Ortofon 2M Red Verso Moving Magnet Phono Cartridge

Great sound quality - much better range than my old Audio Technica. Difficult to mount on my Thorens head shell. Needed to improvise more than I like to. Deep profile gives minimal clearance so it requires a bit more care when moving the tonearem. But would do it again for this sound.

This little red gem was hard to install on my Thorens TD-160. The headshell screws were too long and protruded through the backside and raised the metallic Thorens emblem. So I had to dremel off the excess. The sound is a very noticeable improvement in accuracy and depth. I was blown away how much better this cart sounded in relation to my Shure MX97E.

I bought many things from Amazon warehouse and they seemed fine and as described with minimal issues, but now it seems that very little attention is paid to what is actually resold. This is the second cartridge with a missing stylus at such an expensive price. The previous buyer probably just kept the stylus part and returned it. I had to return it. I bought another turntable with this installed to try out the difference from installing it myself and it turns out that it is better to just buy it that way than to risk all this hassle.

This is a very good cartridge. It has plenty of great reviews. This version, the Verso, mounts from the bottom. The screws go up into the headshell. That is the way it is done on a Thorens TP16. That is why I got this version, the Verso. The basic 2M Red mounts from the top like most cartridges. There is only one problem. Since the top of the headshell has a decrative plate on it, the screws must be the exact right length. Too short and they will not engage, too long and the screw could make contact and put a dent in the underside of the plate. The screws that were in the cartridge were the wrong diameter. a second set of screws (metric 2 mm) were provided but they were too long. I'm going to get a cartridge that is easier to mount. That is only because I have the Thorens TP16 headshell. Most other headshells would not be such a problem.

Had an older Ortofon that I loved on my Thorens TD-165. Liking my previous Ortofon, this 2M Blue was described as what I was looking for in sound upgrade (I'm not upper-echelon but do appreciate good sound!). This cartridge sounded so good, my wife and I couldn't stop putting on album after album hearing a clarity fullness I had been missing! This was sold via TurnTable Lab which I also use and respect.My only complaint is that the Verso (correctly recommended by Ortofon's website) is supposed to mount to my Thorens. Yet, they only provide 2 screw options which were not correct for my head shell. Fortunately, they did provide an option with the correct thread size - just way too long. Ortofon specifically warns about using screws that are too long and voiding their warranty. 2 delicate sessions with a miniature clamp and Dremel tool finally got me the correct screw length allowing the fun to begin!

I purchased the verso version of the red model specifically for the under mount, bottom up screws required for my Thorens TD160 turntable. It's a really good value cartridge, tracks well and sounds great. I like it as much as the Denon cartridge I had 20 years ago that cost $225, back then.

The media could not be loaded. I installed this on my Thorens TD 145 turntable, and was quite impressed with the definition and clarity offered by this cartridge over the one I had previously used. I thought the cost value was good, it was easy to calibrate and install.

Bolt post are same size & location as needle cartridge w/ holes, held on by cap screws. This is important to know since I could not find the cartridge with bolt posts at all. In my opinion, the sound is excellent.