Ortofon 2M Blue

spl84

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I've been trying to gather some specific info from the web and it's proven to be kind of difficult but I'm sure someone here will know. I just purchased the Ortofon Blue to upgrade my Audio Technica LP120 stock green cartridge. I bought this on a whim in a retail store without doing much research but my question is will this fit the stock Audio Technica headshell that came on the turntable or will I need to buy one of theirs? If I had it to do over again I would have ordered one already mounted to the headshell. Thanks
 
I've been trying to gather some specific info from the web and it's proven to be kind of difficult but I'm sure someone here will know. I just purchased the Ortofon Blue to upgrade my Audio Technica LP120 stock green cartridge. I bought this on a whim in a retail store without doing much research but my question is will this fit the stock Audio Technica headshell that came on the turntable or will I need to buy one of theirs? If I had it to do over again I would have ordered one already mounted to the headshell. Thanks
Sell it on.
 

spl84

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It should fit no problem but are you experienced at changing carts and dialling them in?
No I'm not. I mean I know how to adjust my tracking force but that's about it. Adjusting the alignment is something I know very little about. That's why I haven't installed it yet. I watched an Ortofon video and the guy uses what looks like a paper alignment gauge... So any advice?
 

WayneKerr

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No I'm not. I mean I know how to adjust my tracking force but that's about it. Adjusting the alignment is something I know very little about. That's why I haven't installed it yet. I watched an Ortofon video and the guy uses what looks like a paper alignment gauge... So any advice?
If you don't trust yourself and have a local hi-fi store then take it to them to fit it for you, or take the cartridge back and swap it for a pre-mounted headshell version. Personally, I would have stuck with AT and just got a different stylus as it's easier to fit than a new cartridge.

Failing the above it's time to get up close and personal with your deck. Fortunately you have a removable headshell so initial mounting will be a doddle. Get your user manual out and consult this too: Alignment gauge to align the cartridge correctly once mounted back on the arm. Also consult YT for video advice and walk-throughs.

It is a faff and time consuming and will test your patience. Never ever apply brute force to any part and keep your cool, you are dealing with very delicate parts here, especially the pins, leads, stylus and cartridge.

If you hit issues come back for advice before proceeding, advice is free, a new cartridge isn't.
 
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No I'm not. I mean I know how to adjust my tracking force but that's about it. Adjusting the alignment is something I know very little about. That's why I haven't installed it yet. I watched an Ortofon video and the guy uses what looks like a paper alignment gauge... So any advice?
Can you take it back to the store and exchange it for the one pre-installed on a headshell mentioned above in post #6?
If you want to do it yourself you are going to need a cheap protractor of some type, see below...
 
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spl84

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Can you take it back to the store and exchange it for the one pre-installed on a headshell mentioned above in post #6?
If you want to do it yourself you are going to need a cheap protractor of some type, see below...
Possibly, I was out of town when got it but I'm sure I will be back in the vicinity at some point. They said they would install it for free if I brought my turntable in. So if it comes down to it I will go that route. If I have to I will order an ortofon headshell so that I can keep all my cartridges attached to one.
 
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twinkletoes

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Possibly, I was out of town when got it but I'm sure I will be back in the vicinity at some point. They said they would install it for free if I brought my turntable in. So if it comes down to it I will go that route. If I have to I will order an ortofon headshell so that I can keep all my cartridges attached to one.
This is basically what i do with my nag 150 i had it installed once, every now and then make sure the screws are tight and when the stylus wears ill swap for the same or put the 200 stylus in there. Depending on how flush I'm feeling at the time.

Ill need to learn to align it at some point though.
 
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spl84

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In the meantime I've gotten a VM540ML. I'm currently running it at 1.8g of vtf. It's working ok I guess but this is at the bottom end of the recommended tracking force. Obviously it seems like it takes very little to cause it to jump out of the groove. So what are some pros and cons of higher vs lower vtf? I'm thinking of setting it back to 2g just to have it set at the median force...
 

camcroft

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In the meantime I've gotten a VM540ML. I'm currently running it at 1.8g of vtf. It's working ok I guess but this is at the bottom end of the recommended tracking force. Obviously it seems like it takes very little to cause it to jump out of the groove. So what are some pros and cons of higher vs lower vtf? I'm thinking of setting it back to 2g just to have it set at the median force...
I would set it at 2g it's mostly recommended for the AT cartridges. I went from 1.8 to 2 on a recommendation from someone who really knows and sells AT cartridges and the sound improved.
 

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