Ortofon - 2M Black Replacement Stylus

The nude Shibata diamond from the 2M Black — and the single stylus that turns a 2M Bronze into a 2M Black.

The 2M Black and 2M Bronze are the same cartridge apart from the diamond. Identical output, identical channel balance and separation, identical compliance, the same generator with silver-plated OFC coil wire, the same body and the same recommended tracking force. So fitting this stylus to a Bronze body does not approximate a 2M Black — in every measurable respect it produces one. Ortofon markets it that way explicitly.

The profile is a nude Shibata at r/R 6/50 µm: a narrower front radius riding in a longer contact flank, which Ortofon describes as a slim, highly polished profile allowing an exceedingly wide contact area to the groove walls. The practical consequence is high-frequency retrieval, and Ortofon’s own brochure puts the Black’s −3dB point at 31kHz against the Bronze’s 29kHz.

Ortofon lists it as the correct replacement for the 2M Black, 2MR Black and 2M Black Premounted, and as the upgrade for the 2M Bronze, 2MR Bronze and 2M Bronze Premounted.

Features

• Nude Shibata diamond, r/R 6/50 µm
• Replacement for the 2M Black and Ortofon’s endorsed upgrade for the 2M Bronze
• Because Bronze and Black share a body and generator, this stylus produces a genuine 2M Black
• Fits the 2M Black, 2MR Black and 2M Black Premounted — and the Bronze equivalents as an upgrade
• Recommended tracking force of 1.5g
• Slides on and off — no realignment needed

Specifications

• Type: Replacement stylus unit for Ortofon 2M Black; endorsed upgrade for 2M Bronze
• Stylus Type: Nude Shibata
• Stylus Tip Radius: r/R 6/50 µm
• Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz
• Compliance: 22 µm/mN, dynamic lateral
• Recommended Tracking Force: 1.5g (15mN)
• Cantilever: Aluminium. Boron belongs only to the 2M Black LVB 250 — a good deal of retail copy gets this wrong
• Replacement For: 2M Black, 2MR Black, 2M Black Premounted
• Upgrade For: 2M Bronze, 2MR Bronze, 2M Bronze Premounted
• Interchange Group: Bronze / Black / Black LVB 250. Red and Blue bodies run a different engine and are not a supported destination for this stylus
• 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
• 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
• Note: Ortofon’s own compatibility list names the standard, 2MR and premounted bodies but omits the bottom-mount Verso. The Verso is mechanically the same body with a reversed top plate, so the stylus does fit, but Ortofon has never put that in writing — we would rather tell you that than pretend the endorsement exists