Ortofon – 2M Bronze MM Phono Cartridge

Ortofon 2M Bronze Moving-Magnet Phono Cartridge Features a Nude Fine-Line Diamond for Ultra-Precise Tracking and a Hopelex Housing That Eliminates Unwanted Resonances

The Ortofon 2M Bronze features a nude Fine-Line stylus, polished to the highest standards. The slimmer profile of this stylus will track even the highest frequency modulations, making this cartridge better suited for extremely demanding material. Surface noise is kept to a minimum due the stylus profile. Distortion and record wear are substantially reduced. The Bronze is serious bargain at this price.

The 2M series of cartridges feature Ortofon’s trademark split pole pins, an invention which enables moving magnet cartridges to have flat frequency response, just like a moving coil cartridge.  Ortofon invented the Split pole pin technology and were originally offered in the 500 series and Super OM series. 

The 2M series was developed in conjunction with Danish designer Møller Jensen Design – the same designer who designed the award winning MC Jubilee and very successful Kontrapunkt series.  Inspired by the facets of a diamond, whose contours gracefully trace the grooves on a record’s surface, the 2M‘s handsome elegance establishes a great combination of form and functionality.

The 2M series is designed for precise and accurate retrieval of the information in the record groove. Ortofon’s philosophy is to make cartridges which reproduce the record grooves as accurately as possible, without coloring the sound. The 2M series design has been optimized for ease of mounting and their weight and size fit virtually any current turntable. 

The name 2M was selected among several ideas. Ortofon wanted a modern name which would be both easy to pronounce and to remember, therefore an alpha numerical name was chosen. Mathematically 2M can be also represented as MM, which also happens to be the abbreviation for moving magnet.

Of course the 2M isn’t just another pretty face. Engineered to the highest standards the 2M series follows Ortofon’s unrelenting commitment to providing the most precise and accurate reproduction possible without coloration.

“[What] I would say about the Bronze is that it is a mixture of all of these sonic virtues. It’s fast, but not ostentatiously so; it turns information into music, and it does this because it is better balanced, neither leaning in one sonic direction or another. I would say that it represents not just the [Ortofon] 2M line’s sweet spot but also its musical core.”
—Marc Mickelson, The Audio Beat

“The 2M Bronze offers a full-bodied listening experience. It really brings music that has a lot of highs to life; think of crystal-clear high-hats, violins, piano, or higher frequencies in electronic music. If you are like me and listen to wide variety of music, I can say you should be happy with the Bronze for the money you spend…. If you feel as though you could benefit from a cart upgrade on your ‘table, I can say the Ortofon 2M Bronze should be on your list.”
—HiFi Chicken