Reddit reviews Ortofon 2M Red Moving Magnet Cartridge

I recently upgraded from an LP60 to a LP1240 (secondhand) and I've been seriously underwhelmed and am having problems.

The LP60 sounded crisper with cleaner sound which shouldn't be the case for a much more expensive table with a cartridge costing more than the previous table all together.

The 1240 wasn't nearly loud enough so I had to add a preamp, I know there is a built in one but after trying every possible Line/phono config it still was't giving me the volume the LP60 had.

Also I am getting a loud hum which I can't seam to figure out. I attracted a ground wire from the turntable to the preamp which reduced hum but is still prevalent. I'm almost positive this hum is stemming from the turntable itself as when I used the LP60 with the amp there was no hum whatsoever and the hum is still there when the preamp isn't connected.

Video of hum

Setup:

Turntable

Amp

Pre Amp

Headshell

Cartridge

Speakers

​

​

This is a good turntable that has always been underrated. They don't sell well on eBay.

Since you don't know how old the stylus and cartridge are, I'd replace them. Or just the stylus at the very least. The tonearm is compatible with low-mass cartridges. Which one you pick depends on your budget. I'd recommend the Ortofon 2M Red.

This tonearm is also oil damped, so you may have to fill it with silicon oil. Not sure where to find this in the UK.

It seems that your amp has a phono preamp integrated indeed, so you're good to go.

Turntable is Technics SL1200 MKII with an Ortofon 2M Red cartridge. It's fed into a Schiit Mani preamp. I used to use an Art DJPre II and to be honest I kind of miss it. The sound is pretty similar and sometimes the Mani will bring in this muffled sound and I'll have to restart it. But the Mani looks better and doesn't have a blinding blue LED, at least. The preamp is fed into a Sony home theatre receiver which outputs into a pair of KEF Q100s which sound good enough for my ears.

Why not spend the $50-$100 its going to take to put a headshell and decent budget cartridge on the Gemini? That's cheaper than a night out, and you'll get a lot of hours of enjoyment out if it (setting the turntable up, tinkering/learning, and playing records). Even if you upgrade later, it's better than letting the Gemini collect dust or throwing it in the dumpster and raising the amount of perfectly serviceable and fun e-waste rotting in our landfills.

Edit: You will need to fix the speed adjustment slider and buttons on at least one of those though. That's very important for a record player.

Audiophiles are very picky and tend to invest a lot in their equipment (especially if they're buying brand new high end manual turntables, which is what this subreddit has a fetish for). Yeah the Gemini and the Sony look like shit if you sit them next to a brand new Rega, but why should you care?

Your Sony is cheap to buy, very simple and cheaply made, therefore to an audiophile it must be bad. It is also nearly impossible to tinker with (which is probably what is causing your dissatisfaction). That being said, it plays records and plays them pretty well. Your new turntable(s) won't give you much improvement in audio quality, but it will give you a ton of room to have fun with the hobby.

The Gemini is what is referred to as a Technics SL-1200 clone or Super OEM, and your assessment of it is mostly correct. It looks almost like an SL-1200, and it functions almost like one, but it has NONE of the refinement. Nice price though. It's actually pretty comparable to an Audio Technica AT LP-120, which costs a lot more than $15. Like I said, the Gemini probably won't give you much in terms of an audio improvement over the Sony. It will require a phono preamp if you don't have one yet (the Sony has a built-in preamp, the Gemini does not).

Changing headshells is a huge part of the fun of vinyl, and definitely something you want to get into if you're wanting to get technical with the hobby. The AT95e is one of the best budget cartridges and the Ortofon OM10 is the other. Since you specifically said you want to tinker, I would not buy the preassembled cartridge. I would buy a seperate headshell and an alignment protractor and do the installation myself. It's slightly cheaper than spending the $60 for the ready to install kit, and you'll learn more that way. If you're intimidated, there are A LOT of youtube guides on how to do this.

The Ortofon 2M Red and Shure M97xe are slightly classier budget cartridges, but they won't offer a big performance boost over the good budget option (the Ortofon Red sure is pretty looking though...). You'll need to spend >$200 on a cartridge before you start to see a significant upgrade over the budget options.

edit:
Quick links -

Budget headshell - https://www.amazon.com/ADJ-Products-TT-HEADSHELL-Turntable-Cartridge/dp/B0002E51V2

Alignment protractor - https://www.amazon.com/Turntable-Phonograph-Cartridge-Alignment-Protractor/dp/B079ZBLJ4M

AT95e - https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-At95e-Phonograph-Cartridge/dp/B004NRVUMI/

Ortofon OM10 - https://www.amazon.com/Ortofon-Super-OM10-Phono-Cartridge/dp/B000CCEQM4/

Ortofon 2M Red - https://www.amazon.com/Ortofon-2M-Red-Phono-Cartridge/dp/B000WMCEKK/

Shure M97xe - https://www.amazon.com/Shure-M97xE-Performance-Magnetic-Cartridge/dp/B007ZC2EYQ

AT LP-120 - https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT-LP120-USB-Direct-Drive-Professional-Turntable/dp/B002S1CJ2Q/

Cartridges come with a stylus.

One of the most widely praised that's on the cheaper end is the Audio Technica AT95e for $40. You may consider the Shure M97xE and Ortofon 2M Red which are both $100, though.

Nagaoka MP-150 $249.

AT-VM95SH Shibata $199.

AT-VM95ML MicroLinear $169.

AT-VM95EN $119.

Ortofon Super OM 20 $195 is just as good as the newer 2M Blue $236.

Ortofon Super OM 10 $72 is just as good as the newer 2M Red $99 and the OM 10 supposedly has a better cantilever.

REPLACE MY AMP?

I have a Mac (USB or optical), a PC (optical), a turntable (with a Schiit MANI preamp), and I'll have a 1/8" headphone jack (for other input sources). Those are my inputs.

I have a set of MartinLogan LX16 speakers and a Martin Logan sub that I want to use for output.

I have a Audio-Technica AT-LP120-USB turntable with an Ortofon red.

It's all being run through an old Onkyo AV receiver (similar to this one, maybe even older). It works, but it's not great.

It's a budget system, and I want to replace the weakest link. I think that's the receiver. I don't want an AV receiver again (no video on this system), and I have no need for 5.1. 3-channel is perfect (stereo plus sub).

Is this a great alternative to what I have? Is the Marantz HD-AMP1 going to answer all my needs?

What're the benefits of replacing a headshell? I want to replace my needle and cartridge on my LP120, but I cannot find a reason to replace other than looks. Also, I need a recommendation on a suitable cartridge? What do you think of this?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WMCEKK/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?tag=vinyleyezz-20&ie=UTF8&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B000WMCEKK&linkId=df882aa38fd9bbbe653019c7429c33b4

Thank you for the reply!

I think I'm going to play it safe and order a new cart.

I assume this will come with everything I need? I'm completely new to this and don't really understand what parts are standard/interchangeable.

This is the manual to my Onkyo and a closeup of the tonearm.

Thanks again!

Hey.

Not three days ago was I asking which turntable to get between two recommended options since I'm new to this community, but I snatched a promotion in my country (so I save on shipping and also get warranty) for the Sony PS-HX500 (please, don't hit me): I got it new for USD$200, with a year of warranty of course.

So now I'm curious about some things which I hope you can help me answer:

• I don't have a phono pre-amp nor a receiver. I do have a sound bar with HDMI and Digital Audio Optical port though. Is there a way to make the turntable work with either of those ports? Maybe getting a Schiit Mani pre-amp and then some kind of connector (don't know if there is, if possible) to convert RCA to either of those ports. I'd prefer not to get too much new equipment. If it's inevitable, any small recommendations?
  
• Do you know if the Ortofon - 2M Red MM Phono Cartridge will work with the turntable?
  
• Should I just try first changing only the stylus and see if it improves instead of the whole cartridge?
  
  Thanks again for the support!

> a phono preamp, and an amplifier/receiver

Those can be one in the same actually. The amp/receiver is a phono preamp. As for cartridge unless your dad listened to hundreds of hours of records the stock cartridge should be fine for now as you get your feet on the ground. If you really want a replacement right now you can get this one for 30 some, it's a good starter. Or stick with the cartridge for a while and save up for this nice 99 dollar one. I recommend these because it looks like you have a standard p-mount style cartridge on that table.

I'd recommend starting slow as the amount of stuff you need to buy can seem intimidating at first. Keep researching stuff online and honestly as you're setting up feel free to find some old computer speakers or whatever to use just to make sure everything is working.

If $150 is your top number and both need new cartridges, then the SL-5200 is definitely out since a new cartridge is not a trivial purchase (and will greatly impact sound quality). If you can stretch your budget by $15, pair the SL-Q2 with an Ortofon 2M Red, which is widely regarded as a quite good cartridge for the price. I don't have much experience with cartridges less expensive than the 2M Red, but I'm sure others here can point you in the right direction if you want something a bit less expensive.

Hi all,

I'm looking for some cartridge assistance/general information on a first TT I am purchasing as an x-mas gift for my girlfriend (she's rad).

I've read all the links and guides and have finally settled on two choices for a new TT: the Fluance RT83

or the Denon DP-300F

The Denon DP-300F is on sale for black Friday currently so I am leaning towards it. That being said, I would like to replace the cartridge on it with a Ortofon 2M Red. How difficult would it be for someone completely new to TT's like myself to replace the cartridge? Would I be better off purchasing it already upgraded from another source and just pay the difference for the work and peace of mind that it is done correctly: https://www.turntablelab.com/products/denon-dp-300f-turntable-ortofon-2m-red-upgrade

Also, as a side note, I am looking at pairing both with an active speaker (I'll upgrade and do things the right way as I get more funds--ugh!). And if I go with RT83 I'll pick up a Schiit Mani pre-amp as well. To hook everything up, all I'll need is two pairs of RCA cables for connecting the TT to the pre-amp and then another pair to connect pre-amp to speakers correct? I would hate to get everything all packaged together for x-mas and then figure out I didn't even get the right cables to hook this bad boy up.

Cheers

I am looking to upgrade my AT-LP60 to one of the following:
Denon DP-300F or
TEAC TN-300
and pair it with an Ortofon Red

I'm leaning towards the Denon since it has the automatic tone arm, but could be persuaded either way. Do either of these stand out as much better than the other? I'd also be open to spending my $300 budget on other suggestions.

What's the best MM cartridge for around $100 for a half inch mount? I've looked at the Sumiko - Pearl MM Cartridge, the Ortofon - 2M Red MM Phono Cartridge, and the GRADO PRESTIGE BLUE PHONO CARTRIDGE. I'm not quite sure what I should be looking for in a cartridge and I'd love a bit of help.

if im going to upgrade the stylus do i have to by the catridge or can i buy the replacement that is ~12 cheaper?

The catridge is 99 (replacement 87), combined with 193 amazon price it is slightly cheaper than the TTL lab upgrade kit from black friday. Is there any extra value add from TTL when buying it as a combo from them?

https://www.amazon.com/Ortofon-Red-Moving-Magnet-Cartridge/dp/B000WMCEKK/ref=asc_df_B000WMCEKK/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312305907549&hvpos=1o5&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1439817708193802463&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031939&hvtargid=pla-456030908606&psc=1

This is the one i use
http://www.amazon.com/Ortofon-2M-Red-Phono-Cartridge/dp/B000WMCEKK

-and later if you want to upgrade after that
http://www.amazon.com/Ortofon-2M-Blue-Phono-Cartridge/dp/B001E0CK3K

What's the way to go...

DP-300F Turntable + Ortofon 2M Red Upgrade (TTL Upgrade)
https://www.turntablelab.com/products/denon-dp-300f-turntable-ortofon-2m-red-upgrade

Or...

Buying the same turntable refurbished and buying the same cart for $99 dollar off Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Ortofon-2M-Red-Phono-Cartridge/dp/B000WMCEKK

https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/dendp300f/denon-dp-300f-belt-drive-fully-automatic-analog-turntable/1.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9PiIi4ip2gIVw8DICh0BXQ3kEAYYASABEgI98vD_BwE

Option 1 you get the table, cart upgrade, brush, and mat for $400. Option 2 you get the table (refurbished by denon) and the cart for $300.