Ortofon - 2M Bronze MM Phono Cartridge

Where the 2M series changes engine, not just diamond: silver-plated coil wire, lower impedance, and a nude Fine Line diamond that reads what the elliptical profiles cannot.

The step from Blue to Bronze is the real one in this range, because it is the first that changes the generator rather than the stylus alone. The Bronze moves to silver-plated OFC coil wire in the quad-coil, split-pole-pin motor, and the result is measurably lower internal impedance (1.2k ohms against 1.3k) and lower inductance (630mH against 700mH).

The diamond changes character completely. Where the Red and Blue use elliptical profiles with an 18 µm side radius, the Bronze carries a nude Fine Line at r/R 8/40 µm. That much longer, narrower contact flank sits deeper in the groove and traces high-frequency modulation the elliptical shapes physically cannot resolve. Channel separation rises to 26dB, channel balance tightens to 1dB, and the frequency response flattens to +2/−0dB.

It also tracks lighter, at a recommended 1.5g rather than 1.8g, and its compliance is higher at 22 µm/mN — both of which point towards a light to medium mass tonearm rather than a heavy one.

One thing to be clear about for upgraders: the Bronze belongs to the Bronze / Black / Black LVB 250 interchange group, not the Red / Blue group. A Bronze stylus will physically mount on a Red or Blue body, but the engine underneath is different and the recommended tracking force differs, and Ortofon nowhere endorses that combination. In the other direction the path is endorsed and worthwhile: a Stylus 2M Black or 2M Black LVB 250 fitted to this body is exactly how Ortofon sells the upgrade.

Features

• Nude Fine Line diamond, r/R 8/40 µm, on an aluminium cantilever
• Quad-coil generator with split pole pins and silver-plated OFC coil wire
• Lower internal impedance and inductance than the Red and Blue — 1.2k Ω and 630mH
• 26dB channel separation, 1dB channel balance, +2/−0dB response
• Tracks lighter than the models below it at a recommended 1.5g
• Shares its engine with the 2M Black and 2M Black LVB 250 — both of those styli are Ortofon-endorsed upgrades for this body
• Threaded half-inch mounting plate; two screws, no nuts
• Also available in 2MR form for Rega-style tonearms, premounted on an SH-4 headshell, and as a bottom-mount Verso

Specifications

• Type: Moving magnet stereo cartridge
• Output Voltage: 5mV at 1kHz, 5cm/sec
• Channel Balance at 1kHz: 1dB
• Channel Separation at 1kHz: 26dB
• Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz, +2 / −0dB. Ortofon’s own page renders this with the leading plus sign missing
• Tracking Ability at 315Hz: 80 µm at recommended tracking force
• Compliance: 22 µm/mN, dynamic lateral. See note below
• Stylus Type: Nude Fine Line
• Stylus Tip Radius: r/R 8/40 µm
• Cantilever: Aluminium
• Tracking Force Range: 1.4 – 1.7g (14 – 17mN)
• Recommended Tracking Force: 1.5g (15mN)
• Tracking Angle: 20°
• Internal Impedance, DC Resistance: 1.2k Ω
• Internal Inductance: 630mH
• Recommended Load Resistance: 47k Ω
• Recommended Load Capacitance: 150 – 300pF
• Coil System: Quad coils with split pole pins and silver-plated OFC coil wire
• Cartridge Body: Polymer and aluminium
• Colour: Black / Bronze
• Cartridge Weight: 7.2g
• Replacement Stylus: Stylus 2M Bronze
• Stylus Interchange: Belongs to the Bronze / Black / Black LVB 250 group. Fitting a Stylus 2M Black or 2M Black LVB 250 to this body is an Ortofon-endorsed upgrade. Red and Blue styli sit in a different group on a different engine and are not a supported combination
• Mounting: Half inch (1/2″) mount. The 2M threaded mounting plate is 3mm thick, so no nuts are needed. Ortofon supplies a pair of M2.5 screws with a 5mm thread length, to be used with headshells up to 3.5mm thick. Ortofon warns against overtightening and against aluminium screws, which can seize in the threaded holes
• Stylus Life: Ortofon rates its styli at up to 1000 hours with proper care, and notes that DJ use — scratching and back-cueing — should be reckoned at about 500 hours at most. This is a general figure across the range rather than a per-model specification
• Cleaning: Ortofon specifically warns against propyl alcohol and other cleaning fluids, which can seriously damage the diamond cement and the suspension system
• Design: The 2M series was developed with the Danish industrial design house Møller Jensen Design. Ortofon does not publish the year the series launched
• Origin: Ortofon A/S of Nakskov, Denmark. Ortofon states that all its cartridges are designed and crafted in Denmark
• Warranty: Ortofon Inc. covers cartridges bought from an authorised US dealer for one year against defects in workmanship and materials, and excludes expendable items — which on any normal reading excludes the stylus. Note that Ortofon’s own webshop terms quote a two-year warranty instead; a US dealer purchase falls under the one-year terms
• Not Published: Frequency range at −3dB; channel separation at 15kHz; equivalent stylus tip mass, which Ortofon publishes for the Red and Blue styli but not for the Bronze; itemised box contents
• Note on Compliance: Ortofon’s web product pages and its 2M user guide PDF publish different compliance figures for the same cartridges. We quote the product page value; the user guide gives a figure 2 µm/mN lower. Ortofon also never states the frequency at which compliance is measured, which matters when comparing against makers who quote at 100Hz
• Note: Ortofon has dropped two rows from its current product pages that appear in its own printed 2M brochure: channel separation at 15kHz, and frequency range at −3dB. Where we have those figures we have marked them as brochure values. Any other 15kHz or extended-range figure circulating on retailer sites is legacy or third-party data