Needles & Grooves

If that $260 cartridge sounds as good as $750 models of other brands? No. But like @Joe Mac I cringe when I see an Ortofon Bronze on anything, but especially a nice table.

Haha it's cool, I'm a relative newbie so I know I've done some strange things but despite the hate on here 2M Blacks are very well reviewed worldwide and besides that, in my system with the way I've got it set up between the amp, pre amp, speakers, cables and room correction software and how the signatures of each work together... I'll put my system up against almost anyone's.

duly noted

On a tangent at least this scenario is rational however I really thinks it’s silly that people will promote the idea that there’s no reason to own a table beyond an lp120, I think some of us have seen that video on YouTube.

Wait, what's the issue with Ortofon? This is the first I'm hearing about them not being recommended

People on here hate the Bronze and think the Black is way overrated

They’re divisive. I liked my 2M Bronze quite a bit, personally. But I’d never risk a throw-down with @HiFi Guy.

I just think it also comes down to what KIND of sound do you want? Do you want warm and fuzzy? If so stay the hell away from Ort Blue Silver Bronze or Black. Also they are in many cases more expensive than they probably should be.

Yeah, I think the thing most seem to dislike about the 2M series is that they have a very analytical quality that I’ve heard described as ‘CD-like.’

I thought my Bronze was very crisp, detailed, and an unbelievable tracker, but it’s not what one would describe as a warm and cuddly cart.

I like the Ortofon 2Ms. They’re not a dream cart but they’re good for a large swath of people. I think we get too caught up in brands, specs, prices. There is some correlation & baseline there but in the end how does equipment sound in situ?

lol I have an Ortofon Blue and it feels almost too expensive for me. I got it as a gift but still feels like I’m punching above my weight to have it. I can’t imagine buying or owning a $700 cartridge. My TT is $400~ Btw

My thoughts on the 2M are that the red is crap. The blue is decent for its price point but is nowhere near as nice as any Grado I’ve had. I’ve not had the bronze or black in my system but demos have made them feel really over analytical, verging on the harsh.

@Joe Mac I agree on the Red. Never liked mine.

@Joe Mac I am thinking about the Opus3 myself, I have experience with the grado black and blue and the AT VM95ML. I prefer the detail of the AT but the overall sound of the Grado better.

Yes my Silver was essentially a red and I didn't like it. The Black is definitely analytical but with a touch more warmth than the Bronze, but then coupled with my Aria that adds more warmth, my Arcam that adds a tiny bit more, cables and AC that adds a bit more warmth...

...and then a full room correction software suite where I can literally tailor the signature of every speaker in my room so that it eliminates any harshness or drop offs due to room eccentricities and boom.. Suddenly it's not harsh and analytical, rather it sounds like the band is in my livingroom.

But if I ran stock everything with no stage and a basic amp with no correction then yeah, the Black would not sound good.

There's no reason for some people to own a table beyond an lp120. I'm one of them.

I had a 2M red on my table for maybe a week. I couldn't stand it. Oh, that reminds me: I have an awesome like-new 2M Ortofon red already mounted on an S-arm headshell for sale, cheap cheap.

My favorite of the 2m Series would be the Blue. It does the least wrong.