Ortofon 2M Red

[Deleted]

I'm looking at Fluance RT83 TT with Ortofon 2M Red (5.5mV output) or Fluance RT82 with Ortofon OM10 (4mV)- same table but different cartridge.$349 vs $299
I looked at Ortofon site & the OM10 seems to be an older model, all the OM series are now "s" super. I never owned Ortofon, don't know them. The Red has decent reviews. I like the Red for the higher voltage out.
Anyone have experience with Ortofon?

I'm think going RT82 cause I have old, but good Cartridges in my TT stash box.

[brubacca]

I have a strong and passionate dislike of the 2m Red and 2m blue cartridges. Both of which I have owned.

They are detailed, clinical and BORING.

Just my opinion. Sorry.

[creimes]

I had the 2M red on my Project table and now have a U-Turn Orbit Custom with the 2M Blue, I think they are great cartridges.

Check these guys out if you want to go a bit more custom.

uturnaudio.com/products/orbit-custom

Chad

[doc1963]

I just auditioned an RT-85 (same table, but with a 2M Blue and acrylic platter). Very nice tables and I’m sure you’ll be happy with it. They’re certainly unbeaten performers at their price.

I’m very familiar with the Ortofon 2M lineup and am rather fond of them myself, especially the Black (which I used on my now retired VPI Scout), but can understand the “love it / hate it” sentiment. They can sound a little too close to “digital” in their presentation. That’s especially true of both the Red and Blue.

In your particular scenario, the 2M Red is certainly worth the $50 uptick in price. However, if that Ortofon 2M “house sound” doesn’t sound like it would appeal to you, then I would recommend opting for the RT-82 and putting a Nagaoka MP-110 or MP-150 on it. The Nagaokas are also very resolving and extended, but do an excellent job of maintaining that vintage warmth.

One of the nice things about the Fluance tables is that they use the same cartridge setup and overhang as the vintage Technics tables. If you have an old Technics headshell setup tool (which you can still get if you don’t), cartridge installation and alignment is easy and painless.

Good luck with whichever you choose...

[adaboy]

Jan 12, 2020 16:29:54 GMT -5 @texzick said:

I'm looking at Fluance RT83 TT with Ortofon 2M Red (5.5mV output) or Fluance RT82 with Ortofon OM10 (4mV)- same table but different cartridge.$349 vs $299
I looked at Ortofon site & the OM10 seems to be an older model, all the OM series are now "s" super. I never owned Ortofon, don't know them. The Red has decent reviews. I like the Red for the higher voltage out.
Anyone have experience with Ortofon?

I'm think going RT82 cause I have old, but good Cartridges in my TT stash box.

So, I have a Ortofon 2M Red, and a 2M Broze, had a Ortofon Quintet Blue (I broke on accident while cleaning the table with a large cloth) of the three the Red and the Bronze kick butt! Obviously the Bronze is way better, but the Red hooked me on how well it is for such little money. It doesn't do everything perfectly but it does do most things well. Siblince towards the inner groves on some records. The Red is punchy and scoots!

[Deleted]

Thank you for replies. So the Ortofons are "ok".
RT82 may be the choice, I have vintage Shure, Empire, Stanton Cartridges, (& Pioneer heads, same as Technics I believe). Can't find my Shure V15 Type III,

Have no plans returning to vinyl, just play/record the gobs of LPs we have & digitize for server. I've spun little vinyl since early 1990s, so I couldn't justify the cost to repair our Technics.
I'm in no hurry (shopped the used market, seeing lots of overpriced junk compared to what I owned/sold)
Don't want to insult anyone, but the cost of a good cartridge, LPs & replacement stylus today, geez. Add the constant maintenance of vinyl; been there done that.
Digital doesn't wear out & can get CD quality streaming per month <$ 1 LP. Today I press "play" on my cellphone.

[doc1963]

Jan 13, 2020 12:55:37 GMT -5 @texzick said:

Thank you for replies. So the Ortofons are "ok".
RT82 may be the choice, I have vintage Shure, Empire, Stanton Cartridges, (& Pioneer heads, same as Technics I believe). Can't find my Shure V15 Type III,

Have no plans returning to vinyl, just play/record the gobs of LPs we have & digitize for server. I've spun little vinyl since early 1990s, so I couldn't justify the cost to repair our Technics.
I'm in no hurry (shopped the used market, seeing lots of overpriced junk compared to what I owned/sold)
Don't want to insult anyone, but the cost of a good cartridge, LPs & replacement stylus today, geez. Add the constant maintenance of vinyl; been there done that.
Digital doesn't wear out & can get CD quality streaming per month <$ 1 LP. Today I press "play" on my cellphone.

I'd say that the Ortofon 2M series are certainly better than just "OK", but given your intended purpose, I do agree that anything above the RT-82 would be overkill. You already have some nice vintage cartridges that you're already familiar with, so I'd use them.

I do believe that the Pioneer headshells will work for you. As long as the screw slots are long enough to allow you to achieve 52mm from the back of the headshell to the tip of the stylus, you're all set. If not, there's plenty of decent Technics style shells out there that are fairly inexpensive. I believe the Fluance branded shells are in the neighborhood of $20.

Good luck...