Ortofon 2M Blue Mounted on SH-4 Black Headshell

A 2M Blue That Arrives Already Aligned

This is Ortofon's 2M Blue moving magnet cartridge, factory-fitted to the company's SH-4 Black headshell. It arrives as one assembly, wired and mounted, and it drops into the arm of any turntable built to take a removable headshell.

What you are buying alongside the cartridge is the part of turntable setup most people dread. Overhang, offset angle and the two very small screws are already dealt with. You fit the headshell, set tracking force, and put a record on.

The Cartridge and the Headshell

What the 2M Blue Brings

The diamond is a nude elliptical at an 8/18 µm tip radius. Nude means the stone is a single piece mounted straight to the aluminum cantilever rather than a chip bonded to a metal shank, which takes mass off the very end of the arm.

Ortofon specifies 5.5 mV of output, 25 dB of channel separation at 1 kHz, tracking ability of 80 µm at 315 Hz, and a frequency response of 20 Hz – 20 kHz held to +2/–1 dB. The coil system is quad-coils with split pole pins and OFC wire, into a recommended 47 kΩ load.

What the SH-4 Brings

Ortofon builds the SH-4 from anodized aluminum with gold-plated terminal pins and a long finger lift, and describes it as “meticulously crafted for seamless integration with S-shaped tonearms featuring a universal mount.”

It measures 51.5 by 20.0 mm and weighs 9.2 g on its own. Mounting distance adjusts between 36.4 and 45.4 mm, and that adjustment is what let Ortofon set the 2M Blue's overhang correctly at the factory rather than leaving the job to you.

Fit and Setup

The One Thing to Check First

Ortofon publishes the premounted weight as 16.7 g. That is heavier than a bare cartridge, so the counterweight has to have the range for it. Most arms designed around removable headshells do, but it is worth confirming before you order.

Tracking force is 1.6 to 2.0 g with 1.8 g recommended. That is the only setting left to make, and it is the one thing the factory could not do for you, because it depends on your arm rather than on the cartridge.

Who Is the 2M Blue on SH-4 Best For?

• Your turntable takes a removable headshell — an S-shaped arm with a universal collar is exactly what this was built for
• You would rather not align a cartridge — overhang and offset arrive set, and the wiring is already done
• You swap cartridges — a second headshell means changing cartridge is a twist of a collar, not an evening with a protractor
• You want a nude elliptical diamond — 5.5 mV of output and 25 dB of separation, into any moving magnet input
• Your arm has a fixed headshell — most Rega and Pro-Ject arms among them, and this assembly will not fit at all; a bare phono cartridge is what those need

How Do You Fit It?

Slide the headshell into the arm's collar, line up the bayonet, and tighten the locking ring by hand until it seats. Then balance the arm to zero and set tracking force to 1.8 g. Nothing needs measuring, because the geometry travelled with the headshell.

Pairs Well With

What most owners buy alongside a premounted cartridge.

• Stylus force gauges — the one setting the factory could not make for you
• Stylus cleaning — what decides how long the nude diamond lasts
• Replacement styli — the 2M Blue stylus clips off the front when the tip eventually wears
• Record cleaning solutions — a clean record is the cheapest stylus insurance there is

Frequently Asked Questions

Will it fit my turntable?

It fits arms that take a removable universal headshell — the S-shaped arms found on most Technics-style and DJ decks, and on many vintage Japanese turntables. Arms with a fixed headshell cannot accept it.

Do I need to align the cartridge?

Ortofon has done it. Overhang and offset angle are set at the factory and travel with the headshell, so fitting is a matter of locking the collar and setting tracking force.

What tracking force should I set?

Ortofon specifies 1.6 to 2.0 g for the 2M Blue and recommends 1.8 g. Balance the arm to zero first, then dial that in.

Is 16.7 g too heavy for my arm?

Arms designed around removable headshells are generally built for this weight range, since a headshell adds around 9 g whatever cartridge is on it. Check your counterweight travels far enough if the arm is an unusual one.

Can I replace just the stylus later?

You can. The 2M Blue's stylus assembly clips off the front of the cartridge by hand, so a worn tip never means dismantling the assembly or realigning anything.

Can I fit a different cartridge to this headshell?

The SH-4 is a standard headshell with an adjustable 36.4 to 45.4 mm mounting distance, so yes — though you would then be aligning that cartridge yourself, which is the work this package exists to avoid.

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