Ortofon 2M Bronze Premounted MM Cartridge

The Ortofon 2M Bronze Premounted is an MM cartridge with a nude Fine Line stylus, supplied ready-mounted on an Ortofon headshell (SH-4). You plug the complete unit into a tonearm with a bayonet/SME connection – the audiophile Bronze without fitting it into the headshell yourself.

Why the 2M Bronze Premounted?

The Bronze is the sensitive tier of the series, right below the Black: a nude Fine Line stylus with a slim tip radius and silver-plated OFC copper winding. That brings more treble resolution and calm in the detail. Premounted means: this sound, without having to fit the sensitive cartridge into the headshell yourself.

What you get

Noticeably more fine detail and space than the Blue – overtones, string shimmer, a real shell of sound around cymbals, well-organised complex passages. An audible step towards high end, supplied as a ready-made headshell unit for immediate use.

Who is the 2M Bronze Premounted for – and who isn't it for?

Ideal for ambitious listeners with a bayonet tonearm and a good turntable who want to get close to the maximum of the 2M series. Bottom line: On a mediocre tonearm or a simple phono stage, the Fine Line stylus's benefit evaporates – its advantage only shows once the rest is right. And with a fixed headshell (Rega & co.), the Premounted doesn't fit.

Our verdict

The audiophile Fine Line tier as a convenient plug-in unit. For bayonet tonearms, the direct route to the Bronze sound – no installation risk, with the convenience of Moving Magnet.

Technical specifications

• Cartridge type: MM (Moving Magnet)
• Version: premounted on Ortofon headshell (SH-4), for bayonet/SME tonearms
• Stylus tip: Fine Line, nude
• Tip radius: r/R 8/40 µm
• Output voltage: 5 mV (1 kHz, 5 cm/s)
• Frequency response: 20–20,000 Hz (+2/−0 dB)
• Channel separation: 26 dB (1 kHz)
• Stylus compliance: 22 µm/mN
• Recommended tracking force: 1.5 g (1.4–1.7 g)
• Recommended load: 47 kOhm · 150–300 pF
• Recommended tonearm mass: light to medium
• Winding: silver-plated OFC copper wire
• Cartridge weight: 7.2 g (plus headshell)
• Replacement stylus: Stylus 2M Bronze
• Included: cartridge premounted on Ortofon headshell SH-4, stylus brush

Frequently asked questions

What's the advantage of the premounted version?

You save yourself the job of fitting the sensitive cartridge into the headshell – that's the simplest option for tonearms with a removable headshell. The second advantage: with several headshells, you switch between cartridges in seconds, say a second premounted stylus for mono or shellac records. To be honest, though: you still set tracking force, anti-skate and overhang on your tonearm once.

Which tonearms does the Premounted fit – and which not?

For tonearms with a removable headshell (bayonet/SME connection) – you plug in the unit and you're ready to go. Not suitable for tonearms with a fixed headshell, such as many Rega arms; there you need the Bronze as a standard cartridge to screw in.

Why buy the Ortofon 2M Bronze Premounted at HD Zürisee?

Because a cartridge of this class deserves an honest assessment of whether your setup can carry it – and the right tonearm type. HD Zürisee in Wädenswil has accompanied analogue customers since the 1990s and fine-tunes the unit for you on request. Get in touch by phone or WhatsApp.

Goes well with

Goes well with: a high-quality phono preamp, a good turntable as a foundation, and other cartridges to compare.