Recommended Component 2023 – Stereophile
One of the Ten "Best Cartridges 2020" – What Hi-fi? Magazine
"Pleasing Ambience and Good Detail"
Ortofon's 2M Red moving magnet phono cartridge is an all-purpose cartridge that delivers open, dynamic sound with a slight touch of warmth. It features a new, improved engine that provides an increased output of 5.5mV, an optimized sound reproduction, and a high level of sonic accuracy.
This special version of the 2M Red uses a low-profile design for convenient use with Rega turntables.
"Recommended Component" Honors
Stereophile honored the Ortofon 2M Red by awarding it the magazine's coveted Recommend Component status for 2023.
According to Stereophile, "SM declared the 2M Red's dynamic range 'vastly wider' than that of the less expensive Ortofon OM 5E, and praised the new cartridge's clean, fast, grainless sound. SM's verdict: 'If you're looking for a high-value cartridge . . . the 2M Red is an excellent place to start.'"
England's What Hi-fi? magazine honored the Ortofon 2M Red by naming it as one of the ten "Best Cartridges 2020." According to the article, The 2M Red "puts in a great performance for the money. The midrange sounds full and expressive, especially vocals. Bass and treble also score well… It's simple to fit and align, and provides a more than enjoyable listening experience. Proof that quality hi-fi needn't cost the earth."
The 2M Red boasts a tipped Elliptical diamond 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.
A review in England’s Hi-fi News magazine praised the 2M Red for its “pleasing ambience... intimate, trembling quality... bass in proportion... [and] good detail."
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.
