Ortofon 2M Blue Premounted MM Cartridge

The Ortofon 2M Blue Premounted is an MM cartridge with a nude elliptical diamond, supplied ready-mounted on an Ortofon headshell (SH-4). You click the unit directly into a tonearm with a bayonet/SME connection – without having to fit the cartridge into the headshell yourself.

Why the 2M Blue Premounted?

For many, the 2M Blue is the sweet spot of the series: a nude elliptical diamond instead of a glued one, resulting in finer tracking, more calm, more detail. In the Premounted form you get this sound without the fiddly installation – plug in the headshell, set the tracking force, listen.

What you get

More resolution and air than the Red, with the same balanced core tone – voices with texture, cymbals that decay naturally, audible spatial information. Plus the matching headshell as a ready-made unit. A mature combination ready to use straight away.

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

Ideal for anyone with a bayonet tonearm and a good turntable who wants the Blue sound without mounting stress. Bottom line: With a fixed headshell (many Rega arms, quite a few suspended-subchassis turntables), the Premounted doesn't fit – then go with the standard 2M Blue or, for Rega, the 2MR Blue.

Our verdict

The sweet spot of the 2M series as a ready-made plug-in unit. For bayonet tonearms, the most convenient way to get the nude elliptical diamond – no installation, no compromise on sound.

Technical specifications

• Cartridge type: MM (Moving Magnet)
• Version: premounted on Ortofon headshell (SH-4), for bayonet/SME tonearms
• Stylus tip: elliptical, nude
• Tip radius: r/R 8/18 µm
• Output voltage: 5.5 mV (1 kHz, 5 cm/s)
• Frequency response: 20–20,000 Hz (+3/−1 dB)
• Channel separation: 25 dB (1 kHz)
• Stylus compliance: 20 µm/mN
• Recommended tracking force: 1.8 g (1.6–2.0 g)
• Recommended load: 47 kOhm · 150–300 pF
• Recommended tonearm mass: light to medium
• Cartridge weight: 7.2 g (plus headshell)
• Replacement stylus: Stylus 2M Blue
• Included: cartridge premounted on Ortofon headshell SH-4, stylus brush

Frequently asked questions

Is the Blue worth it over the Red?

If you listen to music seriously: yes. The Blue's nude diamond resolves more finely and sounds calmer than the Red's glued one. Hardly anyone reverses that step. But if you only put on a record occasionally, the Red serves you well.

What's the advantage of the premounted version?

You don't have to mount and wire the cartridge onto the headshell yourself – the ready-made unit clicks directly into your tonearm via the bayonet mount. That's the simplest solution for anyone with a removable headshell. Handy on top: with several premounted headshells, you switch between cartridges in seconds, say a second one with a different stylus for mono or shellac.

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

Because the best cartridge is worthless if the mounting type doesn't match your tonearm. We'll check that with you and fine-tune the unit on request. As an authorised Ortofon partner on Lake Zurich, HD Zürisee gives you personal advice – by phone, email or WhatsApp.

Goes well with

Goes well with: a matching phono preamp, a good turntable, and other cartridges to compare.