Ortofon 2M Mono Cartridge

I’ve always had in mind a basic turntable setup for the beginner audiophile; the usual suspects: speakers, phono-stage and amplifier. They remain the building blocks for starting and developing better audio quality. To these components, I’ll add one more, and it’s the focus of this review: the cartridge/stylus. This needle is the connection to the grooves on the recording, the last external mechanism before it lowers and touches the LP of the music you love. But this review is not about any old cartridge, it’s a review for a monaural cart, the Ortofon 2M Mono ($356). A much needed tool in your turntable arsenal for those albums that carry so many memories.

There’s some history for me with mono albums. I remember being six years old and making the hour long drive with my mother to my grandfather’s home. As soon as I would get there, I knew I’d find a new ‘toy’ to play with. My grandfather sold used electronics, from TVs, to amplifiers, guitars, basses, to Casio watches and even turntables. The few times I visited him, listening was such a memorable experience; those memories are still with me.

Grandfather had this very old, dusty turntable. My guess is he sold the newer models at his store and kept the old one. He didn’t let anyone touch it but me and I would flip through all the LPs in his collection. I also remember very low-quality speakers; there was always a muffled, low-end sound when he played them. My grandfather was a bass player in a band in his navy days. He was a jazz connoisseur—the Duke and Ella Fitzgerald were his favorites. These old albums were the first I ever listened to. So, mono is a big part of my plunge into audio as I can imagine it is for many who have similar memories.

If you are a vinyl enthusiast, you need to find the best ways to listen to the full range of your records. The stylus you use is of utmost importance because of how it plays or connects to the grooves in your LP. The 2M series is Ortofon’s answer to the audiophile’s entry-level carts. With a cart color series, the Danish high-quality company has managed to put some fun and aesthetics in the turntable cart world at a fair price. Their color identifies their sound dynamics, styli type, and price. In order of their quality, there’s Red, Blue, Bronze and Black; also Gray for 78 rpm and White for mono.

The LP appeared in 1948. The technology that came with it—better sound quality, durability and more minutes of music play—resulted in a more enjoyable experience for the listener. Having an entire symphony or a concert on just one album was a game changer, rendering 78 rpm recordings obsolete. With these technological advancements and a thinner groove, a more precise needle was needed for playing 33 1/3 rpm LPs; its microgrooves demanded it. Tracking force required for vinyl 33s was also different than the shellacs and more stability in the stylus was desired. There was a need for a stylus that could rest comfortably in the new microgroove.

So, what is the difference between a mono cart and other carts? The monaural groove has a lateral dimension, that is, its signal occupies just that part of the groove (a V-shape groove). This makes a mono stylus task to track the lateral walls or width in the groove.

A mono cart, then, leads to a clearer sound and less noise from the mono recording. A mono switch on your receiver, integrated amplifier or phono stage might improve this dynamic, but a cart specifically for mono is best. The one signal on the recording, tracked by the cart, is then directed to both channels of your speakers for that great direct sound. Playing a non-mono cart with these recordings can lead to crosstalk, tracking error, and obvious distortion (in part because it’s reading the vertical groove that may have dust).

Ortofon was more than ready to take up the case for this special needle. It has a history of building styli specifically for mono recordings. When the LP appeared, they started to work on different carts (called the model A, AD and C). Fast forward decades, Ortofon created a cart for The Beatles in Mono set, released in 2014 called the 2M Mono SE (the SE has a Shibata diamond stylus and a higher price tag than the standard 2M). Having some familiarity with Ortofon 2M carts, (I own the 2M Red, and already reviewed the 2M 78), I set my sights on the Ortofon 2M Mono ($356). I’d like to thank Louis Dorio, Product Specialist at Ortofon, for providing the cartridge for review.

Specifications

Output voltage at 1000 Hz, 5cm/sec. - 4 mV

Frequency range at - 3dB  - 20-22.000 Hz

Frequency response  -  20-20.000 Hz + 3 / - 1 dB

Tracking ability at 315Hz at recommended tracking force - 70 µm

Compliance, dynamic, lateral  -  18 µm/mN

Stylus type  -  Nude Spherical

Stylus tip radius - R18 µm

Tracking force range  - 1.6-2.0 g (16-20 mN)

Tracking force, recommended -  1.8 g (18 mN)

Setup

I’ve grown to love my simple but very effective setup. A Pro-ject (DC) Esprit SB lets me easily switch speeds from 33-1/3 to 45 rpm with a push of a button and I can also listen to my shellacs in no time (for a 78 rpm you need to change a drive belt pulley). The turntable’s arm also offers  stability, which is a must for testing carts. The phono-stage is the Pro-ject Phono Box (MM) which keeps noise distortion at a low level. Finally, my trusted active speakers from Edifier, the R1280DBs; they offer rich bass and nice midrange.

Sound

Due to Covid delays, I had to wait more than usual for delivery. As such, I started listening to mono recordings with my workhorse 2M Red. I wanted to be prepared and have a more intelligible and sound-wise understanding about mono albums; one instrument on top of the other, in your face sound, hissing, background noise, you know, all the good stuff.

I decided to pick up an album I know very well. Choosing Coltrane’s Giant Steps was not a coincidence; Trane’s sound has always been an attack on the senses. Studying it to pick up subtle notes, chord changes and the complexity of fluidity in the playing of his legendary band was a joy. Listening to his records through the years has continually been a learning experience, musically and emotionally. Coltrane’s music embarks you into a type of nostalgic emotional state; it triggers the listener’s ear resulting in a dense and exhausting feeling, like you just ran a marathon. Perfect to try out the 2M Mono.

The day came when Ortofon’s 2M Mono cart arrived. Not wasting any time, I changed the cart easily, set up the alignment requirements and was ready to go. I dove headfirst and listened several times to the Coltrane album. I played around a bit: higher volume, positioning of the speakers, and examined the recommended tracking force of 1.8g. 

After several weeks and hours of playing, as I expected with Coltrane, some songs echoed the past, others expanded the emotions of today’s current climate. Allowing the continuous play of the album, helped me to explore even more closely the sound and flow of the band’s playing in this legendary recording.

The end result was the Ortofon 2M Mono handled itself superbly. It tracked amazingly. There was always a sense of stability in sound, high notes jumped out intensely, phrasing from Coltrane’s instrument was lightning fast, then soulfully bright. 

The low-end notes were much cleaner, which in turn gave a sense of a more open and fitting panoramic sound. The balanced and fullness of a one signal recording worked much better than what I picked up from the 2M Red. The twist and turns, chord voicings and sometimes dizzying display of exploding notes were all there. Perhaps the best part, there was a lower distortion sound on Trane’s dynamic high notes. Thus, the 2M Mono gave new cohesion to my listening experience.

I took out some other mono gems in my collection including Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1, Horowitz and Bruno Walter’s 1936 recording with the Concertgebouw. Walter’s Brahms sounded with a purpose, and Horowitz’s fluidity and passionate playing showed. There are moments where you can hear the mic a bit too close to the piano which may have lessened the virtuoso’s clarity. But it doesn’t matter, it’s two geniuses, with a fantastic orchestra that flows in this beautiful concert. 

Having the Ortofon 2M Mono allows more closeness to these recordings. Perhaps today, I have a more finely tuned listening capacity than as a six-year old in my grandfather’s garage, but I can assure you, the excitement is the same. 

Conclusion

Yes, stereo has won the ‘battle’ of recordings. It’s rare these days a label releases a mono version. However, the mono recordings have something interesting: in competing for space in a one channel sound, the various instruments create the ambiance of stillness, a hypnotic moment where all is there, the intensity of the moment in its full capacity. And here is where we can make the case that the 2M Mono from Ortofon gets you authentic and superior mono sound.

Further information: Ortofon