James Williamson The 2M series by Orthofon has received much appreciation from the vinyl community, thanks to its amazing sound quality at a very reasonable price.
Seeing the sound quality, reputation, and ease of upgradability, many turntable manufacturers like Pro-ject and Fluance have collaborated with Orthofon and started providing 2M series cartridges as their default cartridges for many turntables.
The most popular 2M series cartridges are 2M red and 2M blue. Today, we will be doing an Ortofon 2M red vs 2M blue comparison article in which we will discuss everything about these two magnetic phono cartridges.
Well, both these phono cartridges share the same moving magnet cartridge body, which means both cartridges have the same output voltage (5.5 mV), copper as their coil wire material, cartridge weight (0.2 ounces), load resistance, internal inductance, tracking angle, stylus tip radius, etc.
The only physical difference between the Ortofon 2M Red and 2M Blue is the stylus.
Yes, you heard it right.
But the stylus alone makes the 2M Blue a lot better than the 2M Red in terms of sound quality. In this article, I will share the technical comparison and facts that make the 2M Blue a superior cartridge. We will also talk about the sound quality comparison, and I will share the A/B testing results, in which you can hear the sound quality of both cartridges through recorded audio.
So, let’s start.
Ortofon 2m Red vs 2m Blue – Detailed Comparison:
| Ortofon 2M Red Cartridge | Ortofon 2M Blue Cartridge | |
|---|---|---|
| Cartridge type | Moving magnet (MM) | Moving magnet (MM) |
| Stylus type | Bonded 0.3 x 0.7 mil elliptical diamond stylus | Nude 0.3 x 0.7 mil elliptical diamond stylus |
| Sound quality | Good | Better |
| Frequency range | 20 Hz – 20 kHz 20-20.000 Hz +3 /-1 dB | 20 Hz – 20 kHz 20-20.000 Hz +2 /-1 dB |
| Tracking ability | 70 µm | 80 µm |
| Stylus tip mass | Higher | Lower |
| Vertical tracking angle (VTA) | 20° | 20° |
| Recommended tracking force | 1.8 g | 1.8 g |
| Inner groove distortion | High | Less |
| Replaceable stylus | Yes | Yes |
| Interchangeable stylus replacement with | 2M blue and 2M silver stylus | 2M red and 2M silver stylus |
| Upgradable | Upgradable to 2M blue | Already upgraded |
| Price | Cheaper | Costly |
So, this is the brief difference between these two popular MM cartridges. Now, let’s dig deeper into every aspect.
Detailed Difference between Ortofon 2m Red and 2M blue:
Firstly, I am going to share detailed information about the key technical differences and after that, I will get to the main part i.e. sound quality.
Cartridge body & stylus type:
Both are moving magnet (MM) cartridges, and both share the same cartridge body specifications. Regarding the stylus, the red has a bonded elliptical diamond stylus, which means the metal shank is glued to the cantilever with a glued diamond tip, whereas the blue has a nude elliptical diamond stylus, which means it is a single piece of diamond attached to the cantilever.
Frequency range:
Both cartridges have the same frequency range, i.e., 20 Hz – 20 kHz, but there is a difference in the dB tolerance.
The red has a dB tolerance of +3/-1 dB, which means the output can be +3 dB louder and -1 dB quieter. On the other hand, the blue has a dB tolerance of +2/-1 dB, which means the output can be +2 dB louder and -1 dB quieter.
In simple words, dB tolerance shows accuracy. The lower the dB tolerance, the better the accuracy, which means 2m blue is more accurate.
Tracking ability
The blue has 80 µm, whereas the red has 70 µm. The 80 µm and 70 µm numbers represent the stylus’s ability to track; a greater number means better tracking ability. So here, 2M Blue has better tracking ability.
Stylus tip mass (Effective mass)
Well, I have discussed effective mass in detail in the moving magnet vs moving coil cartridge article. So, I recommend you read the article once before proceeding further.
As I told you above, red has a bonded elliptical diamond stylus, which means a metal shank is glued to the cantilever. This metal shank adds additional mass to the stylus, which affects its ability to move freely inside the record grooves and fetch audio signals accurately.
On the other hand, blue has a single piece of diamond attached to the cantilever, so the mass is reduced. Lower mass helps the stylus track record’s grooves freely and fetch high-end and low-end frequencies more accurately than 2m red.
Inner groove distortion
The nude elliptical diamond stylus, with 80 µm tracking ability, has a lower stylus tip mass/effective mass, which helps the blue to track the groove in the middle or end of the record more accurately. This accurate tracking helps in reducing inner groove distortion, whereas red has 70 µm tracking ability with a comparably higher stylus tip mass/effective mass, resulting in comparably less accurate tracking of grooves, and you hear inner groove distortion.
Well, I have personally experienced this magic when doing A/B testing with my metal band’s albums. The difference is very huge and easily noticeable.
These are the key technical differences between these cartridges. Now, I am sharing the results of the A/B testing by Vinyl Translators and feedback related to performance and sound quality.
Which has better sound quality – 2M Red or 2M Blue?
The answer is that Ortofon 2M Blue has a superior sound quality than Ortofon 2M Red. You will hear better instrument separation, better dynamics, and detailed and crisp reproduction of the original sound.
Well, I have shared the answer with you, so now let’s talk about the difference in sound quality that I have experienced, and let me share the output of both cartridges.
Note: The sound quality of the audio files that I am sharing below depends on multiple factors, i.e., the microphone from which it’s recorded, the quality of your speakers where you are listening to the audio, turntable setup, and mastering of the original audio.
Ortofon 2M Red MM Cartridge:
Audio Sample:
Ortofon 2M Blue MM Cartridge:
Audio Sample:
Comparison & my review:
Well, when I listen to the same album on my Fluance RT85 turntable using cartridges separately, I experience lower distortion along with more detailed, crisp, and precise sound reproduction on the 2M Blue than on the 2M Red.
So, in the end, I can say that the Orthofon 2M Blue outputs better sound quality than the 2M Red. I even use the blue in my Fluance RT85 turntable.
Talking about the price, you can buy a 2M red MM phono cartridge for about $99, whereas the stylus is available for about $84. On the other hand, blue is a little expensive. You can buy a 2M blue MM phono cartridge for about $189, whereas the stylus is available for about $159.
In the end, it’s your choice whether to spend some extra bucks to experience better sound quality or not, but I recommend upgrading to blue. Every extra buck spent is worth the value it brings to the overall vinyl experience.
We have shared everything you need to know about Orthofon’s red and blue cartridges. If you still have any questions, feel free to comment below. We will get back to you as soon as possible.
