VINYL SECTION • ono s eCla

Ortofon has produced a special mono cartridge for in Mono vinyl LP bal set. Noel Keywood charts its history and takes a listen.

here's a story behind this Ortofon's cartridge - quite a long one, 2M Black so 1'11keep it short. Some - acknowledged time ago, whilst arranging as one of with Studios the finest an interview with cut- moving magnet Tting engineer Sean Magee about the cartridges forthcoming The Beatles in Mono available after box set, I realised these albums years on the raised a problem. On forums Beatles market and fans were confused about the whole legions of users. issue of mono and especially about Happy how to get the best sound from about this idea, early Beatles mono LPs. I could see I suggested it committed fans ordering a special to Abbey Road mono cartridge for this new box and they liked it. set, understandably thinking this was Next stop Ortofon - and good sense, only to find the cartridge they loved it. So here is the end practice this cartridge may well sit sounded dull and mistracked, caus- result, the new Ortofon 2M Mono SE in its own headshell, accompanying ing distortion and groove damage. (Special Edition) cartridge purposed a stereo cartridge in aseeond Not good. This would set the forums specifically to play The Beatles in headshell, but it is easy to change if alight. Mono box set. need be.Weight is 7.3gms and this It will also play any modern suits all arms, since most cope with stereo microgroove in mono if you '6-IOgms minimum. so wish.The key point is that it does Being a moving magnet type, the not have an old, large diameter mono .stylus ean be slid out for proteetion, spherical stylus that would mis-track or for replacement of course, should a modern stereo groove and cause it suffer damage. And that's the big damage; it has the most advanced reason for buying a moving magnet stylus profile available today.Ortofon cartridge like this one: it keeps cost have also given it silver-plated under control. The 2M Mono SE copper wiring to improve insight costs Euros €499 (095) through and definition. So it is a highly-tuned Ortofon's webshop. For the average mono cartridge, not a budget slogger. LP spinner that's expensive but you Tracking force, like that of the 2M get a deeply-purposed and tuned Black, is low, being quoted as l.4gms- cartridge that will work with any The solution was simple: fit an l.7gms, with 1.5gms as optimum. I Phono input for this. Ortofon 2M Mono cartridge body used 1.7gms for all tests and for play, Ortofon also make mono moving with the Shibata stylus from the because it improves tracking. I find coil cartridges like the Cadenza stereo 2M Black. Presto - a special 1.5gms getting close to dangerously Mono but you'lI need deeper pockets moving magnet cartridge for a special light, even on my super stable and an MC preamp for a moving coil; set of albums. The real value of this Garrard 40 I that is anchored into a it is audiophile territory - and they lies less in its technical capabilities, huge plinth that sits on a marble slab. don't have user replaceable styli like more that it is a fully worked out Cueing by hand or damped platform the 2M Mono SE. solution for buyers of this rather ean see the stylus skate if agnat f1ies special !288 box set. It removes fear past at the wrong moment. SOUND QUALlTY of getting it wrong. Play the albums The 2M Mono SE is made from I refrained from reviewing early with this conventional but dedicated low resonance Lexan DMX and prototypes Ortofon sent me, with cartridge and Beatles fans will get the has threaded holes in its body that early mono Beatles LPs I have in my best result possible. make fitting very easy. Screws of collection. Ortofon worked through I say this because the stereo different lengths are supplied, plus a few iterations before settling on a equivalent of this cartridge is a screwdriver and stylus brush. In final tune and it is final produetion I

92 OCTOBER 2014 www r-fiwnrld co uk VINYL SECTION

am reviewing here, not an unrepre- delivery was pieked out clearly sentative early sample. by the 2M Mono SE, Ringo's Listening was carried out in hi-hats and triangle strikes an SME312S 12in pickup arm on a clear and sonorous in the Garrard 40 I turntable at home, and background, showing again how a Timestep Evo turntable (Technics well the Shibata stylus tracks SL-1210 Mkll tuned) in Hi-Fi World's inner grooves, teasing fine high- office, fitted with SME309 9in pickup frequency detail, There's no tape arm. Phono stage was an leon Audio hiss on this track. PS3 all-valve design in both locations. On the issue of noise, there I use Martin Logan Electromotion was precious little to be heard. hybrid electrostatics at home driven The vinyl of these LPs is so quiet, by a World Audio Design 300B valve and the absence of ticks and amplifier, but at Hi-Fi World the pops from the mono cartridge so system comprised Quad II-eighty eerie, that with volume right up mono block valve amplifiers driving I could barely recognise the source Tannoy Kensington Gold Reference as LP.Once I even cued down, then loudspeakers, that I will be reviewing cued back up thinking the system next month. wasn't working, it was so quiet. The I used both The Beatles in 2M Mono SE 600 Ohm generator There are two channels, allowing • Mono box set LPs for this review produces less hiss than most MMs, so the cartridge to connect into a as well as older Beatles LPs and an at high volume there's no hiss from stereo headshell, but each channel Ortofon Cadenza Bronze moving coil the speakers, cartridge cued up. gives an identical signal. cartridge, switched to mono on the With my old, original PS3,as a reference. Parlophones like 'Help' (August 'Taxman' from 'Revolver' (August, 1965), the 2M Mono SE kept surface deserved reputation as one of the 1966), put a smile on my face when noise down and brought solidity best moving magnet cartridges it was played at Abbey Road's demo, to the electric piano in 'The Night available; the 2M Mono builds on it. It with the lyrics "taxrnan Mr Wilson, Before;' it fleshes out instruments has a tad less high-frequency sheen I taxman Mr Heath" that dates the well. It also showed how my disc is fancy, but it similarly enjoys a fabulous song (and me!).With the Ortofon harsh across the midband, whilst the stylus that reads even difficult inner the backing vocals of john and Paul new one is smooth and clear. grooves perfectly. It is easy to fit, were forward, clear and intense. easy to use and compatible with all George sings lead on this track and CONClUSION arms too; there are no foibles. I was his lyrics - "should 5% appear too Whatever way you look at the 2M entranced when spinning The Beatles smalt" - were starkly clear. Paul's bass Mono SE it is a fantastic cartridge. in Mono LPs: it plays them near- line was tight and fluid; much like the Ortofon's stereo 2M Black has a perfectly. 2M Black we use regularly, the 2M Mono SE keeps bass in tight control and good perspective with the overall MEASURED PERFORMANCE Frequency response was almost ruler performance. Output was 5mV at 5cms/sec rms, Ilat to 5kHzour analysis shows (green How does it cope with 'Please so amplilier hiss will not intrude. trace), above which output slowly starts Please Me', their first album The 2M Mono SEworked well. It to lall away. This will remove harshness is tailored to avoid harshness and give (March 1963)1 Again the midband and soften the sound a little. With a slightly easier sound, especially on is forward and clear, highlighting ORTOFON 2M additional capacitive loading ol 200pF inner grooves where its performance [ohn's vocals, complete with reverb. MONO SE f399 the upper midband lifts to give a Ilat is unaffected by the short mechanical Paul's slower bass line was also firm response to 10kHz,above which treble wavelengths, due to its excellent Shibata and expressive. The stylus keeps lalls laster. There was little tracing loss stylus prolile. NK •••••OUTSTANDING- amongst everything well sorted; there's no the best on inner grooves (red trace), due to the muddle and with '', excellent proiiie ol the Shibata stylus. Tracking force 1.4-1.1gms the last track of Side I, inner grooves VERDlCT Ortolon quote a downlorce range Weight 7.3gms suffered no extra muddle, distortion Thebest monomoving (VTF)ol 1.4-1.7gms, with 1.5gms magnetcartridgevou canbuv or treble loss.And those chiming Frequency response 20Hz - 20kHz as optimum. The latter is very low Tracking ability (300Hz) lor microqrcoves. A labulous guitar chords sound meaty, rich and transducer. by current standards, 1.7gms being 300Hz solid.The vinyl of the new LPs is 6311m common. Tracking at 1.6gms was very 1kHz so quiet though, that roar from the 16cms/sec. FOR good, il not up to the highest standards. Distortion (4SlIm) master tape (and wow) is audible 0.7% - soundqualitv The SE managed 63Jlm at 300Hzbut Output (Scms/sec rms) - easeol litment for a split second at the end of the SmV would not track the highest 90Jlm cut. - no tracing loss track, before sudden silence as the At 1kHzit started to complain at 20cms/ FREQUENCYRESPONSE cartridge tracks the lead out groove. dB AGAINST sec, whilst remaining in the groove. This Recording quality had improved +S - expensive is a good result, il not up with expensive dramatically by November 1963 - low recommendedtracking moving coils that can manage 25cms/ o lorce however. '', end of side I of sec. Distortion was low, measuring 0.7% -s Mono Masters, had me spellbound DrtolonA/S at 45Jlm lateral modulation, comprising it was so clear, sounding every bit -10 Denmark mostly second harmonic which, subjec- as good, arguably better, than any support@ortolon,dk tively, is innocuous. ·IS www.ortolon.com modern recording. [ohn's controlled 20 H, Ik 20k

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