SKU: 39020392889

Ortofon 2M Black Moving Magnet Cartridge

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Description

Ortofon 2M Black Moving Magnet CartridgeOrtofon 2M Black: Superior Sound Unveiled Embark on an auditory journey with the Ortofon 2M Black, a standalone cartridge that stands at the forefront of Ortofon's esteemed 2M series. This cartridge not only approaches the apex of moving magnet technology but also encapsulates Ortofon's dedication to delivering the pure essence of vinyl playback. Armed with the acclaimed Shibata diamond stylus, the 2M Black delves deep into the grooves of your

Ortofon 2M Black: Superior Sound Unveiled

Embark on an auditory journey with the Ortofon 2M Black, a standalone cartridge that stands at the forefront of Ortofon's esteemed 2M series. This cartridge not only approaches the apex of moving magnet technology but also encapsulates Ortofon's dedication to delivering the pure essence of vinyl playback. Armed with the acclaimed Shibata diamond stylus, the 2M Black delves deep into the grooves of your records, ensuring every detail is captured with exceptional clarity and dynamism.

The 2M Black is designed for audiophiles who demand nothing but the best from their vinyl collection. With its enhanced engine that features split pole pins with silver-plated copper wire, it offers an auditory experience that is both rich and precise. Its compatibility with a broad range of turntables and phono preamps makes it a versatile choice for any setup. Crafted for those who cherish the nuances of analog sound, the 2M Black elevates every musical performance, making each listen a moment to remember.

Key Features

  • Shibata Diamond Stylus: Delivers expansive contact with record grooves for superior detail and clarity.
  • Enhanced Engine Design: Employs advanced technology for enriched audio clarity, bringing your music to life.
  • Widespread Compatibility: The standalone cartridge design is easily adaptable, fitting a wide array of turntables.
  • Optimal Performance: Designed to extract the full potential of your vinyl records, ensuring an immersive listening experience.

Technical Specifications

Specification Value
Output Voltage (1000 Hz, 5cm/sec) 5 mV
Channel Balance (1 kHz) 1 dB
Channel Separation (1 kHz / 15 kHz) 26 dB / 15 dB
Frequency Response 20-20,000 Hz + 2 / - 0 dB
Tracking Ability (315Hz, Recommended Force) 80 µm
Compliance, Dynamic, Lateral 22 µm/mN
Stylus Type Nude Shibata
Stylus Tip Radius r/R 6/50 µm
Tracking Force Range 1.4-1.7 g
Recommended Tracking Force 1.5 g
Tracking Angle 20°
Internal Impedance, DC Resistance 1.2 kOhm
Internal Inductance 630 mH
Recommended Load Resistance 47 kOhm
Recommended Load Capacitance 150-300 pF
Cartridge Color, Body/Stylus Black/Black
Cartridge Weight 7.2 g
Replacement Stylus Unit 2M Black

The Ortofon 2M Black cartridge is a symbol of audio purity and a beacon for those who seek to uncover the depth and richness of analog music. Its unparalleled design and technological innovation ensure that each record spins not just music but a legacy of vinyl excellence.

Cartridge Installation

Proper care & installation of your Ortofon 2M Black is crucial for optimal performance. Follow these steps to ensure a successful setup:

  1. Protect the Stylus: Ensure the stylus cover is securely in place to protect the Ortofon 2M Black during installation.

  2. Attach the Cartridge: Secure the cartridge to your tonearm using the provided fixtures. Avoid overtightening to allow for precise alignment adjustments.

  3. Connect the Wires: Attach the color-coded lead-out wires (red, blue, green, white) to the corresponding pins on the cartridge, ensuring a solid connection.

  4. Set Tracking Weight: Balance the tonearm and set the tracking weight to approximately 1.5-2.0 grams. This adjustment ensures the stylus sits correctly within the vinyl groove, enhancing sound reproduction.

  5. Align the Cartridge: Use a cartridge alignment tool to align the 2M Black at multiple points along the tonearm for the best audio fidelity.

  6. Secure the Cartridge: Once aligned, tighten the mounting bolts just enough to secure the cartridge without compromising the flat frequency response.

  7. Adjust Tracking Force: Fine-tune the tracking force within the manufacturer’s recommended range to ensure optimal interaction with the record grooves.

Moving Coil vs Moving Magnet Cartridges

Understanding the differences between Moving Coil (MC) and Moving Magnet (MM) cartridges is essential when choosing the right one for your turntable setup. Each type has its unique advantages that cater to different preferences and needs.

Moving Magnet Cartridges (MM): Moving magnet cartridges, such as the Ortofon 2M Black, are known for their higher output voltage and user-friendly design. The replaceable stylus makes maintenance cost-effective and straightforward. These cartridges are compatible with a wide range of phono preamps and are celebrated for their robust and dynamic sound quality.

Moving Coil Cartridges (MC): Moving coil cartridges excel in sound reproduction, delivering enhanced clarity and detail. They capture the nuances of vinyl records with exceptional precision. However, they typically have a lower output voltage and require a specialized phono preamp. Unlike MM cartridges, the stylus on MC cartridges is not replaceable, meaning the entire cartridge needs replacement when the stylus wears out. Despite being more delicate and expensive, their sound quality is highly valued by audiophiles.

The choice between MC and MM cartridges ultimately comes down to personal preference and specific audio needs. Both offer distinct listening experiences that can greatly enhance your vinyl playback.

Ortofon 2M Black vs Bronze vs Blue

Ortofon's 2M series offers various cartridges to suit different listening preferences. Here's a comparison between the 2M Black, Bronze, and Blue:

Ortofon 2M Black: The 2M Black, with its Shibata diamond stylus, offers exceptional detail and clarity, making it ideal for audiophiles who want to experience every nuance in their music. Its precise and dynamic sound reproduction sets a high standard for vinyl playback. For an in-depth comparison between the Bronze and the Black, check out our review here!

Ortofon 2M Bronze: The 2M Bronze features a fine line diamond stylus and an advanced engine. It provides a balanced and cohesive sound, offering a mixture of speed, resolution, and musicality. Some users find it to be the sweet spot in the 2M series, balancing the speed and resolution of the black with the balance of the blue. If you want a more detailed comparison between the Bronze and the Blue, check out our comparison review here!

Ortofon 2M Blue: With a nude elliptical diamond stylus, the 2M Blue reveals additional layers and textures in music while reducing surface noise. It offers a richer listening experience with an expansive dynamic range and soundstage, making it a favorite on the market today. 

Other Turntable Offerings from Audio Exchange

At Audio Exchange, we pride ourselves on providing a comprehensive range of turntable cartridges and accessories to enhance your vinyl listening experience. Our offerings include:

  • Ortofon 2M Series Cartridges: Including the 2M Black, Bronze, and Red, each offering unique sound qualities and features.

  • Audio-Technica Turntable Cartridges: Known for reliable performance and exceptional sound reproduction across a wide price range.

  • Record Players: From entry-level models to high-end units, our selection of turntables is designed to deliver rich, detailed audio.

  • Vinyl Records: Build your vinyl collection with our curated selection of records.

  • Phono Preamps: Enhance your turntable setup with our range of phono preamps, ensuring the best possible sound quality.

Explore our extensive offerings to find the perfect components for your turntable setup and elevate your listening experience with Audio Exchange!

Shipping Notes
  • Free Standard Shipping on $100+ Orders to the USA.
  • Except Preorder products are shipped in 48 hours.
  • Delivery to the USA:
  1. Standard Shipping : 3-10 business days
  • If time is of the essence, please consider selecting expedited delivery for faster service.
Exchange/Return Notes
  • We offer a 30-day return/exchange service after receiving.
  • Final sale items are not eligible for returns or exchanges.
  • To process your return/exchange, please contact us at [email protected]
  • Please click here for more details>>> Return & Exchange Policy
SKU: 39020392889

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4.6 ★★★★★
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Tesseract in Blue Jeans
Fort Morgan, US
★★★★★ 4
Better Than Expected
Color: Black, Color: Black
Initial impressions: The chair is better quality than I expected. The seat material is nice: feels firm but soft; better than those seats with faux leather. So far, it is comfortable even for being over 200 lb and over 6 feet tall. Many parts are sturdy metal, which is much better than plastic. The base that holds the wheels may be a form of plastic, but it is dense and feels strong; almost like metal. The chair frame appears to be a firm plastic too, but not thin, so my initial thought is it will last. It has a buffed texture [not shiny or smooth -- which to me is nice, because it makes it look and feel more solid and not cheap. The one weak point in design, in my opinion, is the cover that fits over the raising post: it feels a bit flimsy. Regardless, it probably wouldn't be noticeable to most unless they get down on the floor and squeeze it. Nevertheless, that there is a cover that raises and lowers like a telescope-- to "hide" the post, is a nice added attribute. A customer could leave the that cover off if they prefer, but I like it. I appreciate that the casters stay in place (unlike the other chair I tested: the KK Toner Round Rolling Stool, whose wheels do not stay in place). This makes it possible to lift the chair without fear of dropping casters. The casters are replaceable too, which is good. I was able to use Lifelong brand casters, instead, which are purportedly safe for hardwood and marble floors. The seat is stationary once attached. It is mostly upright [not leaning back]. Even with its mesh backing it is firm. This is not a plush, rocking chair type of product, yet it is comfortable. Instructions: As seems to be the new trend, they were mostly pictures without words. Regardless, putting the chair together was quite easy. Just make sure you doube check the front versus back of the seat -- this is important for setting the metal lift connector in place. And, don't forget to put the holding ring and washer on the screws. They add an extra screw for the connector, and an extra screw, washer, and pressure ring for the back attachment. That was a pleasant surprise; and is appreciated. The raising and lowering mechanism works well. You can sit on the chair while lowering it; it seems best to get off the chair while raiding it. It lowers to where the seat is 28 inches off the floor. It rises to 22.5". The seat is 17.5" wide x 16.25" front to back [the assembled chair is 18.5" front to back]. The back rest top to the floor is 34". The wheel base is about 20" at its widest point, before adding the wheel casters. With their standard wheels the width is about 21" to 21.5". With the Lifelong brand wheels, it will have a width of 21" to 22.5", depending on how the rotating wheel base is turned. All in all, a good experience. As I wrote, these are my initial impressions [I've only had the chair one day]. My intention is to use it daily as a dining chair. I will add to this review as time goes by [e.g., in ~ six months], to indicate how well this product does long-term and with moderately heavy use. I'd appreciate seeing more former reviewers do the same.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2023
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Verified Purchase
phase_locked
Carnegie, US
★★★★★ 5
Rock bottom price, better than rock bottom quality
Color: Black
tl;dr there are definitely better chairs available, even better chairs that aren't that much more money, but if rock bottom is your price target, this one is hard to beat. I bought my 7-year-old a $30 task chair at Target even knowing it's weight limit of 150 pounds implied it was of very, uh, questionable construction. He weighs 50 pounds though so I figured it'd be fine for occasional use for him. It was basically trash, however. I found this instead and it's pretty solid for $60 delivered. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. The actual assembly is as easy as it gets for a task chair (snap casters in, put in a couple screws). Be aware that the seat base is 100% plastic, although I'd be astounded if anyone used cast aluminum for a seat base anywhere close to $100. It is not _particularly_ comfortable, ergonomic, or well made, although it is of slightly better construction than I was expecting. I'm 5' 11" and 200 pounds and the word I'd use to describe sitting on it is "acceptable". I suspect the seat foam is easily the weakest link regarding longevity if used by an adult. The real benefit here is that $60 _feels_ like the correct price for a chair of this quality, whereas a local big box store is going to want close to double that, especially without a "sale" going on.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2026
I
Verified Purchase
ILoveMyKids
Bozeman, US
★★★★★ 5
Easy to assemble, and comfortable!
Color: Blue
I bought this chair for my teenaged son, who has a small student's desk in his room (also ordered and assembled at the same time). This fits perfectly for the small desk, and is reasonably comfortable for a medium-sized adult, teenager, or older child. Once put together, the chair itself appears to work flawlessly, seems comfortable enough, the height is easily adjustable, and of course -- the most important part, according to my son -- "spins silently 'round and 'round really fast for a long time." The blue color is a nice, deep blue hue that works well for him and makes it stand out a little more than your average black chair. I was able to assemble it fairly quickly without issues. My son uses it to sit in for his schoolwork and computer gaming/programming/hobbies at his desk, etc. and he says it's comfortable, even after sitting in it for 1-2 hours at a time. With this type of chair, you're getting exactly what you pay for and what you see in the pictures. No more, no less. The price is fairly reasonable, it feels sturdy, and if you're looking for an easy and simple office chair for light task work at a computer desk for a teenager or college student with limited space, this is an easy win. While it's not the smallest office chair out there, it's certainly not a large one, either. I am a medium-sized woman at 5'4", and my bottom doesn't hang off of it; that said, a taller/bigger person might want to look into something a little larger for comfort, if they have the space for it. My son is 5'6" (and growing) and slim, so it works perfectly well for him. My husband, who is larger and taller than us, sat in it and said it didn't feel bad...but he was unsure how comfortable it would be sitting in it for longer stretches of time. So...your mileage may vary. Overall, this was exactly what we were looking for and precisely what we expected for this product, so we're happy. I will update this review should anything change.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2019
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Verified Purchase
ibkaren
Draper, US
★★★★★ 5
Great small rolling desk chair.
Color: Black
Small footprint for small office. Comfortable. Nice back support and super easy to assemble. Told my 300lb son he’s not to sit on it. It’s my chair.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2026
X
Verified Purchase
XILEX
Natrona Heights, US
★★★★★ 3
Good as a task chair, but terrible for long-term sitting
I have revised and updated this review after two years after getting a replacement chair, downgrading it from 5 stars to 3 stars. I have owned an office chair from Staples for two years. It was a $200 office mesh chair. It seemed pretty comfortable when sitting in it at the store. Unfortunately, it turned out to be uncomfortable for long sitting duration, I seemed to end up slouching often because it wasn't very supportive. The seat depth was probably longer than optimal for my legs. The mesh seating was not supportive. With these issues, I thought a task chair would be more useful. But I didn't want to spend so much money on a chair again, so here comes Amazon to the rescue. This chair allows me to sit comfortably with a reasonable seat depth, so I'm now able to sit with proper posture. The foam base initially felt better than the mesh base. This all led to a 5 star rating. After a year and a half, however, it has come to my realization that the foam seating is terribly inadequate for long periods of sitting. Maybe after a year the foam was worn out to the point that it was no longer supportive. After long periods of sitting, I could feel the wood support base. I tried a seat cushion to no avail. In the end, I got rid of this chair and purchase a chair from one of the high-end office ergonomic chair manufacturers. It cost 10x more than the Amazon chair, but it's night and day with regards to being comfortable. It is worth the cost to protect my back.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2019

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