ortofon VMs20ii or OM2 red?

[seoirse2002]

Hi Guys...
Need the help of those who have been there....which would you say is better...
Ortofon VMS20 or OM2 red?:scratch:

[seoirse2002]

Anyone?
I want to use on my michell with unipivot arm...and dont know which one would be more suited...the vintage VMS20 or the OM2 Red

[AlfaGTV]

In my most personal opinion, pickups are one product that has really evolved since CD took over. The 2M Red is an excellent music maker, needs to be correctly mounted though. Very sensitive to VTA misalignnment!
Regards Mike

[seoirse2002]

In my most personal opinion, pickups are one product that has really evolved since CD took over. The 2M Red is an excellent music maker, needs to be correctly mounted though. Very sensitive to VTA misalignnment!
Regards Mike

Thanks Mike,
Kind of thought that,as thats whats on it at the moment,and it sounds fine,so you dont think there is any"magic" in the vms20 I may be missing?:)

[synsei]

IIRC the VMS20 stylus is pretty trick and is nude mounted whereas the stylus in the OM2 Red is a basic elliptical and is a bonded item. I'd say give the VMSS20 a listen. One thing I can say for certain is that the 20e will not sound as bright at the top end.

[Gromit]

One thing I can say for certain is that the 20e will not sound as bright at the top end.

This can be very system dependant though - I had a VMS20 many years ago and its was extremely bright. Reason being is that it was highly sensitive to input capacitance on the phonostage/arm leads, and in fact Ortofon sold a small capacitor (known as the 'CAP210') which clipped onto the cartridge's terminals. This raised the cap level enough (Orto's of the day needed around 400pf) to tame any excessive brightness. Good quality nude elliptical tip and a lovely old cartridge though, needs a low(ish) mass arm to work well, tracking at or around 1g (give or take a tenth or 2).

[Beobloke]

As others have said, the VMS20 is a very nice sounding cartridge when in the right arm and loaded properly - certainly the one I have works a treat in my Toshiba SR-510C.

That said, the 2M Red is a very fine cartridge and I don't think you'll be gaining anything by swapping to the VMS.

[synsei]

This can be very system dependant though - I had a VMS20 many years ago and its was extremely bright. Reason being is that it was highly sensitive to input capacitance on the phonostage/arm leads, and in fact Ortofon sold a small capacitor (known as the 'CAP210') which clipped onto the cartridge's terminals. This raised the cap level enough (Orto's of the day needed around 400pf) to tame any excessive brightness. Good quality nude elliptical tip and a lovely old cartridge though, needs a low(ish) mass arm to work well, tracking at or around 1g (give or take a tenth or 2).

That's interesting Richard. My one experience using a 20e was in an old Sony belt drive deck (I forget which) running into a similar vintage Sony TA73 amp which in turn was driving a pair of Videoton Minimax 2's. It sounded lovely if a little rolled off at the top end.

[DSJR]

I'd say 2M Red, since the VMS20 is around 40 years old and the squidgy bass and spiky top (without Cap210 fitted) really shows nowadays.

The 520/VM Red and OM20 are good alternatives if you can find them at the right price...

[Gromit]

That's interesting Richard. My one experience using a 20e was in an old Sony belt drive deck (I forget which) running into a similar vintage Sony TA73 amp which in turn was driving a pair of Videoton Minimax 2's. It sounded lovely if a little rolled off at the top end.

Dare say the cartridge was 'seeing' quite a high capacitance in that case. I'm not sure if the CAP210 was introduced as a consequence of many folk finding the VMS20 bright, or if it was brought out just in case the cartridge was bright from the get-go, Orfofon realising that their cartridge needed around 400pf to work as designed.

Great wee speakers those Minimax 2's - I saw a pair of GB3's (the MM2's successors) were up for sale on eBay recently. :)

I believe Analogue Seduction (amongst a few others perhaps?) stock new stylii for the VMS but I'm not sure if these are NOS or newly-manufactured. Methinks the former. :scratch: They're 100 quid aswell...I remember paying itro 30 quid for my VMS20E when new. Happy days. :)

[synsei]

I think you must be correct about the capacitance Richard. I loved those Minimax's and I very much regret letting them go. The only reason I sold them was due to them having cone tweeters. Back in the 80's I got it into my head that speakers with cone tweeters were lo-fi. I was such a berk back then... :lol:

[Gromit]

I was such a berk back then... :lol:

We've all been there Dave - and sometimes I think I still am. :mental: hey ho :D

[DSJR]

Just spent some time listening to my M20FL Super, which isn't as stodgy as the VMS 20 or 30 I have. The £25 Rega carbon annihilates it in every area except the treble and even then it's closer than I dare admit!!!!!!!