High-Value High-End Analog: Ortofon 2M Black MM Phono Cartridge Features Shibata Stylus, Plays with Absorbing Detail, Speed, and Clarity

The secret to the outstanding performance of the Ortofon 2M Black moving-magnet phono cartridge isn't one that's well-kept, nor should it be. It happens to be a Shibata stylus, a type usually not found on cartridges any where near this price. Those tricky, hard to reach highs in recordings? 2M Black goes there, and showcases remarkable presence thanks to the superb contact it achieves with an LP's groove walls. Further endowed with an upgraded generator and proprietary body material, 2M Black is also exceedingly fast, detailed, and supremely musical. Its value is supported by across-the-board acclaim from industry experts and analog lovers alike.

Like all 2M Series cartridges, 2M Black is easy to install via pre-threaded mounts and fits nearly any tonearm/turntable combination around. It features trademark split pole pins, an invention which enables moving magnet cartridges to have flat frequency response, just like a moving coil cartridge. Inspired by the facets of a diamond, whose contours gracefully trace the grooves on a record’s surface, the handsome elegance of the 2M Black establishes a great combination of form and functionality.

"The 2M Black has a light, fast touch with good treble extension. Its greatest attribute is the way it provides a more transparent window on the world of micro-energies, permitting it to plumb the depths of soundstaging and dimensionality."
– Neil Gader, The Absolute Sound, Product of Year Award 

“Ridiculously good.”
– Stereophile, Class C Recommended Component

“A very transparent and detailed stylus, the Ortofon handles subtlety well, with vocals especially possessing supreme inflection and insight.”
—What Hi-Fi?, four-star review

“Ortofon’s 2M Black has received numerous accolades from nearly every hifi magazine on the planet and with good reason – it’s a fantastic-sounding cartridge.”
—TONEAudio