Ortofon - 2M Mono Replacement Stylus

The nude spherical R 18 µm diamond for the 2M Mono — and the tip that turns a 2M 78 body into a mono LP cartridge.

This is the replacement stylus for the 2M Mono: a nude spherical diamond of R 18 µm on an aluminium cantilever, which Ortofon describes as an optimal solution for playing mono microgroove LPs.

The genuinely useful thing about it is that the 2M Mono and 2M 78 share a body. Ortofon puts them in the same interchange group, which means a single cartridge body plus these two styli covers both mono microgroove LPs and shellac 78s — at considerably less than the cost of two complete cartridges, and with a swap that takes seconds and needs no realignment. If you own a 2M 78 and have mono LPs to play, this is the part you want.

Worth being straight about where an 18 µm spherical sits. By Ortofon’s own guidance, early 1950s mono pressings with bottom groove radii of 15 µm or larger call for a 25 µm spherical, which Ortofon does not make in the 2M range, and modern narrow-groove mono reissues are better served by a line contact profile. This tip is aimed at the broad middle of the mono catalogue, which is where most of it lives.

Features

• Nude spherical diamond, R 18 µm, on an aluminium cantilever
• Replacement stylus for the 2M Mono
• Also fits the 2M 78 body — one cartridge, two styli, mono LPs and shellac both covered
• Slides on and off — no realignment needed
• Intended for mono microgroove LPs

Specifications

• Type: Replacement stylus unit for Ortofon 2M Mono
• Stylus Type: Nude spherical
• Stylus Tip Radius: R 18 µm
• Stylus Colour: White
• 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 Mono and 2M 78 bodies, plus their 2MR, premounted and Verso equivalents
• Intended Records: Mono microgroove LPs. Ortofon’s own guidance is that early 1950s mono pressings with bottom groove radii of 15 µm or larger want a 25 µm spherical tip — which Ortofon does not offer in the 2M range — and that modern narrow-groove mono reissues suit a line contact profile better
• 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: At Ortofon’s published prices this stylus costs a large fraction of a complete 2M Mono cartridge, so if your body is also aged it is worth pricing both before deciding. Where it makes unambiguous sense is as the second stylus for a 2M 78 owner