Budget Cartridge: Grado Green vs Ortofon 2M Red

For my $100 I'd go with the 2M Red. I have a Shure M97xE and I find it dull. In my limited experience the Ortofons have a precise yet musical way of going about their business.

For $250 the Audio Technica AT150MLX stands alone. To me, it's worth selling $150 worth of stuff lying around the house to obtain it over *any* $100 cartridge.

But if it's gotta be $100, 2M Red. Grado Green is a refinement over three decades; 2m Red is from a clean sheet of paper by one of the most brilliant cart designers formerly in the biz, Per Winfield.

Yeah, I wish I'd been able to spring for something like the AT150, I just wanted to keep it at the 100 mark out respect for the fact that I'm working through a warranty issue with a Goldring Eroica and I thats going to be my primary machine when it gets back. I'm just having a little fun, but obviously I want to get a good product.

Hey Dmm53, is your table P-mount? I'm using a Grado PZTE+1 P-Mount on my 1982 Technics SL5 (I think it's a similar table to yours?) and it sounds very good. Much smoother and more musical than the Audio Technica AT132-EP it replaced. The budget Grado was a giant-killer several years back and mine is the predecessor to the Grado Black/Green series of today. I will say that the sound livened-up quite a bit after several hours of break-in. The sound improved even more when I switched from my Sony ES A/V receiver w/phono input to a newly-acquired vintage NAD 7400 Monitor Series receiver. I think the excellent phono stage in the NAD has a lot to do with the better sound.

Elevick - My Man!!! Actually, I've heard really good things about the Ortofon Red being much in the same vein as the Shures but better. And yes, if you're looking for a cart that costs less than $100 and is still a really good listen - I don't care what the cartridge snobs say - the Shure M97xe is really solid.

I received the 2M Red today, and just got it set up a little bit ago. I'm busy burning it in right now. Through an MMF7 with stock Pro-ject arm and wiring. (My first experience with setting up a cartridge, I found it to be a simple but potentially endless process, for a tweaker)

Initial opinions:

Excels at demonstrating light horns, and brass. Reasonably apt at creating a nice vocal stage, its smooth but forward. I like that. It does lack the room-filling body that you might gain with a nicer package. I'm very impressed. Obviously it still needs to get some hours in it and maybe a few other positions tried before I can make a final decision.

Verdict:

Does well with brassy jazz and cymbals, loves rock'n'roll vocals and guitar passes. Lacks some body and exhibits some inner-groove-distortion issues. Does it out play my Goldring Eroica? No, of course not. Should it? No, of course not. This is a great "budget" cartridge, and I've very pleased.