'm set for a few years.
@@tudvalstone well the 2m red is good but I have to give AT credit here - the overall sound quality is noticeably better on the VM540ML on my older vinyl. The red is nice- much better than stock - but there are some high end issues on my setup and the sound is not as warm and clear. Still a great product for the price. I may take your advice and try your suggestion next as I can't seem to get an undamaged AT stylus which breaks my heart
I upgraded from the 2MRED to the 2MSILVER(Silver coil+Better CL suspension) Its alot better, considerably more detail and Bass has more warmth and presence, for the extra 30$, over the 2MRED its worth the upgrade, considering the 100$+ price gap for the 2MBLUE .
YES, you absolutely can switch out the higher tier 2M styluses on the lower tier 2M cartridge bodies. The bodies of the Red/Blue and Bronze/Black may be made differently, but there is nothing stopping anyone from putting a Bronze stylus on a Red/Blue cartridge body with seemingly no adverse effects, and in fact/of course, somewhat upgraded sonic qualities - just don't expect that you are getting a "true" Bronze by doing so.
Actually the magnet structure is identical for all of the series. Therefore, the switch out is also identical. What happened to you cannot be determined by information you have given.
I'd like to try one! All the numbers make no sense when the vinyl sings beautifully! Ortofon carts are superb. I have a Rega Planar 2 with RB250 arm and Ortofon VMS20MKII which sounds superb but i'd like to try the 2M red. Thanks for review.
Hey I have the audio technica lp-120 usb and I have the stock cartridge on it now I’m seriously considering this cartridge do you think it would be a good match for my turntable
I had the 2M Red and found it fussy. I could never get it to sound right. I ran the entire tracking force spectrum...anti-skating...tracking angle. Nothing worked. I ended up selling it after about two months. It is possible that it wasn't a good match for my table (SL1200 with stock medium-mass arm). However, I have heard that going from the Red to the Blue will yield major improvement in sound quality.
I thought spending $100. + on a stylus with good reviews would be an upgrade from the cart I got off a used turntable. I was completely disappointed when the used lot totally outperformed the 2M Red. I installed the Red onto an SL1200 run through an HH Scott 222D. I set all tracking angles, pressure, and anti-skate. As compared to the same setup with a used Pickering P/ATE, The noise floor was excessive, static pops were more prominent than before, volume was lower (even lower out of the left channel) and sibilance... "S" and "T" sounds in vocals were vague and distorted. The "hollowness" I've read about in the midrange makes a LOT of sense, too. The whole setup seemed more microphonic as well - walking by the turntable was much more noticeable. I do realize I did not put much time into "breaking in", but the overall impression I was left with was that this cart would never perform to my expectations, or indeed reproduce sounds as accurately as an enjoyable listen would demand. Considering the cost and loss of audio quality, I decided to return it ASAP. Too little bang for the buck. I'll enjoy the Pickering as the search continues...
Good equipment is being used here. Have a lot of respect for that. Unfortunately the Mac is a weak link here. If you compare what goes into it with what comes out of it, there is a noticeable difference. Mac does alter the sound more so than it's pc counterpart. If you really want to see the difference, throw away the mp3 recordings and compare with a high bit rate wave and you will see where I'm coming from. Having said that. You are using some very nice audio equipment there. A very respectable system.
Nice review. Just ordered a Pro-Ject Esprite with the Red, so pretty jacked for it to come. Also watched your Spin Clean and VPI, good stuff. On a different note, really dig the concrete block stand. Did you seal the block to cut down on any powdery residue? I'm planning something similar, so any tips would be appreciated.
Anyone else feel like the ortofon red not express low end very well? Classical music sounds good, but heavy metal etc sounds a little empty/hollow? Anyone else..
you have internet, internet has Google, Google has ortofon. com. as you can see everything has something but you don't have brains. I mean you have to have them, but you don't use them. you gotta start to use them or you will cry for help all your life, like your doing now, and at some point people will start looking at you funny ok ok, here it is Channel separation at 1 kHz - 22 dB. Channel separation at 15 kHz - 15 dB
Hi Ron, i have a RP1 Rega turntable with carbon cartridge, i was thinking updrade to ortofon 2m red, but as you said this is probably for better to star with!, so i don´t know if this would be a good upgrade?, please i would apreciate your advice!, i was checking another option with AT120Eb audiotechnica but i don´t know almost same price!, if it helps i like heavy metal, and very heavy music , so i need good bass and clear sound!, i hope you have some time to give me your opinion! thanks !
+Martin Revo Get a Grado Black, same price but much better overall.. bass is refined and mids and highs are excellent, my metal collection never sounded better! \m/
thanks a lot for your answer, well after a time , i checked many reviews and i got a clear audio concept V2 MM, is really good, i wil take note of your advice, and i will have on mind to a future up grade ! thanks!
I got a 2m red fitted today. I was really impressed with the sound right off the bat, but after an hour or so of listening I started to notice how sharp the high-end was. I also noticed some high-end distortion in certain tracks on certain records that I had never noticed before. I worry that this is actually a fault, what do you reckon?
I had it fitted and set up by my local dealer, so I'm imagining it's all aligned fine. It's tracking at 1.8, is that recommended? Should I lower it a little?
+New Record Day It probably also just needs some burning in. Dude, this guy did his critical listening when the cartridge and stylus were only an hour old!!
hi RON , I'M LOOKING AT PURCHASING A TURNTABLE SOON BUT SO MANY CHOICES SOME TIMES CONFUSING.WHAT'S YOUR TAKE ON A GOOD TURNTABLE IN $1000 RANGE? I'M CURRENTLY LOOKING AT THE REGA PLANAR 3 OR THE PIONEER PLX-1000. GREAT VIDEO BY THE WAY I AGREE I LIKE THE WAY YOU CAN CHANGE THE STYLES OUT AS WELL.
You don't have to invest that much in a turntable. Ridiculous imo. You can get a quality TT with a removable headshell for less than half that price and invest more of your money in a cartridge uograde for up to 120 dollars. I don't see the point in spending that kind of money on a TT unless you're an actor, musician, or athlete or you're a DJ investing in a Technics or Stanton. If you're not gonna play vinyl every week then investing 1000 dollars in a TT may not be the best idea.
the problem i have with these newer orts is there is too much plastic around the stylus and cantilever. way too much mass. better off with the older models.
It's how you hear and feel the music. How do you experience it? Do you thing you hear all or more of the music compared to the last one you had? Is it much better? Don't put that much emphasis on specs. The science can lead to improvements but It's the listening that counts.
almost as much as the whole cartridge , like around 90% of it, but the cartridge itself wears out a bit also, people usually buy another cartridge when stylus is out
I don't understand why this cartridge is so highly rated. Both the Audio Technica AT95E, especially with the 3x7 JICO stylus upgrade, and the Shure M97xe are better cartridges by a significant margin, and each one is cheaper than the Ortofon 2M Red. A replacement JICO stylus only costs $25, including shipping. Ortofon charges almost $90 for their stylus. Give me a break. I'm beginning to think it's a "It's Danish. It must be better" thing.
The Ortofon 2M totally spoil my first edition vinyls cos it sounds so thin (harsh) and weaken the mid and deep bass that it was original there, its more close to digital sound, Ortofon 2M will totally mislead you what true sound is, don't use it!
James Tang the 2M Blue is a very good cart. It's a nude elliptical as opposed to a bonded elliptical which the 2M Red. The 2M red is a starter cart so I wouldn't bash Ortofon solely on the performance of a entry level cart. Same goes for AT judging the 95E
I can say bad things about it! It's shit!! It's too fucking loud right off the bat and you can't get any power behind it with your amp. It's just BOOM in your face! I hate that! If someone is just starting out and just getting into vinyl with a low grade turntable and they don't have a really good, solid power amp and they really don't know what good sound is and what your amp is supposed to do, then I would say it's a high priced low quality shit starter cartridge! That's it folks! Don't buy into the hype like I did............PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok while you can swap out all the stylus heads, you are not getting the true performance by swapping out your Red or Blue for a Bronze or Black stylus and using the Red or Blue body.. Inferior performance Kind of like swapping out your Hyundai Excel engine for a BMW M3, while it will go faster it will suffer in the handling among other things...lol
Remember that the tester gets all this equipment for free, so saying bronze is prob. better, he invites Ortofon to sent better equipment. Your hobby gets really cheap then, but your opinion is for sale.
I don't see how it's that much of a advantage to swap out a red styli for a blue on the red cart. Those Blue styli's aren't cheap, yes it's cheaper to go that route, but a stylus costing 75% of a new cart isn't not much of a deal.
The removable stylus concept has been around since the 60's. Nothing new there. It was done by Pickering, Stanton and SURE. Oh..and nothing beats the SURE V-15 type IV and V for a moving magnet cartridge.
What the hell? The worst cart I ever had..wouldn't pay 1$ for mp3 like sounding cart. Reviewer clearly doing advertising...wouldn't trust this reviewer..
The Ortofon 2M Red is one of my favorite cartridges. Great bang for the buck, solid performer.
Great review! I was so tired of streaming music that I bought a completely new stereo system. With a Pro-Ject turntable, valves etc. It feels so good to "feel" music again and to realize how weak 320kb are. Especially in the case of rocksound the hi-hats and cymbals sound crystal clear ike they used to be. Just awesome.
I would say that the Audio Technica AT carts are the best "To Start With" at a price range of $40 to $50 and the Ortifons are Definitely better and higher end. Carts that cost $100 or more are not "Entry Level". These are more for people that really need more "audiophile" type sound quality, not for Beginners just starting to listen to vinyl. Yes, there are far more expensive carts out there but several of those don't get the great reviews that these get. Ortifon Red performs well above it's price point! I heard Many say that the 2m Blue is Too Picky, that old records may not sound as good as on the 2m Red. That's a very big deal! Most of my records are vintage originals between VG+ to Near Mint quality. I've read that people actually switched back to the Red because of this. I don't want to spend another hundred for the blue just to have my old records sound worse! No thanks Lol.
What he said
I've had terrible luck lately with Audio Technica. The cantilevers on the VM540ML are showing up bent out of the box. I finally broke down and bought a Red and am hoping for the best. I have to agree about the vinyl - 90% of mine is vintage as I find most of the new releases to be digital returned to analog which defeats the purpose for me. I may try the AT cart on your advice if this does not pan out. I will say that even if the VM540ML showed up perfect the cantilever is so delicate that the slightest "mistake" causes issues. At 207 bucks a clip I can't afford to replace them that often. So once again the Red is much more inviting at 87 bucks to replace the stylus.
I start with om10, 6 month later om40, 3 years later 20x2l (endgame) now :)
Beware... older posts mention this. You can upgrade red to blue, or bronze to black. The bronze or black will fit on the red, but they are different engines and you will not get the full benefit.
I'm subscribing solely for that Heart of Gold outro.
Blue was a real heap to red - highly recommend. Listening to Rega exact (on RP6) now and it sounds great too.
Shouldn't you guys be upgrading to a blue with that kind of gear? (All things being equal) I have a P1 and the red is what I'm gonna get as I don't want to put $250 into it at the moment.
Cinder Blocks! Now that is old school! Cheers man. :)
I just received this cartridge with a TT for $30, I would not give you $5 for it. I bought an Ortofon head shell to mount it on, and yes, it was the correct shell. I mounted my old Denon DL-160 on the Denon TT shell and compared. And yes, I used a protractor to set up both cartridges and set the tonearm and skate. The 2M Red was just in your face loud and high pitched, there was noting pleasant about it. The old Denon DL-160 did its job and reproduced the sound as intended.
The TT is the Denon DP-400 (semi automatic, I'm lazy), using the Pro-Ject Phono amp set to MM, TT is grounded to the amp, no hum, thank God. From there it is out to the Schiit Audio Freya tube amp, then to the Emotiva XPA-2 out to the SVS Ultra Bookshelf speakers. I tried the Freya on all of its settings, nothing could make the 2M sound good. Not surprised, but slightly disappointed as it is normally a $100 cartridge. Wish I could get my $30 back.
Resist the FOMO. At 3:00 he lays it out clearly: "this honestly could be the last cart you ever need to purchase". That is a bold statement, considering the Red's low price and his elite setup. I agree, the Red is wonderful.
G'day mate, as has already been mentioned although the RED, BLUE, BRONZE and BLACK styli will fit on the RED body, the cartridge generator is different from the BRONZE and BLACK. The RED and BLUE share the same generator body.
I had a 2M RED and whilst initially quite happy with it, its very 'brightish/ in your face' sort of sound quality quickly annoyed me and I gave mine away. Its tendency to noticeable inner groove distortion and sibilance gave it a 'no' tick as far as I am concerned. The main issue appears to be the RED stylus and I am advised that the BLUE stylus is a lot better although I haven't tried it.
I'm considering buying this in a few weeks, and if I decide to get the blue in the future, will all I have to do is buy the blue stylus?
I have the 2m red But the 2M blue is a much better step up cartridge and well worth the Extra money !! Js
cool centerblock setup. thanks for the idea
I have a pro-ject carbon evo with a 2M red cartridge. I don't know if it's me or anything but I feel the hights a bit harsh .
Part of a system that’s often overlooked is the phono stage.
I run the 2m red on a 70s vintage Rega Planar 2 with original R200 tonearm.
But just as important is my amplifier.A vintage 70s Trio KA-1500 a fantastic amp with a knockout phono stage that just allows the 2m red to do its stuff!
Simply absolutely stunning audio, imho.pluss of course easy to set up.
Nice set up and nice and simple shelving set-up. Solid and actually looks cool! Thanks for posting informative video.
That's what I have on my Pro-Ject Debut Carbon. Sounds Great for the Price.
Beware sample to sample variations on the Red. The stylus is rather crude so try to exam in under a good scope before you buy; make sure it's straight and true with good polish. The blue stylus is better but costs double. BTW, Ortofon's OM styli work on the 2M series bodies. It looks weird but they are perfectly compatible and sound awesome. They might be a better value upgrade when it's time to replace the stylus.
Just changed my AT 95E for the Ortofon 2M RED. Way better! Everything is crystal clear with it. Audio Technica sounds muffled compared to the 2M RED. Another thing that I liked is that I hear less noise between tracks with the Ortofon.
I just made the same exchange and that was my first impression as well: less surface noise with the Red. Nice cart.
That's good to hear. Just broke my old at95e cantilever on accident. I'm getting fussy with my vinyl since I'm starting to digitize my records that dont come with free downloads. I cant stand the noise even after I cleaned them.
You can't judge the sound of a Cartridge unless you have the proper speakers that can produce decent Bass, Mids and Highs!
I did not have much luck with this cartridge. I really wanted to believe the reviews and tried very hard to like it. Mounted to a Technics SL1200 TT / Sansui 9090db/ Snell E. Comparing this cart to Stanton 681eee & most vintage Shure carts that I had, my observations are as follows:1. The Ortofon Red produces a louder surface noise than my other carts, picking up scratches and bad pressings on slightly used LP's. 2. It does sound full bodied with a slightly pronounced lower end and some sibilance on vocals, the midrange detail an upper end are OK but vary widely with the type of music being played. Yet the worst experience was with IGD, I have aligned it via several templates, but inner groove distortion was obvious as it approached the last 1/4 end of the record. I have many TT & carts, yet I could not get rid of the sibilance and IGD which was unbearable. Yet my Stanton 681EEE, Shure M91ED, M95HE, M95ED, M75, M97xe & Signet MR5.0 do not exhibit any IGD or sibIlance. Not sure if the upper end Ortofon carts would alleviate this problem. I did use the cart for about 50 hours on many different LP's which I purchased new and used. I feel the problem lies with the diamond stylus itself, it being of a lower grade & cut.I have been into audio since the late 70's & have Snell A's in my reference system, which are extremely revealing, detailing breathing and other studio noises present on vinyl LP's. I tried hard to like this cart based on the reviews, but it just did not hit the mark, I also purchased the Shure M97xe as a back up cart for another TT. Although the Shure does roll of the top high end and the stereo separation is not as great as the Red, it did not exhibit any IGD or sibIlance. I did sell it and the buyer loved it! Maybe my TT was not a good match. Should have tried it on Thorens TD 145 or Grace 303 Arm or Denon 62.
thanks man! this was a really great and informative video! ❤
I am currently breaking in mine! So far so good though. I also have the Blue cartridge, will be interesting to make a straight comparison!
Well, the 2M Series is easy to install. With S-shape tonearm, and given the proper stylus to headshell tail distance, the Ortofon cartridges can be eyeballed to be square with headshell and they'll produce all you can expect from an LP, without need to align with a protractor. I have a 2M Red. I purchased it to supplement a Shure V15V-MR. Although the 2M Red plays some material without complaint, sibilance is a problem with Diana Krall singing Straighten Up And Fly Right. This prompted me to buy another highly reviewed cartridge, a Shure M97xE. The Shure does not disappoint. In fact, it's really difficult to distinguish it from the V15V-MR so far on most of my outings with it.
only the blue and red 2m are interchangeable
You can put a 2M black stylus on a 2M red cartridge, but it'll be a bad match.
You can even put the 2M Black stylus on a 2nd generation DJ Concorde, I've tried 😜
@@QoraxAudio breaking all the audiophile rules lol you rebel you 🤟👍
@@gregoryirwin263 I don't even use silver wires between my amp and speakers! 😁
@@QoraxAudio 😲😄
@@gregoryirwin263 *You have to buy silver wires! Oxygen free continuous casting sterling silver solid core wires!* 😱
as the sound is picked up by the stylus, the vibrations go through the body then into
the cart body causing resonance and a muddy midrange and this affects the rest
of the parameters.
I have had sibilance issues with this cartridge and I don’t know if it’s my setup or my cartridge
Is the fact that the diamond falls apart after two days without a refund worth considering?
Thank you, great video
New Record Day How many hours of play overall can you get from it?
Thanks great and useful review. I wonder if there are significant differences when you upgrade to the Blue, Bronze or Black series?
Nope. Not significant. Resist the FOMO, not saying you have it but still. At 3:00 he lays it out clearly- "this could be the last cart you ever need to purchase". Strong advice. I agree.
i have a stanton 505 v3 dj stylus now, would it make a noticeable difference upgrading to this, like actual noticeable not having to a/b test it back and forth to hear it
I had the Red on my Pro-Ject table and didn't like it. As one person mentioned below, (" its very 'brightish/ in your face' ") it was too loud and bright for me. I found every record I played sounded loud. I was pretty disappointed with it since all the reviews rave about it. Glad I got it as an "included" cart and didn't actually buy it.
I had a Sure M97XE hanging around and stuck it on and just love it's balanced and smooth sound.
Robert Kohut They are terrible but the media loves them, I think old people don't hear how bright they are cos their hearing probs don't go above 10k? All Ortofon MM's are the same, the higher you go the more bright they get too but track a little better. The output isn't 5.5mv but somewhere in the 11mv range when tested. Like all Ortofon's they are terrible trackers and will suffer from sibilance/distortion and when measured they DO have a frequency response that is boosted at the highs!!! Insane. But then Ortofon are magic beans sales people putting emphasis on their super expensive MC's, of course they aren't going to properly engineer their MM's to sound as good. MM's can be just as good if not better, problem is no one make the good ones any more and every one has been brainwashed into thinking MC is the only way to achieve high end nirvana ;-) I think Grado are the only ones left making needles that didn't go with the bright trend but I hate their designs as they aren't shielded so will hum. Stanton, Technics, Shure and even AKG made some fine MM's but sadly all no longer made, sad fact is nothing modern even touches them.
I have an om pro. It comes with a 1 mil stylus, useless for stereo. It will take the 541 generics and sounds pretty decent. I have a .4x.7 that tracks at 4 grams and a .3x.7 that tracks at 1.5. There is an upgrade path but I'm not into $300 needles. I have 2 tables and right now i have a Shure m75ed with a Shure ndc-ej and I'm trying different generics on an m91ed on the other. I also have a v15rs that sounds great with an n25e on it and a 1000e tp4. I bought the Ortofon to hear a more modern sound but I kinda like the Shures. BTW the om stylus fit the Red, got to snip some plastic, very minor I've read and they are moving iron. There is no magnet in the stylus. Check it with a compass, I did. I forgot to mention my m44e and m44g with generic n447, n44e, n44g Shure n447 and g. Oh and a sc35c with n35s, .6 mil astatic and a couple Shure 35c tips and 97 and 92lt stylus fit. So do n95e. The Ortofon doesnt get out the box much.
Old people don't hear above 10k? Do you also believe that dogs can't look up? :D
@@mrpositronia Woof!
I have been struggling with AT quality control lately (every vm540ml I have bought was damaged somehow - all brand new)
I decided to give the 2m red a try. It's a nice cartridge but I am sad to say the overall sound quality is not as good as the AT. I'm at an impasse as I'm tired of returning damaged AT products but the red isn't quite doing it for me. I'm starting to wonder if the blue is my solution
My wife and I picked up an Audio-Technica AT-LP1240, and dug out all the old LP's from storage that we've had since the 70's-80's. Do you think this cartridge would be a good match for that turntable? The other option would be maybe a Shure M97Xe, but wanted to ask your opinion on this first.
What's wrong with you people? The magnet structure for the Red and Blue are the same. Upgrading the stylus will give you the same performance as buying a blue in the box. Grado started this upgrade strategy with the Prestige series, Black, Green, Blue, Red, and Gold. The magnet structure is identical for each stylus.
D. Paul Riderman Seriously, it's not complicated.
Red is quite good!
You can only upgrade to blue and the Bronze and black are upgradable but not downward compatible
The blue cartridge is worth the extra money.
Would you say it’s worth upgrading from bookshelf speakers before upgrading to the 2MBlue?
What is most compelling about the 2M Red is even a cave man can easily install one properly to an S shaped tonearm's detachable headshell, especially pressed sheet metal shells which will give the user the proper VTA with tonearms which are not adjustable for height. Just set the stylus to the turntable's headshell spec of 49 or 52mm length to tonearm collar with cartridge squared up to the headshell and perfect allignment without need of a protractor is assured. OK, that's the good news, perfect alignment easily to come by for good tracking. But, the rest of the story is that this cartridge is exceeded in all manner by the Shure M97xE, which sells for about the same price as the Ortofon. With the Shure, it will take more dexterity to install, as well as square up to headshell; but, the user will be rewarded for the extra effort with sound tone and detail much like the famous Shure V15V-MR at a fraction of what that cartridge would cost today if it was still being produced.
You cannot use the black or bronze stylus with the red cartridge body.
is it better to put in the whole cartridge instead of just the needle will it make a big difference in sound if I swap the Whole cartridge?
It's good, but replacing the stylus costs almost the same as buying a new cartridge - $86 for red , $200 for the blue. I guess the only advantage is you don't have to re-balance the arm (is that so hard?).
Audio Technica isn't any better or in some ways worse. 249 for cart and stylus - 209 for stylus. VM540ML.
@@gsoltis29 So when time came to replace the stylus I switched to Nagaoka MP110 , bought the cart and a replacement stylus that I remember was quite a bit cheaper, so now I'm set for a few years.
@@tudvalstone well the 2m red is good but I have to give AT credit here - the overall sound quality is noticeably better on the VM540ML on my older vinyl.
The red is nice- much better than stock - but there are some high end issues on my setup and the sound is not as warm and clear. Still a great product for the price. I may take your advice and try your suggestion next as I can't seem to get an undamaged AT stylus which breaks my heart
I upgraded from the 2MRED to the 2MSILVER(Silver coil+Better CL suspension) Its alot better, considerably more detail and Bass has
more warmth and presence, for the extra 30$, over the 2MRED its worth the upgrade, considering the 100$+ price gap for the 2MBLUE .
You cannot switch out all heads on all bodies..
Only the red and blue can swap and the bronze and black can swap...been there done that..
Jamie Hayman Thanks for the clarification on that.
YES, you absolutely can switch out the higher tier 2M styluses on the lower tier 2M cartridge bodies. The bodies of the Red/Blue and Bronze/Black may be made differently, but there is nothing stopping anyone from putting a Bronze stylus on a Red/Blue cartridge body with seemingly no adverse effects, and in fact/of course, somewhat upgraded sonic qualities - just don't expect that you are getting a "true" Bronze by doing so.
Yes you can, I did.
Actually the magnet structure is identical for all of the series. Therefore, the switch out is also identical. What happened to you cannot be determined by information you have given.
Ewan Mackenzie g
you have a sound panel yet still leave your speakers in front of a glass pane?
I'd like to try one! All the numbers make no sense when the vinyl sings beautifully! Ortofon carts are superb. I have a Rega Planar 2 with RB250 arm and Ortofon VMS20MKII which sounds superb but i'd like to try the 2M red. Thanks for review.
Love the 2M Red. Curious about the Blue. Any chance of a review?
Can't put the Black on it. Tried it. Don't work.
Hey I have the audio technica lp-120 usb and I have the stock cartridge on it now I’m seriously considering this cartridge do you think it would be a good match for my turntable
why don't they seal the box?
I had the 2M Red and found it fussy. I could never get it to sound right. I ran the entire tracking force spectrum...anti-skating...tracking angle. Nothing worked. I ended up selling it after about two months. It is possible that it wasn't a good match for my table (SL1200 with stock medium-mass arm). However, I have heard that going from the Red to the Blue will yield major improvement in sound quality.
Just fitted one of these to my old Rega planar 3 turntable, quite happy with the sound, next step up was twice the price. Wasnt prepared to pay that ,
I like how you shaved your beard by the end of the video x)
I thought spending $100. + on a stylus with good reviews would be an upgrade from the cart I got off a used turntable. I was completely disappointed when the used lot totally outperformed the 2M Red.
I installed the Red onto an SL1200 run through an HH Scott 222D. I set all tracking angles, pressure, and anti-skate. As compared to the same setup with a used Pickering P/ATE,
The noise floor was excessive, static pops were more prominent than before, volume was lower (even lower out of the left channel) and sibilance... "S" and "T" sounds in vocals were vague and distorted. The "hollowness" I've read about in the midrange makes a LOT of sense, too. The whole setup seemed more microphonic as well - walking by the turntable was much more noticeable.
I do realize I did not put much time into "breaking in", but the overall impression I was left with was that this cart would never perform to my expectations, or indeed reproduce sounds as accurately as an enjoyable listen would demand. Considering the cost and loss of audio quality, I decided to return it ASAP. Too little bang for the buck. I'll enjoy the Pickering as the search continues...
Something else is wrong with your system not the cart
By the way and sorry if I've asked this before, who does that New Record day bit? Like whom is that on that record?
What a cute setup
Good equipment is being used here. Have a lot of respect for that. Unfortunately the Mac is a weak link here. If you compare what goes into it with what comes out of it, there is a noticeable difference. Mac does alter the sound more so than it's pc counterpart. If you really want to see the difference, throw away the mp3 recordings and compare with a high bit rate wave and you will see where I'm coming from.
Having said that. You are using some very nice audio equipment there. A very respectable system.
Gord W Thanks for the compliments and feedback, I appreciate it!
great neil young!
Follow directions..
and be careful not to
break anything.
Toney Tillery.
Nagaoka MP-100
Nice review. Just ordered a Pro-Ject Esprite with the Red, so pretty jacked for it to come. Also watched your Spin Clean and VPI, good stuff.
On a different note, really dig the concrete block stand. Did you seal the block to cut down on any powdery residue? I'm planning something similar, so any tips would be appreciated.
Anyone else feel like the ortofon red not express low end very well? Classical music sounds good, but heavy metal etc sounds a little empty/hollow? Anyone else..
Boy I sure hope that isn't true!!!!
You missed the most important specification to me and that is, What Is The Channel Separation?
you have internet, internet has Google, Google has ortofon. com. as you can see everything has something but you don't have brains. I mean you have to have them, but you don't use them. you gotta start to use them or you will cry for help all your life, like your doing now, and at some point people will start looking at you funny ok ok, here it is Channel separation at 1 kHz - 22 dB. Channel separation at 15 kHz - 15 dB
Hi Ron, i have a RP1 Rega turntable with carbon cartridge, i was thinking updrade to ortofon 2m red, but as you said this is probably for better to star with!, so i don´t know if this would be a good upgrade?, please i would apreciate your advice!, i was checking another option with AT120Eb audiotechnica but i don´t know almost same price!, if it helps i like heavy metal, and very heavy music , so i need good bass and clear sound!, i hope you have some time to give me your opinion! thanks !
+Martin Revo Get a Grado Black, same price but much better overall.. bass is refined and mids and highs are excellent, my metal collection never sounded better! \m/
thanks a lot for your answer, well after a time , i checked many reviews and i got a clear audio concept V2 MM, is really good, i wil take note of your advice, and i will have on mind to a future up grade ! thanks!
Is the fact that the diamond falls apart after two days without a refund worth considering? A te l'hanno regalata quindi caxxo te ne frega ve?
I upgraded to the Sumiko Rainer. MUCH BETTER sound!
I got a 2m red fitted today. I was really impressed with the sound right off the bat, but after an hour or so of listening I started to notice how sharp the high-end was.
I also noticed some high-end distortion in certain tracks on certain records that I had never noticed before. I worry that this is actually a fault, what do you reckon?
+ChaosStep Probably just needs to be set up correctly. I would double check that first...
I had it fitted and set up by my local dealer, so I'm imagining it's all aligned fine. It's tracking at 1.8, is that recommended? Should I lower it a little?
+ChaosStep Nah, 1.8 is good. Weird, play it for a day or 2 and see it goes away. Check to see if there is junk on the stylus?
+New Record Day It probably also just needs some burning in. Dude, this guy did his critical listening when the cartridge and stylus were only an hour old!!
hi RON , I'M LOOKING AT PURCHASING A TURNTABLE SOON BUT SO MANY CHOICES SOME TIMES CONFUSING.WHAT'S YOUR TAKE ON A GOOD TURNTABLE IN $1000 RANGE? I'M CURRENTLY LOOKING AT THE REGA PLANAR 3 OR THE PIONEER PLX-1000.
GREAT VIDEO BY THE WAY I AGREE I LIKE THE WAY YOU CAN CHANGE THE STYLES OUT AS WELL.
You don't have to invest that much in a turntable. Ridiculous imo. You can get a quality TT with a removable headshell for less than half that price and invest more of your money in a cartridge uograde for up to 120 dollars. I don't see the point in spending that kind of money on a TT unless you're an actor, musician, or athlete or you're a DJ investing in a Technics or Stanton. If you're not gonna play vinyl every week then investing 1000 dollars in a TT may not be the best idea.
Which Dual Turntable do you own?
Thats my wife's Dual 504 :) It was her Moms.
shure stylus are designed well.
the problem i have with these newer orts is there is too much plastic around the
stylus and cantilever. way too much mass. better off with the older models.
So much talk + free show and no audio recorded from the actual cartridge to demo it?
Is frequency response the wider the better?
It's how you hear and feel the music. How do you experience it? Do you thing you hear all or more of the music compared to the last one you had? Is it much better? Don't put that much emphasis on specs. The science can lead to improvements but It's the listening that counts.
How about reviewing Audio Technica's AT 150 MLX?
how much is the replacement stylus for when it wears out
almost as much as the whole cartridge , like around 90% of it, but the cartridge itself wears out a bit also, people usually buy another cartridge when stylus is out
I don't understand why this cartridge is so highly rated. Both the Audio Technica AT95E, especially with the 3x7 JICO stylus upgrade, and the Shure M97xe are better cartridges by a significant margin, and each one is cheaper than the Ortofon 2M Red. A replacement JICO stylus only costs $25, including shipping. Ortofon charges almost $90 for their stylus. Give me a break.
I'm beginning to think it's a "It's Danish. It must be better" thing.
I have heard that a lot. What is your setup?
The same thing with pipe tobacco, Danish is over-rated.
The Ortofon 2M totally spoil my first edition vinyls cos it sounds so thin (harsh) and weaken the mid and deep bass that it was original there, its more close to digital sound, Ortofon 2M will totally mislead you what true sound is, don't use it!
James Tang the 2M Blue is a very good cart. It's a nude elliptical as opposed to a bonded elliptical which the 2M Red. The 2M red is a starter cart so I wouldn't bash Ortofon solely on the performance of a entry level cart. Same goes for AT judging the 95E
The Jico stylus is more like $150.
why so small speakers?
trasch
LUV your RACK !
what do you have the weight set as? Thanks :)
I set mine at 1.8g as is suggested by the instructions.
I can say bad things about it! It's shit!! It's too fucking loud right off the bat and you can't get any power behind it with your amp. It's just BOOM in your face! I hate that! If someone is just starting out and just getting into vinyl with a low grade turntable and they don't have a really good, solid power amp and they really don't know what good sound is and what your amp is supposed to do, then I would say it's a high priced low quality shit starter cartridge! That's it folks! Don't buy into the hype like I did............PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!
Same there... one of the worst carts
Ok while you can swap out all the stylus heads, you are not getting the true performance by swapping out your Red or Blue for a Bronze or Black stylus and using the Red or Blue body..
Inferior performance
Kind of like swapping out your Hyundai Excel engine for a BMW M3, while it will go faster it will suffer in the handling among other things...lol
Remember that the tester gets all this equipment for free, so saying bronze is prob. better, he invites Ortofon to sent better equipment. Your hobby gets really cheap then, but your opinion is for sale.
+Voornaam Achternaam huh? Not even close.
Why not?
+Voornaam Achternaam integrity?
I don't see how it's that much of a advantage to swap out a red styli for a blue on the red cart. Those Blue styli's aren't cheap, yes it's cheaper to go that route, but a stylus costing 75% of a new cart isn't not much of a deal.
Dug the Neil Young cover at the end!
i would upgrade my cartridge on my audio technica at lp120 usb, already i have audio technica at 95ex
The removable stylus concept has been around since the 60's. Nothing new there. It was done by Pickering, Stanton and SURE. Oh..and nothing beats the SURE V-15 type IV and V for a moving magnet cartridge.
Dude, breeze blocks? Seriously?
bla bbla bbbbbbllllalaaaaaa
I’m having a hard time to follow. I don’t understand. You said “there she is” then you called her a “bad boy”
What the hell? The worst cart I ever had..wouldn't pay 1$ for mp3 like sounding cart. Reviewer clearly doing advertising...wouldn't trust this reviewer..
Please! do not call a Needle a slylus...
Mere talk. Play some music please. That's why you are so boring.
It's still crap even eight years on