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Vinyl Asylum: REVIEW: Ortofon 2M Black Phono Cartridge by tlonergan@sky.com

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REVIEW: Ortofon 2M Black Phono Cartridge

90.199.28.236


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Model: 2M Black
Category: Phono Cartridge
Suggested Retail Price: $699
Description: 2M Black - The 2M series were developed in conjunction with Danish designer Møller Jensen Design – the same designer who designed the award winning MC Jubilee and 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.
Manufacturer URL: Ortofon
Model Picture: View

Review by tlonergan@sky.com on January 13, 2010 at 08:06:43
IP Address: 90.199.28.236
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for the 2M Black



OK, Shane( My son) purchased an Ortofon 2M black from a member on Wigwam a few weeks ago, and with only 5 hours on it. We attempted to fit his Nima tonearm to the Roksan Xerxes, however the arm tube is not long enough, and I could not apply the arm pillar holding nut.... now awaiting counter boring.

System: Roksan Xerxex/Tabriz ZI/ (rewired) opera CON M800 power amps/Musical Fid A308 pre/ martin Logan Quest Z, Stereovox firebird speaker cables, and Nordst Red dawn interconnects.

Phone stage: Trichord Dino and plus pw

Yesterday he asked me to see if it would fit my Roksan, and yes just about, there was not enough room to apply the supplied arm pillar shake proof washer. Disaster, we started with an old fav, Bob James, Ivory Coast. The sound was strange, loosing volume, and the stylus got stuck. After careful assessment, and swearing, I noticed that the arm had to be lowered, as it was not staying in the grove, and also, I had great difficulty checking the tracking weight with my Shure scales, and his electric one. The only way that I could get this arm to engage was to lower it at the pivot end, and of course that would interfere with tracking weight. I just brought the counterweight in, and hoped for the best, lowering the arm beside the platter indicated that it would engage the record groove. The sticking stopped, and I was generally pleased with what I heard, however unhappy with the arm situation, and I had to adjust cueing lever height in addition.

I decided to apply the cartridge to my Tabriz Zi arm. Easily done, and the cartridge screws fit in to the body.

Prior to the fitting of the 2M on the Tabriz; I was using a Denon DL103R, and lately I found the Denon to lack life, the sound did not come to the foreground, in fact boring, I wonder, perhaps the stylus is damaged. A member of Wigwam advised myself recently (review of Shanes Quad 405/2) that the Tab deserved a better cartridge, and yes he is right. The better the system, the more it demands in improvement. I set the tracking weight just off the 1.7 setting (track from 1.4 to 1.7, REC at 1.5) Yes that was easy the electric scale gave me an instant reading. I used the higher force as the cartridge still requires some running in.

With Bob James Ivory coast, an old record that I have since the early nineties ( I first heard this on a valve based system, Voyd, Audionote IO cart, AN J speakers and was astonished at the impression of AIR around everything though a bit bright. This was the late eighties/early nineties, and an IO cart was well above me, and a void. I noticed immediately that the information retrieval was very good, detail in abundance. Channel separation and imaging was present, I knew my Martin Logans had capability. I dont know how to describe the Bob J sound of this LP, but a lot of transient detail, start stop, sudden sounds, excellent and this is how I remember this record, also great dynamics. The background scratches did not bother me.

Shane requested Jazz at the Pawn shop, (good one matey) and we were impressed at the increased resolution, GONE the awful scream of the saxes, a great live recording and ATMOSPHERIC. Everything was in place, and the background sound of cutlery, dinner plates was great, and sounded just like that.

I decided to spin an oldie, The Paul Desmond Quartet, Live, and one particular track, Manha De Carnival. I love this track with its unique percussion. Again the ortofon ploughed through this old recording conveying that samba feeling and captured his mood. We noticed that the hand clapping sounded just like that, Shane remarked “the sound of skin" exactly, and not cornflakes!

Next up, AL Jarreau, live in London. As I expected, this record can be very atmospheric, dynamic, and this was captured. Track one, raging waters, excellent, the urgency of the voice, and projection to the listening area.

Soul to Soul, A new decade VOL 11, my usual review LP, I have had it so long, but if this recording sounds all together, then the arm and cart are matched and set up. I decided to reduce some counterweight here, I did not measure, but this did the trick, the bass was great, vocals, and speed excellent, a musical sound as it should be.

Patty Austin, Love is goanna getcha Another fav, and track three, wait for me. I noticed her that her voice was a bit recessed, again I reduced tracking weight, and this resolved the matter. Timbral resolution was great; her lovely and most unique voice was there.

Andy Sheppard, soft on the inside, another great oldie of mine, and this record was constantly my tool for cartridge/tt/arm review. This is a big band attempt, and full of weird and wonderful sounds. My fav track Carla, Carla, Carla Carla, I always wait for the fruity and sexy sounding bass clarinet. This is a very complicated, busy track, with the most unusual sounds that can emanate from the background. NO problem the ortofon ploughed through, incredible sounds, bold, brassy, vibrant, dynamic structure very present, depth, bass lines, speed......

There we have it, conclusion, a classy cartridge, just sitting in its box waiting to be given that chance. Over the Denon DL 103R, a giant leap step, there is no comparison. This cartridge breathes life, tracks like a fine toothcomb, extracts information with excellent results, not over analytical in its nature, some components that are over analytical become boring.

Highlights,

Depth, excellent

Information retrieval, excellent

Bass, impressive

Frequency extremes, excellent, handles saxes in pawn shop very well.

presenting a rendition that is together, musical, structured, dynamic, exploiting the potential of a good record player.....EXCELLENT.

I was transported back to the very early nineties when I had a Mitchell Gyro, SME series V1, ortofon MC300 (this cart cost in the region of £800 then, and to be honest I could not afford retipping, replacement) but a wonderful cartridge.

Very highly recommended, a good vintage....classy performer.

T Lonergan


Product Weakness: None....but I want to experiment with tracking weight...Reduce further to the rec 1.5
Product Strengths: Depth, excellent<br><br>Information retrieval, excellent<br><br>Bass, impressive<br><br>Frequency extremes, excellent, handles saxes in pawn shop very well.


Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: Opera consonance
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Musical fidelity A308CR
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Roksan Xerxes/Tabriz Zi
Speakers: martin Logan Quest z
Cables/Interconnects: Stereovox Firebird/Nordost
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Jazz, general pop, live
Room Size (LxWxH): 10 x 25 x 12
Room Comments/Treatments: none
Time Period/Length of Audition: 3 hours
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): Trichord Dino and Plus PW
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner




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Topic - REVIEW: Ortofon 2M Black Phono Cartridge - tlonergan@sky.com 08:06:43 01/13/10 ( 1)