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A Review Of The Ortofon 2M Red Moving Magnet Phono Cartridge By Felix Scerri

Ortofon 2M

Well my newly purchased Ortofon 2M Red moving magnet cartridge arrived by courier this morning and I've wasted no time no time in getting it set up and playing records.  Straight out of the box, my initial impressions are positive with one or two slightly quirky anomalies.  Firstly, the new mounting system makes mounting a breeze.  No more fiddling with tiny screws and nuts!

The sound:  Compared to my existing and much loved Ortofon Super OM10, thegeneral sound is quite different, as one might possibly expect!  With theOrtofon 2M Red cartridge, there appears to be much more apparent bass energy.  My active subwoofer was getting much more of a workout compared to usual.  Listening to both well recorded classical discs and pop records, the words that come to mind to describe the Ortofon 2M Red phono cartridge, compared to the Ortofon Super OM series are 'warm, laid back, refined and elegantly restrained'.  My ears seemed to indicate that the midrange was ever so slightly recessed, possibly adding to the 'laid back' quality.  The slightly recessed midrange reminded me of my experiments many years ago playing around with my DIY graphic equaliser and introducing a little 'cut' around the 2 kHz range.

However compared to my Ortofon Super OM10, listening to classical material, the new Ortofon 2M Red cartridge seems closer to the sound of a live performance in a 'well damped ' (anechoic) listening environment.  In all other respects the new Ortofon 2M Red cartridge seems beyond reproach with excellent and stable stereo imaging, high levels of recovered detail and good dynamics.  One quirk about the output level.  I don't know if this will be affected by 'break in', but I thought that the overall output voltage from the Ortofon 2M Red cartridge was very slightly less than the output from my Super OM10 despite the quoted figures on the Ortofon 2M Red cartridge documentation showing somewhat higher output (5.5 mV compared to 4 mV for the Super OM series)!  Interestingly enough, as I've noted previously in the past the general 'hiss' level seems to be (just) noticeably higher than I've noted with my Ortofon Super OM10 cartridge, presumably due to higher cartridge coil inductance.  Based on my past observations this increased 'hiss' seems to be typical of high inductance moving magnet cartridges, although the phono stage in use may also be a factor.

In summary, 'straight out of the box' the Ortofon 2M Red cartridge is a fine phono cartridge although given its smooth and slightly laid back quality, I can see that 'depending' on my mood and the choice of program material I might be swapping between my Super OM10 cartridge with its somewhat more lively presentation, and this Ortofon 2M Red cartridge!  Choice is a wonderful thing, is it not?!  Thumbs up for the Ortofon 2M Red phono cartridge.  I like it. 

Regards, Felix.

Equipment used for this initial review:  Dual CS 515 belt drive turntable with ULM arm.

DIY Elliott Sounds Products P06 phono stage with input impedance set at 47 Kohms in parallel with around 250 picofarads of 'shunt' input capacitance.

DIY Elliott Sound Products P88 stereo line preamp.

DIY Elliott Sound Products P19 power amplifier.

Richter 'Merlin' bookshelf loudspeakers on stands and a B&W/ Solid active subwoofer.

Material listened to:  Various works from Felix Mendelssohn, Elgar and The Beatles.

(Cartridge purchased from Decibel Hi Fi)



YOUR COMMENTS AND CORRESPONDENCE

Hi Mike,

You want to hear something crazy...

When I first got back into vinyl several years ago, the table I bought was a Rotel RP-955 that looks exactly like the 855 you had. I don't buy into all the Rega / Pro-ject "buzz" either unless you're looking in the $1000.00 price-range. You're absolutely right. How good is a turntable that won't even spin at the right speed?

So... after awhile of noticing there was some speed drift... and stylus drag seemed to have an effect at times due to the Rotel's wimpy DC servo motor... Also wasn't crazy about the arm...  I looked further into what was out there and ended up with a SL-1200MKII. Actually, I tried a used Sony PS-X5 for awhile that made me appreciate direct-drive and decided to go all the way and buy a new Technics 1200 when the Sony developed some problems.

I've tried just about every cartridge in my price-range on it.. AT440ML (too thin), Shure M97xE (too thick, lowish output)... I used a Denon DL-103 for a long time, but after awhile realized the imaging was pretty poor, even though it was reasonably easy on the ears.

What ended up on the tonearm of my Technics? That's right... the AT120E. Sounds quite a bit like the Denon that cost more than 2 times as much, but the imaging is better and the soundstage doesn't fall apart. Still slightly warm and easy to listen to, with just a little more "air" and frequency extension than the Denon had.

So basically... We sort of started out at the same place and ended up at the same place... Pretty wild!!!

Great site. Keep 'em spinnin'!!!
Roy
(April 2008)



Dear Mike, Someone should give you an award for the Technics SL-1200 page. I had already bought one second hand and was delighted with it and came upon your pages on a search and was delighted to see someone had already put into words everything I felt about it.

If only more people 'duped' by all those hi-fi magazines came upon your pages they'd be saved a lot of trouble and heartache (and indigestion!)

Cheers, George

(February 2008)



Buying A Second Hand Technics SL-1200


I mentioned elsewhere on these pages that I would not recommend buying a second hand Technics SL-1200 on ebay, or indeed, any other turntable. Then I received an e-mail from Graham. I have edited the ensuing correspondence as it was quite lengthy, but all the salient points are here:

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the amazing website and sharing your expertise.

I just bid on 2 SL1210 MK2's and won. Then I looked at one reply to a letter you wrote where you said you would never buy these units 2nd hand from a DJ. That is exactly what I have done and I feel a little sick now.

Is there any quick way to tell if these units are damaged when I get them? I'm receiving them in 2 days time... I'm using the turntables as playback units in my vinyl record shop that I am opening here in Simon's Town, South Africa. The shop overlooks the little harbour, so that's nice.

Kind regards, Derek.
(February 2008)

Hi Derek, Thanks for your email.

I would look for obvious signs of knocks, bashes, bumps, scrapes and drops that would demonstrate serious abuse. If they have been used for heavy DJ use they will very probably show signs of normal wear and tear, e.g. worn markings worn and scuff marks etc. It is the real damage from knocks and bumps that you need to be careful of. Check for anything that is cracked or broken.

I would think that the really critical parts that you need to pay particular attention to are the main bearing and, of course, the arm. Both of these items can be bought as spares. The arm and particularly the arm bearings are extremely sensitive and fragile, as you will appreciate it is a high precision device. You need to ensure that there are no visual signs of damage or mis-use.  Also ensure that there is no 'play' in the arm and that it works smoothly and balances properly. A new arm (without weight, head-shell, or arm-rest) would probably cost about £60.00 - £70.00 I imagine.

The main bearing needs to be lubricated with the proper Technics bearing oil every 2000 hours of use. Use Technics SFW-010 spindle oil. I would do this before I used the turntables. If required, a new spindle assembly would probably cost about £30.00 - £40.00 I imagine.

It probably goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway: If the turntables came with cartridges and styli fitted, don't even think about using the fitted styli! Get new styli to match the cartridge before you play ANY records! A worn or damaged stylus, or an out of specification arm, could irreparably ruin all your precious records - one by one by one!

I hope all is ok with your new turntables, but if not, it is fortunate that most of the main parts can be bought as spares and replaced. Remember that your record collection is is easily damaged and likely to be worth a lot more than turntables in this price range.

Technics spares should be available from good Technics dealers or services centres, or directly from the Technics head office in your country. If in difficulty Kevin Barrett of KAB USA stocks all main parts as spares (Spindle/bearing; arm and arm parts; lid/dust cover; hinges etc) and will despatch to many parts of the world.

(As it turned out the turntables were to be sold without cartridges and Derek enquired as to whether the Audio Technica AT-95 would be a good choice. I thought that the AT-110E would be a far better alternative since this tracks at a nice light 1.5 grams, whereas the AT-95 would have to be set to track at a rather heavy 2.0 to 2.5 grams. The AT110E is also not much more expensive and considering it's excellent sound quality is a real bargain. However Derek could not obtain an AT110E locally but did find a Grado Prestige Green, which should also be a very good choice.)

Then I got this email from Derek:

Hi Mike,

The turntables arrived yesterday in a shocking state. The sender had packed them loosely in boxes much too big and scattered some newspaper around the units. The boxes were thin cardboard. When they arrived and saw the crushed boxes, I feared the worst. I was right.

The one dust cover is smashed. The tonearm is broken, the arm rest has snapped off. The platter was out of the socket and rolling about. I am concerned due to the "please be careful when you remove the platter for the sake of the magnet" warning.

Neither unit came with headshells so I'll have to order one from Kabusa. Anyway, Just thought I'd let you know. I am kicking myself for not buying a new one.  Cheers, Derek

This is of course bad news and is the risk that you run when buying from an auction site. I would have to say that wherever you bought them from, you must surely have a right to send them back. A turntable is a high precision electro-mechanical device and must be treated with the utmost care, which is not the case here.

Before you consider throwing any more money at this - please try to send them back for a refund. This is completely unacceptable.

....... Then after some deliberation, Derek decided to grasp the nettle and buy a brand new Technics SL-1200. A very wise choice. The second hand turntables that arrived in thin cardboard boxes were quite obviously trashed. The only course of action would be to pursue the seller for a refund or sell them on as spares or repair. I certainly wouldn't want any of my records to come anywhere near one of these wrecks!

In conclusion, we can all learn a very important lesson from Derek's terrible experiences. While I have bought and sold various hi-fi components on ebay such as loudspeakers and electronic components very successfully, I would never ever risk buying a turntable. It is impossible to be absolutely certain that the turntable has been treated with the necessary respect during its previous ownership. Additionally you just cannot be sure that it will be packaged properly so that it will not be trashed in the post.
(February 2008)

A FURTHER UPDATE:

Derek's brand new SL1200 arrived....

Hi Mike,
I am so happy to tell you that I received my new SL1210 this morning. I carefully set it up ...... then I thoroughly cleaned Crisis What Crisis and put it on.
It sounds so good I am so happy! I haven't listened to that record on vinyl for 30 years. I have frequently listened to the CD version though. Well, It's like a different record completely. The bass.... so clear and funky (I was a pro bass player for 20 years). It really sounds so good I can't tell you. Cheers Mike, Derek.



Digitizing Vinyl Records using your PC

Hi,

I followed a link to your site from the KAB USA site. Excellent page about the 1200 and vinyl!

Might I just suggest that you list FLAC as an option for people wanting to compress WAV files without loss of detail? FLAC typically gets WAV files down to 50% or less of their size, and can be played back in most music player software (though not all portable devices support it). It is mainly useful for archiving, as it un-compresses back to the original WAV with no loss of information. http://flac.sf.net

Declan Kelly
(February 2008)

Thanks for that advice Declan. For those requiring some compression but with the highest possible digital quality then FLAC would certainly be a very good choice.


Moving Coil Cartridges

A Query from reader Anton from Tallin:

"Hi!

You have GREAT website. Appreciate your efforts.

I am music lover from Estonia, former Soviet republic, now EU member. I am considering buying me Technics 1210MK2 as my first T/T.

My amp (Exposure XV Super) has built in MC phono stage. So I wonder if it is possible to use MC type cartridge (like Denon 160) with Technics 1210MK2. And what it takes to use MC head - just "plug & play" or some complicated work (arm change, soldering etc) is required?

This question can sound silly, but I have zero experience with T/Ts so far. I plan to order the T/T from a local online dj store and I asked  them the question. But seems DJs are using only MM cartridges, so they did not know about MC.

You help will be appreciated.

Best regards,
Anton"

(January 2008)

Hi Anton,

Thanks for your email.

While I don't pretend to be a total expert as far as MC's go, I may be able to offer a few clues.

I have never tried an MC cart in the SL-1200 to I cannot relate any direct experiences. I will say that as a platform for spinning vinyl at a constant, stable and un-erring speed without unnecessary resonances the SL-1200 cannot be beaten at the price.

Hi-Fi nerds seem to largely ignore this amazing hi fi gem, which I think is very unfair indeed. I say "baahh" to their stupid blind ignorance!

If a weak point could be identified with the SL-1200 system it might be the arm. Not because it's an S shaped arm, but that it is made of several components, rather than a one piece unit like some other turntables employ. Although I don't think it is a real issue, I imagine that it may not be as mechanically rigid as a one piece arm or carbon fibre arm. Also the SL-1200's arm would be of slightly higher mass than the low mass arms that can be found on some other turntables. Personally I love the arm!

However, having said all that, I don't think that any of this would be a disadvantage as far as fitting a moving coil cartridge is concerned. The reason I say this is that MC cart's are often better partnered with medium mass arms.

Low mass arms would be classified as being less than 10 grams, medium mass arms would be classified as being between 11 and 25 grams, high mass arms would be classified as being over 25 grams. The SL-1200 arm is a nice low-medium mass of 12 grams, precision made with extremely low bearing friction.

Given a good MC cart and a top quality RIAA pre-amp I think that it could be a good combo.

Short of changing the arm on the SL-1200 (which can certainly be done, although I am uncertain as to whether this would really be huge advantage), the only reasonably cost effective upgrades that  you might consider is an arm and phono cable inter-connect re-wire with higher quality OFC wire and gold connectors and the addition of the KAB KL-1200 Fluid Damper system; http://www.kabusa.com/frameset.htm?/index.htm

Oh, I nearly forgot, no soldering is necessary when fitting a cartridge. In fact the heat from soldering would likely damage the cartridge.

The most important thing is getting the geometry correct, as I describe on my web pages. It's fairly straightforward, but can be a bit fiddly and time consuming, but it does make all the difference!

Hope that helps.

Regards,
Mike


Many thanks, Mike!

You answered my questions completely. I will start saving for an SL-1210.

I was pleasantly suprised to receive such long reply from you. It is getting rare nowadays that people bother to waste their time on helping total strangers, but you took the time!

Best Regards,
Anton




If you have any comments we'd love to hear from you!
Do get in touch
HERE >>


More Reader Comments

Hi Mike

An excellent website if I may say!

I'm looking to buy an SL1200 and having got fed up with overpriced undercared for examples on Ebay I'm looking further afield.....namely America. What do you know about the power supplies in these? Is it external or internal? if it's internal is it possible to switch to UK voltage? if it's external can you buy a replacement reaily enough?

Thanks in advance!

Kind regards,

Graham
Hi Graham,

Unfortunately many DJ's turntables get thrown about, dropped and battered with heavy deejay use. It is a testament to the strength and build quality of the SL1200 that they continue to work - but for home hi-fi use I would never buy one second hand!

The power supply is internal and fixed for local voltage as I understand it.  If you bought one from the USA it would be 110 volts 60Hz and would be unsuitable for UK use. You would most likely have to buy a UK 230 volt, 50 Hz power supply locally, strip out the North American power supply and replace it with the UK spare.

I don't think that this process would be economically viable due to the cost of buying a new power supply and having it fitted. Also you'd lose all your warranty by dismantling the SL1200 to retro-fit a UK power supply - not that you would have any warranty anyway if you import from the States - that would go out of the window!

I know it's quite expensive, but the only safe way to get one is from an *authorised* UK dealer.

As a second line, you could look to buying one in from Europe since they also use 230 volts. Compared to the Dollar exchange rate the Euro isn't as favourable, but it may give a slight edge over UK prices. You'd have to carefully look into delivery costs, duties and warranty implications though.

Personally I would not take the risk. I'd save up a few more quid and get the real deal in the UK.

Just my own thoughts.

Mike.

Hi Mike,

Wise advice I feel, thanks very much. I'll get saving!

Very best wishes
Graham


Hi Mike,

Came across your site whilst reading the Transmission1 forum on which I'm a member (Beakster).

Ended up skipping past all the CB stuff when I saw your section on the Technics SL1200mk2.  You certainly have written alot about it!!! =)

I too am a big fan of this turntable, but from a DJing point of view, and was interested on hearing your views from a audiophille perspective.  I don't do much DJing now, but I still love vinyl!  So I only usually have one deck set up for listening.  I have been toying with the idea of "upgrading" to a belt drive turntable.  I have seen those really expensive ones, mounted on spikes with glass platters and assumed they were they way to go.  Your site is the first one I've seen that says different, so made interesting reading.

The turntables I have are:

*Technics SL1200mk2.  I bought this second hand for £300 in 2000.  I was a student and sold my 2 very cheap crappy Stageline turntables and bought this.  It's in perfect condition and it was amazing how much stronger the motor was on it compared with my old decks.  I had to completely relearn my beat matching techniques as a result, but this was essential as all the clubs used Technics.  I soon customised my turnable by changing the store and 33/45 lights to ultrabright blue, which looks really cool!

*Technics SL1200M3D.  When I had the cash for a second deck, I opted to import my next one.  After reading the Japanese and American Technics sites, I was upset that I couldn't get the M3D in the UK, so imported one.  It was cheaper to buy the deck in the US, but I got hit with ridiculous fees for postage, import duty and VAT!!!  Still though, its a very nice turntable, and having the pitch reset on a button rather than at 0 is very useful for mixing.

So I've had these decks for about 7 years now, and they have been used loads!  They have been moved around the country lots of times, been taken to parties, but always looked after.  They have never given me a single problem.  Money well spent and I will never sell them!

I have them sat next to a Technics SU-Z22 amplifier which looks really cool and matches the turntables nicely.

From an audiophile point of view though, I am interested to know what you think of this:  The phono cables for the Technics are hard wired into the back.  The plugs are not gold plated, and I imagine the cable is not as high quality as what you see for sales these says for £100 per meter.  Do you think this affects the sound quality some what.  I may at some point, when I have a better amp and speakers, buy some high quality cables, and hard wire them in with gold solder, replacing the old ones.

Cheers
-Chris
(December 2007)


Hi Mike,

Technics SL1200  a legend. I amazed they still make them, long may it last.

Moreover, a stand-alone RIAA pre-amp.

This reminds me of a London pirate radio station I had the pleasure to build an on-air studio for in 1983 called Horizon FM.

SL1200's were de-rigeur and we used Stanton 650s (? memory fading) cartridges, I built the RIAA pre-amps using a chip designed for nothing else, as a kit, it was supplied either by Ambit or Maplin, the chips were SIL not DIL and I recall had very high dc + and - rails, could have been ± 24v, as they were differential amps. I mounted them directly beneath the decks. The combination was awesome.

I actually built the mixer by cannibalising an old one using the PCBs but replacing the op-amps with those JFET NE5532 you talk about, adding P+G conductive plastic faders, they were old BBC ones and ran back to front and I added PPMs, I used mic transformers, but I'm drifting off here.

The DJs wanted fader start, so as the faders had the switches, I got inside the SL1200 and found a pin on the control chip which latched logic low/high after the monentary start/stop, I used this with an op-amp set up as a high impedance gate to ensure that the fader start was a one-shot option, as the DJs would often waggle the faders back over the switch.

Ah. Nostalgia, it's lost on the young.

Ian.
(December 2007)


If you have any comments we'd love to hear from you!
Do get in touch
HERE >>


LINKS

If you fancy building the P06 phono preamp here are all the links that you'll need:

ESP (Elliott Sound Products) RIAA Preamp:  http://sound.westhost.com/project06.htm
ESP SubSonic Filter: http://sound.westhost.com/project99.htm
ESP  +/- 15V Power Supply: http://sound.westhost.com/project05b.htm
Cricklewood Electronics: http://www.cricklewoodelectronics.com
Jaycar Electronics: http://www.jaycarelectronics.co.uk
Maplin Electronics: http://maplin.co.uk
Rapid Electronics: http://www.rapidonline.com
JAB Electronics: http://www.jabdog.com/
Henrys Electronics: http://www.henrys.co.uk
Model Fixings: http://www.modelfixings.co.uk
Bowood Electronics: http://www.bowood-electronics.co.uk/
http://www.thesimpsons.com





Technics SL-1200 MKII




Record Cleaning
Once you have a great turntable, such as the Technics SL-1200 MK2, a great phono cartridge and a superb quality RIAA phono pre-amplifier - Don't forget to keep your records clean with a KAB EV-1 Record Cleaning Machine!

Read more about Record Care and Cleaning HERE....
.
KAB EV-1
The KAB EV-1 Record Cleaning Machine
http://www.kabusa.com




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Turntables & Needles (USA)




Vinyl Care & Accessories:

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