The Ortofon 2M Blue is a moving magnet phono cartridge built for listeners who want to hear more of what is actually pressed into their records. It sits one step above the popular 2M Red in Ortofon's 2M Series and brings a meaningful upgrade in the form of a Nude Elliptical diamond stylus. Because the diamond is mounted directly on the cantilever rather than glued to a metal shank, it sits lighter in the groove and traces detail with greater sensitivity, giving you more resolution, more openness and a clearly wider dynamic range.
The 2M Blue also carries Ortofon's trademark split pole pin technology, an invention that gives a moving magnet cartridge the kind of flat frequency response normally associated with moving coil designs. With a healthy 5.5 mV output, it works comfortably with virtually any phono stage or amplifier with a built-in MM input, and its half-inch mount with pre-threaded fittings makes installation straightforward on most popular turntables. If you already own a 2M Red, the Blue stylus fits directly onto the Red body, making this one of the simplest upgrades in analogue audio.
Key Features
- Nude Elliptical diamond stylus for superior groove tracing
- Split pole pins deliver flat, moving coil style response
- High 5.5 mV output suits all MM phono stages
- Quad-coil engine with OFC copper coil wire
- More detail, dynamics and openness than 2M Red
- Stylus directly interchangeable with 2M Red body
- Easy half-inch mounting with pre-threaded fittings
- Recommended tracking force of 1.8 g
Why Consider the Ortofon 2M Blue
The 2M Blue has earned its reputation as the sweet spot of the 2M range for good reason. Reviewers consistently praise its balanced, neutral character, with a focused midband, tidy bass and an easygoing presentation that never turns harsh or clinical. It reveals texture and depth that entry-level cartridges gloss over, yet remains forgiving enough for everyday listening across all genres and pressings. For anyone stepping up from a stock cartridge or a 2M Red, the improvement is immediately audible.
Ideal For:
- Vinyl listeners upgrading from an entry-level or stock cartridge
- 2M Red owners seeking a simple stylus-only upgrade path
- Turntables with standard half-inch headshell mounting
- Systems with built-in MM phono stages or external MM preamps
- Listeners who value a natural, balanced and detailed sound
What's in the Box
- Ortofon 2M Blue moving magnet cartridge
- Stylus guard
- Mounting screws
- Screwdriver
- User guide
Technical Specifications
| Performance |
| Output voltage at 1 kHz, 5 cm/sec |
5.5 mV |
| Channel balance at 1 kHz |
1.5 dB |
| Channel separation at 1 kHz |
25 dB |
| Frequency response |
20 Hz - 20 kHz, +2 / -1 dB |
| Tracking ability at 315 Hz |
80 µm |
| Compliance, dynamic, lateral |
20 µm/mN |
| Stylus and Cantilever |
| Stylus type |
Nude Elliptical |
| Stylus tip radius |
r/R 8/18 µm |
| Cantilever material |
Aluminium |
| Stylus colour |
Blue |
| Replacement stylus |
Ortofon 2M Blue |
| Tracking |
| Tracking force range |
1.6 - 2.0 g (16 - 20 mN) |
| Tracking force, recommended |
1.8 g (18 mN) |
| Tracking angle |
20° |
| Electrical |
| Coil system |
Quad-coils with split pole pins and OFC coil wire |
| Coil wire material |
OFC wire |
| Internal impedance, DC resistance |
1.3 kOhm |
| Internal inductance |
700 mH |
| Recommended load resistance |
47 kOhm |
| Recommended load capacitance |
150 - 300 pF |
| Physical |
| Cartridge body material |
Polymer and aluminium |
| Cartridge colour |
Black/Blue |
| Mounting type |
Half-inch mount |
| Cartridge weight |
7.2 g |
