The flagship Ortofon 2M Black utilizes a Shibata stylus (usually not found on cartridges any where near this price). With a heavily upgraded generator and a proprietary body material, the 2M Black is exceedingly fast, detailed yet supremely musical. An excellent value and has earned our highest recommendation!
“The 2M Red is the entry level and 2M Black is the flagship. The 2M Black has a light, fast touch with good treble extension. Its greatest attribute is the way it provides a more transparent window on the world of micro-energies, permitting it to plumb the depths of soundstaging and dimensionality. Their performance is a fitting tribute to Ortofon and chief engineer Per Windfield!”
The 2M series of cartridges feature Ortofon’s trademark split pole pins, an invention that enables moving magnet cartridges to have flat frequency response, just like a moving coil cartridge. Ortofon invented the Split pole pin technology and was originally offered in the 500 series and Super OM series.
The 2M series was developed in conjunction with Danish designer Møller Jensen Design – the same designer who designed the award-winning MC Jubilee and very successful Kontrapunkt series. Inspired by the facets of a diamond, whose contours gracefully trace the grooves on a record’s surface, the 2M’s handsome elegance establishes a great combination of form and functionality.
The 2M series is designed for precise and accurate retrieval of the information in the record groove. Ortofon’s philosophy is to make cartridges which reproduce the record grooves as accurately as possible, without coloring the sound. The 2M series design has been optimized for ease of mounting and their weight and size fit virtually any current turntable.
Specifications:
Output voltage at 1000 Hz, 5cm/sec. 5 mV
Channel balance at 1 kHz 1 dB
Channel separation at 1 kHz 26 dB
Channel separation at 15 kHz 15 dB
Frequency range at – 3dB 20-31.000 Hz
Frequency response 20-20.000 + 2 / – 0 dB
Tracking ability at 315Hz at recommended tracking force 80 µm
Compliance, dynamic, lateral 22 µm/mN
Stylus type Nude Shibata
Stylus tip radius r/R 6/50 µm
Tracking force range 1.4-1.7g (14-17 mN)
Tracking force, recommended 1.5 g (15 mN)
Tracking angle 20°
Internal impedance, DC resistance 1.2 kOhm
Internal inductance 630 mH
Recommended load resistance 47 kOhm
Recommended load capacitance 150-300 pF
Cartridge colour, body/stylus Black/Black
Cartridge weight 7.2 g
Replacement stylus unit 2M Black