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Cartridge for my friend

So a year ago or so I had replaced my Pro-Ject Carbon Debut with a Marantz TT-15 and I had posted here that I would buy a new cartridge for the Carbon and do a A/B to see if the Marantz purchase was worth it....
Well that never happened because I ended up selling the Pro-Ject to a good friend who is also a new and budding audiophile! So cool to see the excitement in all his new audio discovery!Anyway he has a nice little system going and he is retiring from work here in six weeks... I thought I do what I’d said I would and buy him a upgraded cartridge for his TT as a retirement present. Now it’s a small budget I’m working on and I know how fast cartridges can get out of hand price wise so I want to keep it under $750.
The TT came with a Ortofon 2M Red and I was thinking of going with a Ortofon 2M Bronze for him? Thoughts? Suggestions? Thanks for any insight that will help me get a perfect cartridge for my friend and a new member of our club!
264win
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
Ortofon is great, especially when you read something like this. 

Quality control :) 
antinn
381 posts
 
@264win,

Two notes of caution; from the Pro-Ject manual  USER GUIDE (project-audio.com), the tone arm is very low mass - 6g, so you want to stay with a medium compliance cartridge such as the Ortofon 2M series, the Nagaoka MP-300 and the Garrott P77i.  

However, the tonearm does not have ability to easily adjust VTA (there is an option, but its not pretty -  Manual-VTA-it.pdf (project-audio.com).  The problem here is that advanced profile stylus used by the Ortofon 2M Bronze and the Garrott P77i are very sensitive to VTA.  So unless you happen to luck out, there can be frustration because the cartridge may not sound very good.  In general, elliptical stylus (hyper-elliptical being the better) such as the Nagaoka  tend to be more forgiving of VTA.

Since the Pro-Ject is delivered with the Ortofon 2M Red, the Bronze should be a drop-in; but send an email to Pro-Ject and ask them.  Otherwise, given the limitations noted above, there are people on this site that can make good recommendations.
mwinkc
350 posts
 
264Win,
I’m retiring soon as well! (Hint, hint)

What a great gift and gesture!
I’ve got an MP-200 and like it a lot, but that 
Garrott p77i has some great reviews. 
wolfie62
352 posts
 
For that kind of money, a NOS NIB Empire 2000Z, Shure V15V or V15V-MR, ADC ZLM MKIII, ADC Astrion. All would match a 5 gram effective mass arm. Some great Jico stylus replacements available.

Id take these or other vintage carts over the new ones mentioned.
akgwhiz
179 posts
 
264win, I did similar on my Carbon going from Red to Blue.  The improvements were immediate and not subtle.  To me, that would indicate that there is likely more room for some improvement so Bronze,  as a price/quality point should be the sweet spot, staying in the 2M family.  

I retired 2 years ago so if he doesn't like it well, you know how to reach me.

264win asking about a cartridge.  I didn't miss that irony.  Kind of a 300WSM guy my self.  
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