Ortofon 2M Black Cartridge

Meet the  2M Black Cartridge

2M are designed for precise and accurate retrieval of the information in the record groove. Ortofon's philosophy is to play the record sound as accurately as possible, without colouring the sound. They have optimised the design for ease of mounting the cartridge, weight, and size to fit the most common turntables on the market today.

 In 1948, Ortofon developed its first moving coil cartridge, since then more than 300 different cartridges have been developed and manufactured. Acoustics, materials, technology, and micromechanics are key competences in Ortofon's technological prowess. Research and development is done with the company's own engineers, supported by a strong network of acoustic know-how and industrial design in Denmark.

In 1957, Ortofon introduced a moving coil stereo cutter head and followed this in 1958 with the introduction of the "Stereo Pick-Up," or SPU, designed by Robert Gudmandsen. Initially Ortofon supplied these new cartridges in the Type A headshell, designed to be used in their own RMA pickup arm, to broadcast turntable manufacturers, including EMT.

The SPU was used by early broadcasting companies, among whom the Ortofon brand name was already well known from the first moving coil system—the Ortofon mono system in the small black A-housing. The so-called “Ortofon sound“ became synonymous with the sound from the SPU at an early stage.

The sound of the SPU cartridge is characterised by a rich bass and a transparent treble range, plus those extra qualities that are so hard to define but so easy to appreciate when they are realised. The characteristics and heritage of these early SPU designs have been embodied in Ortofon's current cartridge range, whether they be moving coil or moving magnet designs.

The 2M Black is the moving magnet flagship from Ortofon.

The 2M black is graced with a Shibata diamond stylus—the same diamond as on the acclaimed MC Jubilee. Its slim, highly polished profile allows an exceedingly wide contact area to the groove walls and ensures notably detailed reproduction throughout the spectrum, including even the most high-frequency groove information.

The cartridge body used for the 2M Black is manufactured from a newly-developed Lexan DMX Piano Black, a revolutionary material that ensures high rigidity while eliminating unwanted resonances.

The 2M Black uses a special upgraded engine, featuring split pole pins with a silver-plated copper wire.

Users of the 2M Black will enjoy the benefit of impeccable sound quality, along with reduced record & stylus wear and reduced distortion and phase error as a result of the diamond’s improved tracking geometry.