Ortofon 2M Black MM Replacement Stylus - Black

The 2M Black Stylus — Shibata, and the Upgrade a Bronze Owner Can Make

Ortofon's replacement stylus for the 2M Black, sold singly. It carries a nude Shibata diamond and clips onto the front of a 2M Black body, restoring the cartridge to how it left Nakskov.

Ortofon also names it the upgrade for a 2M Bronze. The Bronze and the Black share a group, so a Bronze owner can fit this and get the Black's diamond without buying a cartridge or touching alignment.

Fit, Profile and Compatibility

Which Bodies It Belongs On

Ortofon recommends it for the 2M Black, the 2MR Black and the 2M Black Premounted, and lists it as the upgrade for the 2M Bronze, 2MR Bronze and 2M Bronze Premounted.

Of the two, Ortofon writes that the 2M Black “is an upgrade compared to the 2M Bronze thanks to a Shibata diamond that gives it contact with the groove like nothing else.”

The Numbers That Matter at Setup

The nude Shibata is specified at a 6/50 µm tip radius — a narrower leading edge and a much longer contact line than the Bronze's Fine Line. Ortofon quotes 22 µm/mN compliance, 80 µm tracking ability at 315 Hz, and 20 Hz – 20 kHz, +2/–0 dB.

Tracking force is 1.4 to 1.7 g, recommended 1.5 g. A Shibata rewards an accurate setting more than a simpler profile does, so this is worth a gauge rather than an estimate.

Who Is the 2M Black Stylus Best For?

• Your 2M Black is worn — the tip is the consumable, not the cartridge
• You own a 2M Bronze — Ortofon names this the upgrade for that body, so it is a Black for the price of a stylus
• You run a 2MR Black or 2M Black Premounted — both are on the recommended list
• You want the Shibata profile — a 6/50 µm radius holds the longest contact line in the 2M range
• Your body is a Red, Blue, Silver, 78 or Mono — this will seat but it is not the matched pairing; those bodies take their own styli, listed in replacement styli

How Do You Fit It?

Leave the cartridge on the headshell. Pull the old assembly straight off the front — it unclips by hand — and push the new one on until it seats. Nothing about the body's position changes, so only tracking force needs resetting.

Pairs Well With

What most Black owners shop alongside a new stylus.

• Stylus force gauges — how you set the 1.5 g this one asks for
• Stylus cleaning — what decides how long the new tip lasts
• Record cleaning solutions — a clean record is the cheapest stylus insurance there is
• Record brushes — a pass before each side keeps grit out of the groove

Frequently Asked Questions

Will it fit my cartridge?

Ortofon recommends it for the 2M Black, 2MR Black and 2M Black Premounted, and names it the upgrade for the three Bronze bodies. Red, Blue, Silver, 78 and Mono bodies take their own.

Can I upgrade my 2M Bronze this way?

That is Ortofon's own recommendation for it. The Bronze and Black share a group, so the Shibata diamond goes onto your existing body with no realignment and no new cartridge.

What tracking force should I set?

Ortofon specifies 1.4 to 1.7 g and recommends 1.5 g. Set it with a gauge after fitting; a Shibata profile is less forgiving of a rough estimate than a conical or elliptical tip.

How long does a stylus last?

Around 1,000 hours is the usual figure, though it turns on how clean your records are and how accurately the cartridge is set up. A worn tip damages records, so replace it on schedule rather than by ear.

See It in Action

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