Ortofon - 2M 78 Replacement Stylus

The R 65 µm spherical tip for shellac — and the cheapest way to add 78rpm playback to a 2M Mono you already own.

78rpm shellac records have grooves several times wider than a microgroove LP, and a normal stylus does not sit in them — it drops to the bottom, where the wear and the noise are. This tip is a spherical diamond of R 65 µm, roughly three and a half times the radius of the 2M Mono’s R 18 µm, sized to ride the groove walls of a shellac disc properly.

It is the replacement stylus for the 2M 78, but the more interesting use is as a second stylus. The 2M Mono and 2M 78 share a body, so if you already own a 2M Mono this part alone adds 78rpm capability, and switching between shellac and mono LPs becomes a few seconds of work with no realignment. For a collector with both formats it is a considerably better buy than a second cartridge.

One caveat we will offer ourselves, since Ortofon does not: 78s were cut to a range of pre-RIAA equalisation curves, and a standard RIAA phono stage will replay them with a noticeably wrong tonal balance. This stylus solves the mechanical half of the problem. The equalisation is a separate question, and one worth a conversation if you are putting a shellac setup together.

Features

• Spherical diamond, R 65 µm, sized for the coarse groove of shellac 78s
• Replacement stylus for the 2M 78
• Also fits the 2M Mono body — adds 78rpm playback to a cartridge you already own
• Slides on and off — no realignment needed

Specifications

• Type: Replacement stylus unit for Ortofon 2M 78
• Stylus Type: Spherical. Ortofon specifies this one as spherical rather than nude spherical, unlike the 2M Mono tip — the wording is consistent across its sites and appears deliberate
• Stylus Tip Radius: R 65 µm
• Stylus Colour: Grey
• Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz, +3 / −1dB
• Tracking Ability at 315Hz: 70 µm
• Compliance: 18 µm/mN, dynamic lateral
• Tracking Force Range: 1.6 – 2.0g (16 – 20mN)
• Recommended Tracking Force: 1.8g (18mN)
• Tracking Angle: 20°
• Fits: 2M 78 and 2M Mono bodies, plus their 2MR, premounted and Verso equivalents
• Intended Records: 78rpm shellac. This tip will not fit a microgroove LP and is not intended to
• Equalisation: 78s were cut to a range of pre-RIAA curves and a standard RIAA phono stage will replay them with a wrong tonal balance. That is our own advice — Ortofon publishes no equalisation guidance for this product at all
• Installation: Fitting takes seconds and needs no realignment — the stylus assembly slides on and off the cartridge body, so your overhang, azimuth and tracking force settings are never disturbed
• Stylus Life: Ortofon rates its styli at up to 1000 hours with proper care, and reckons DJ use at about 500 hours at most. This is a general figure across the range rather than a per-model specification. No separate figure is published for this tip, which runs in abrasive shellac and should not be expected to match a diamond tracking clean vinyl
• Cleaning: Ortofon warns specifically against propyl alcohol and other cleaning fluids, which can seriously damage the diamond cement and the suspension system
• Origin: Ortofon A/S of Nakskov, Denmark. Ortofon states that all its cartridges are designed and crafted in Denmark
• Warranty: Ortofon Inc. covers products bought from an authorised US dealer for one year against defects in workmanship and materials, and excludes expendable items. A stylus is an expendable item, so a worn stylus is not a warranty matter — this is a replacement part, not a claim
• Not Published: Whether the diamond is nude or bonded; any groove width figure for 78s; any statement about vinyl-pressed, transcription or lateral-cut discs, which in practice vary considerably in groove size