One of the Ten "Best Cartridges 2020" – What Hi-fi? Magazine
"A Full-Range, Highly Resolving Presentation" – On SH-4 Headshell
Ortofon's 2M Blue moving magnet phono cartridge features a new, improved engine that provides an increased output of 5.5mV, an optimized sound reproduction, and a high level of sonic accuracy. The 2M Blue adds more dynamics and resolution, sounds more open and reproduces more details than its highly popular 'little brother,' the bestselling 2M Red cartridge.
This version of the 2M Blue comes pre-mounted on Ortofon's popular SH-4 black headshell – a practical and elegant solution if you're looking for direct and easy mounting and replacement on your S-shaped tonearm. The quality of the SH-4 headshell is sturdy and rigid, yet the design emphasizes a slim and delicate form factor. The strong, lightweight headshell has an ergonomic design with a long finger lift that is easy to pick up.
England's What Hi-fi? magazine honored the Ortofon 2M Blue by naming it as one of the ten "Best Cartridges 2020." According to the article, "This is a step up from the 2M Red in the number four slot in this list, and as such it's a little more pricey," reports Joe Svetlik. "So, sound? The Blue delivers a real sense of vitality to recordings, and brings a good sense of timing to proceedings… This is a very capable little cartridge indeed."
Elliptical Diamond Stylus and Split Pole Pins
The 2M Blue Nude boasts an elliptical diamond stylus and split pole pins with a copper wire. Split pole pins are an invention that enables moving magnet cartridges to have a flat frequency response, as with a much higher-priced moving coil cartridge. Split pole pins were invented by Ortofon, and were originally presented in the 500 series and Super OM series.
"With the 2M Blue ...you get the audiophile treatment: a full-range, highly resolving presentation that sounds neither stiff nor unforgiving," raves Mark Mickelson atThe Audio Beat. "In fact, the 2M Blue's balance, both tonally and in terms of overall resolution, may be its greatest feat. It's an easy cartridge to listen to…"
Ortofon's 2M Series
The 2M Series is designed for precise and accurate retrieval of the information in the record groove. The 2M Series is developed in conjunction with the Danish Industrial 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.
The name 2M was selected from among several ideas. Ortofon wanted a modern name that would be easy to pronounce and remember, and therefore an alphanumerical name was chosen. 2M means MM, which is the abbreviation for moving magnet.
Of course the 2M isn’t just another pretty face. It has been engineered to the highest standards and is congruent with Ortofon’s unrelenting commitment to providing the most precise and accurate reproduction possible without coloration.
Easy Mounting
Ortofon has optimized the design for ease of mounting the cartridge, and the weight and size to fit the most common turntables on the market today. The 2M Series provides excellent compatibility when used in an assortment of playback systems and with a wide variety of phono preamps.
