The Ortofon 2M Red Premounted pairs the 2M Red cartridge with the Ortofon SH-4 headshell as a single ready-to-fit assembly, designed to drop straight into S-shaped tonearms with a standard SME-type bayonet connector. The cartridge itself is the same 2M Red entry point to Ortofon's flagship moving magnet range, factory-aligned in the headshell with the leadwires already terminated, removing the need for separate mounting and alignment work.
Entry to the 2M Range
The 2M Red is the first step in Ortofon's 2M series of moving magnet cartridges, sitting below the 2M Blue, 2M Bronze and 2M Black in the hi-fi line, and alongside the 2M 78 specialist. It is supplied as standard fitment on a wide range of mid-priced turntables and is engineered for accurate retrieval of detail from modern 331⁄3 and 45 RPM microgroove records. The 2M Red shares the same engine architecture as the higher models in the family, with upgrades available later by swapping the user-replaceable stylus assembly.
SH-4 Headshell
The supplied SH-4 is Ortofon's universal headshell, machined for cartridges with a half-inch standard mount and finished to match the 2M cartridge body. It uses a four-pin bayonet connector for direct attachment to compatible S-shaped tonearms, with the cartridge already wired and torqued to Ortofon's recommended specification. Total weight of the cartridge and headshell assembly is 16.7 g, suitable for medium-mass tonearms commonly fitted to DJ-style and mid-priced hi-fi turntables.
Construction
The cartridge body is constructed from polymer and aluminium, the same engineering approach used across the wider 2M series. The cantilever is an aluminium tube, and the stylus tip is a tipped elliptical diamond with a contact radius of 8 μm and major radius of 18 μm, suited to all microgroove vinyl. The stylus assembly is user-replaceable.
Tracking and Compatibility
Ortofon recommend a tracking force of 1.8 g, within a permissible range of 1.6 to 2.0 g. Dynamic lateral compliance is rated at 20 μm/mN, making the 2M Red compatible with the majority of medium-mass tonearms. Output voltage of 5.5 mV at 1 kHz is generous within the moving magnet category and matches the input requirements of any standard MM phono stage.