Ortofon 2M Black- Graham 1.5/Rega/Origin Silver
When did TAS review it? I wonder if that's the issue they missed sending me? :( The Ortofon MM carts tend to have a compliance around 20-25, which should match well with a tonearm with 12-14g effective mass. The Origin Live Silver has an effective mass of 14g and I'm pretty sure the Regas are in the same ballpark. Compliance of the 2M Black is 22 and its weight is 7.2g. If you put it through the formula allowing .5g for mounting hardware, the resonant frequency is around 7.23 Hz. A little low, but not bad, depending on other factors. Also, I could be wrong about this, but it appears that the shape of the 2M series cart bodies are shaped just like the headshells of the Rega tonearms, and most of the pics I've seen of mounted 2M carts are on them, with the front of the cartridge exactly flush with the front of the headshell. Could it be that Ortofon shaped this cart for extra-easy alignment on RB tonearms? I have TAS March 2008 analog issue, but didn't find a review for the 2M Black. There is a nice one in Hi-Fi World. Go here for a link to a pdf of that review. |
Here's a thread on Vinyl Asylum you might find helpful. The poster/2M Black owner has it mounted on a VPI JMW9 tonearm, and he has owned quite a few upscale MM carts over the years. He considers the 2M Black the best MM he's ever used or heard. A JMW 9 has an effective mass of 8.7 g, so the resonant frequency with an Ort. 2M Black would be 8.23 Hz, which is in the same ballpark as with the heavier RB300 or OL Silver. |
The 2M series work very well with low to medium effective mass tonearms. I would not use it in the Rega (Origin) tonearms; it is a bad match. The resonant frequency of 7.23Hz is not a "little" low. It is low; substantially below the magical 10Hz bogey number. Moerch, Hadcock, and VPI among others are far more compatible. Dealer disclaimer. |
