Ortofon has decided to create a shrunken version of its 2M pickups in response to market demand. The result is the Ortofon 2MR.
Ortofon’s best series of Moving Magnet pickups is called 2M, and the best of them are truly amazing. The cheapest offer great value for money, while the best can replace a good MC pickup – providing an alternative for customers who want a simpler signalling path without compromising on sound quality.
A potential problem
Unfortunately, the 2M pickups have a disadvantage. They’re big and, most importantly, tall. Not all tonearms have adjustable height, which can mean that upgrading from your existing pickup to the Ortofon 2M can lead to the arm having an incorrect vertical tracking angle, so you won’t get the sound quality you paid for.
This can also happen if you switch from a thin to a thick record mat.
Ortofon 2MR = lower
The new Ortofon 2MR series is not as tall and therefore better suited to turntables with a fixed arm base. The pickups use exactly the same needles as the 2M, which means that, for example, a 2MR Red can be upgraded to 2MR Blue simply by changing the needle, which is exactly the same as on the 2M Blue. Similarly, 2MR Bronze can be upgraded to 2MR Black. At the top is the 2MR Black LVB 250 with a Nude Shibata diamond needle and a boron (boron) needle tube. Which is the second hardest element after diamond.
Mono and 78 rpm models are also available.
Ortofon 2MR: Availability and pricing
Prices for the Ortofon 2MR are the same as the Ortofon 2M, from €99 for the 2MR Red to €999 for the top-of-the-range 2MR Black LVB 250. And since the quality is the same, we think the 2MR pickup is a safer buy for customers with a fixed arm height angle. The pickups are in stock now.
More info: ortofon.com