Overview

An elliptical stylus tracks a groove well, but its contact area is still large enough to miss some of the finest high-frequency detail cut into a record, especially toward the end of a side where groove speed drops.

The Ortofon 2M Bronze is a moving magnet phono cartridge built around a nude-mounted Fine Line diamond stylus, a narrower profile than the elliptical styli used lower in the 2M line that increases contact area with the groove wall and helps retrieve more high-frequency detail, particularly toward the inner grooves of a record. An aluminium cantilever keeps the stylus assembly light and rigid.

Output is rated at 5mV with 26dB of channel separation at 1kHz, and a lower recommended tracking force of 1.5 grams reduces wear on records over repeated plays. It's built to run into a standard 47kOhm phono input with 150 to 300pF of load capacitance, and it mounts to any standard half-inch headshell.

Simcoe Audio Video Insight

Because the 2M Bronze tracks at a lower recommended force than the 2M Red or 2M Blue, it's worth double-checking your tonearm's counterweight and anti-skate settings when installing it, since a setup dialed in for a heavier tracking cartridge won't automatically carry over.

More Info

Why the Ortofon 2M Bronze Stands Out

Buyer's Guide

Who It's For

• The Detail-Oriented Listener: wants to hear more of what's cut into the inner grooves of a record than an elliptical stylus retrieves.
• The Record Collector: values the Bronze's lower tracking force to reduce wear on records played repeatedly.
• The 2M Blue Owner Considering a Step Up: wants a clear jump in stylus technology within the same cartridge family.

How It Compares

Where the 2M Blue's nude elliptical stylus improves on the 2M Red's standard elliptical, the 2M Bronze moves to a nude Fine Line profile entirely, widening the stylus's contact area with the groove wall for even more detail retrieval and a step up in channel separation to 26dB from the Blue's 25dB. The Bronze's recommended tracking force also drops to 1.5 grams from 1.8 grams on the Red and Blue, so its tonearm setup needs its own dial-in rather than reusing settings from lower models.