Wakefield Turntables
15-10-2022, 18:25
This post was partly inspired by a very kind loan from Jimbo (Jim) of a Ortofon 2M Black MM cartridge and partly to try and generate a little new content for the forum. I'd been slowly, slowly building a "REAL SOUND" system, based on the findings and experiment of Jeff Day over on his Jeffs Place webpage. Jeff's system had been partly based around Duelund components and how some of the Japanese Audiophiles had gone nuts over old Western Electric tinned copper for interconnects and speaker cables. I emulated Jeffs idea with a modest system of my own and I intended the system to be something of a review system for old/interesting vintage/new MM carts. An idea for an experiment occured one evening and put simply both myself and Jim had to review the Ortofon 2M Black using a wide variety of music and then swap our reviewing notes to see what we both thought. This experiment was completely for fun, no ulterior motives. We had no time limit and neither of us had any idea of what music was being reviewed by the other. You have to remember that neither of us had any idea what the other was doing or reviewing, we also used two completely different systems. Here are my findinds, I'm sure Jim will be along shortly to further add to our experiment. Please, read, comment and lets start a fun thread...:cool:
I make no apologies for spelling or grammatical error.
SYSTEM
Radford SC25 Pre-amp (MULLARD 8317 fully loaded)
Italian no-name 300B amp - That's as much as I know about it's origin!
EAR 834P (Clone) - Modded to the hind-teeth and fully loaded with Mullard 8317's)
Heybrook TT2 + Alphason Solo Arm + Ortofon 2M Black cartridge
IMF Supercompact II speakers - Fully rebuilt and refurbished by myself
Wiring - All IC's, tonearm cables, speaker cables - DUELUND "REAL SOUND" Western Electric copy.
The Heybrook TT2 had been slightly modded with a Isokinetik PSU, the 2MB cartridge had approx 800 hours on it. The TT2 was running at a steady
33.5 rpm with an old belt.
Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner - Iron Maiden - Original pressing.
Why ? - A comparison old tecnnology mated with new pitched up against of the very best currently available MM's.
- Can the 2MB do Heavy Metal
The M55E presented an anaemic sounding set of vocals. I'm used to hearing a certain amount of snarl in Dickinson's vocals, it was there just not
as much as I'm used to. Vocally, Dickinson was central, but far away and recessed, usually you get him more intimate and a little more in your face. Bass was another problem, muted, punitive, lacking punch and power, just no authority. Nicko McBrain's drumming sounded reasonably well controlled but bass drum was lacking in presentation, cymbals sounded wishy-washy, a confused presentation which sadly was muted and recessed into the background. It's usually very easy to pick out each drum in his kit, Bass, snare, toms, cymbals, not so with the M55E. The M55E was unusually good with surface noise which is something the 2MB couldn't beat. The M55E was optimised with the EAR834 clone phonostage
Let's strap the 2MB back into place.
Less anaemia to vocals which whilst sounded centralised also sounded like him singing in a confined box. The 2MB managed a far more realistic
protrayal of the vocals with powerful output and a well centralised vocal presentation, snarl was restored! The bass on the 2MB compared to the M55E is somthing else. It's probably better to described what the 2MB did because the M55E could not replicate it. Bass was very well controlled, well defined, there is a section where you are simply bathed in bass as it panned from left to right and back again, this extended out forwards of the speakers not quite touching me but definitely a weird 3D holographic feeling. The M55E got nowhere near!! One small section of the song in some rainfall, it was heard quite meekly like a drizzle with the M55e but it sounded like a down pour with the 2MB. Drums became a joy to listen with the ability to easily determine individual pieces of McBrain's kit. The big downside to the 2MB is surface noise. The "Black" range of carts excel on surface noise and this no matter how hard or carefully you set the "black" range of carts, even with the use of a test record and a Fozgo meter!!!
Conclusion - A bit unfair really, a but like putting Del Boy's Robin Reliant up against a Bugatti Veyron SuperSport. Secondly, the 2MB can really,
really do heavy metal, probably better than a lot of MC's.
Why? - Can the 2MB do prog?
- Can the 2MB do percussion?
- Can the 2MB do Intimate male vocals?
The ELP album is one of my favourites and at the same time enabled me to listen to various aspects of the 2MB's abilities. This album has many
parts where note decay is allowed to progress for quite some time, we have some accoustic guitars and piano, note pitch stability was spot on,
decay of the note seemed to last forever in the ether. Carl Palmer's percussion was fast, pacy, precise, crisp, it's as good as I've heard on
any other album. Greg Lakes vocals where spot central in the soundstage, textured and dripping with echo/decay, again very impressive
J.S.Bach - Tocatto and Fugue in D Minor - Karl Ritcher.
Why? - Can the 2MB do really deep bass?
I have only one recording which could test this and it's a classical piece recorded on Readers Digest vinyl! Carl Richter played Bach organ
tocatta and fugue in B minor, this goes as deep as anything I own on vinyl and I'm pleased to say that the 2MB really can do deep bass, again
I think this carts fortee is bass, no matter what type of bass I've tried it's proven to be this carts party trick. Bass on this track can sound
very bloated but the 2MB managed to control this very well indeed. I'm not going to hear Albert Hall levels of deep organ bass reproduction
within the confines of my medium sized listening room more like a small village chapel with the local organ player being allowed to play at full
blast with the doors shut. Great levels of bass in my room, enough to mimic something much larger. Bass was never bloated, just poewerful, deep
and majestic.
Conclusion - Yep, it can plumb very deep indeed.
Kraftwerk - Autobahn
Prodigy - Music for the Jilted Generation
Jean Michelle Jarre - Oxygen
Why? - Can the 2MB do electronica?
Bouyed on by the 2MB's ability to do prog very well I decided to try something a little more specialised. It was time for electronica.
Electronica just didn't sound as sterile as I'm used to. The 2MB did a great job in playing the music, producing a massive wide soundstage, everything had a place with space in the soundstage but that metronic, sterility that I enjoy when listening to this music was missing. The ability to produce a nice sharp edge to every note was lost with the 2MB when trying to transribe electronica, this happened time and again with no matter what I listened to. I've heard electronica being described as metronomic, I'd agree but on this system it was fair to say that Electronica just wasn't electronic enough. I just didn't emotionally click with any on the electronica played on this system. That's not to say that the 2MB can't do electronica well, it just didnot happen on my system. Strangely the 2MB did a reasonably good job of playing Oxygen, wide panoramic vista's, quite etheral in some places, probably the best piece of electronica, this piece is less demanding than the others I tried and may explain why the 2MB fared better?
Conclusion - The 2MB just couldn't raise enough volts!
Michael Jackson - Off The Wall - Epic
Earth Wind & Fire - Raise - CBS
Chic - Tres Chic
Why? - Can the 2MB Boogie with Disco?
Spurred on by the complete flop of advanced electronica I thought I'd try a slightly leftfield choice for my next genre. I decided 70's disco/
funk. I figured I should be in for a treat with the 2MB's cavernous ability to produce bass. I wasn't let down. The bass on Off the Wall by Jackson
was simply sublime, fast, tight, centralised, the bedrock of the soundstage, Drums were fast, snappy, snare was sharp. Synth's, weirdly, sounded
so much better than the electronica I tested. I still have no idea why this can be. Guitar was sharp. The whole soundstage again, wide, and filling
the width of my listening room. The Quincy Jones production was amazing. The Earth Wind & Fire album demonstrated a very similar presentation but this time we had hand claps which sounded like hand claps! Brass stabs which sounded smooth, tight, mmmmm, probably the next area I need to explore, let's see what brass I can find. Finally, the Guv'nors of 70's disco bass and guitar needed to be played and assessed, CHIC BABY! Nile Rodgers andBernard Edwards please make your way to the centre of the soundstage. Bass on the Le Freak track just burbles along, controlled, meaty, centralised, powerful, absolute rock steady. Guitar sounded fresh and accurate and when placed with Bernard Edwards just made the whole thing. I think I can say that emotionally I clicked with this aspect of the 2MB.
Conclusion - Can the 2MB boogie? Err yeah is the simple answer, and very well, in fact it has the biggest medallion, hairiest chest and
widest flares this side of Studio 54.
Comus - First Utterance - Song to Comus
Michael Newman - Classical Guitarist - Chaconne
Leo Keotke - Songs for 6 and 12 string guiatrs - Classic Records 200g
Why? Assess 6-12 string accoustic guitars
The 6 string did sound rather muddied on this track but strangely the 12 string sound vibrant, oodles of timbral decay, very precise straight edged
notes. I wasn't quite sure what to make of this test so I decided to try another couple of albums. This is a direct to disc recording and very imtimate it also majors in timbral detail and nuance. The 2MB did indeed appear to fair better with this recording. I was rewarded with a very imtimate and timbre loaded performance, small details like the strings squeaking, actually being able to hear strings being plucked. The final record was the Classic Records version of the famous Leo Keotke record. The 2MB produced a very similar performance to the Michael Newman recording, the Leo Keotke recording sounded even more vibrant with more energy, greater insight into the timbre, notes seemed to be sustained forever, decay, reverb, echo, all easily detected with this recording. Keotke again sounded centre stage but also way beyound the speakers.
Conclusion - The 2MB can easily replicate accoustic guitars with great vibrancy, energy, and timbral detail. Very good at putting the man on a chair in the middle of the room.
Peggy Lee - Black Coffee - Black Coffee (MONO) - Ace of Hearts.
Cal Tjader - Sessions - S'Wonderful (Chris Conner singing)
Love Walked in (Chris Conner Singing)
Why? -To assess close imtimate female vocals
Both of these recordings are amazing recordings. The Cal Tjader being a live recording whilst the Peggy Lee is studio based. The Black Coffee recording is an excellent example of just how good mono can sound and the 2MB does an amazing job of placing Peggy Lee in front of me. Every single word drips out of this woman's mouth, it's as if time slows when listening to how she articulates her words, they only thing giving it away is the in time drumming. She oozes sex, the eptiomy of sultry where every word is pronounced with crystal clarity. The Sessions album by Cal Tjader has two amazing tracks recorded on size 2 by Chris Connor, this lady is no Peggy Lee but she has plenty of emotion living in her pipes. Both tracks performed by Chris Conner show even more intimacy than the Peggy Lee track, these are very imtimate live performances where you feel very much part of performance. Superb stuff.
Conclusion - The 2MB can easily portray imtimate female vocals and manages to transcribe all the emotion of a close mic'd performance.
Janos Starker - Bach Cello Suites
Why? - Any good at replicating a man sitting in front of you with a Cello?
Live vibrant with cello, lost some detail and vibrancy when compared to SPU Silver Meister II.Plenty of Timbral detail.
Could easily hear fingers on the fret board of the Cello
Conclusion - Good at producing live closely miked performance. Lost some intimicy compared to other cartridges that I have tried.
Deep Purple - Made in Japan Box Set Sweet Child in Time
Why? - Anguish of a man screaming, fret fireworks, intricate control of high guitar treble.
Fireworks, fireworks, fireworks.
Bass drum thumb, echo and decay central soundstage.
Very well controlled high treble despite trying to test it's stridancy with Richard Blackmore solo's.
Visceral, banshee wails.
Conclusion = It can do well controlled high treble. Instrument placement generally very good, this recording can sound a little muddled as it did
here. Overall, impressed considering I'm using aural memory and my notes of how this sounds against a Ortofon Cadenza Black + FG stylus.
Not the last word in emotional bonding but I could detect the anguish in Ian Gillan's vocals. So I guess, test passed, just.
Limitations of the SC II's?
Dream Theatre - Dark Eternal Night
Why? - Killer bass drums, clarity of treble, ability to discern embedded micro detail. Ability to protray a machine gun of notes.
Tried really to produce some of the microdetail that sits in the back ground. Not the last detail but bloody good!
Fast, dynamic, agile, bass like a speeding, uncontrolled juggernaut. Just fast, slamming, dirty bass.
Intricately picked through the notes, just like a machine gun of notes being fired central soundstage.
Real, emotionally bonded with this track, chest thumbing, piloerection, yep, loved this one.
Dream Theater - Lost Not Forgotten
Why? - Extreme test of transcription of densely packed, extremely complex passage of music.
- Pitch control of piano.
Lost but not Forgotten has been a reference track of mine for years it's tests a cartridge ability to disect and place layers and music notes
in a 3D soundstage. So far, every cartridge has failed and this track has just sounded muddied, blurred and too overly complex, this could just be
a facet of the track itself and nothing to do with the cartridges abilities. I'm sorry to say the 2MB fell flat on it's arse, but, even a Ortofon
Cadenza Black + FG stylus can fluff this track. A very brave attempt but I think the 2MB reached it's limits here. This track is in another league
of complexity when compared to Dark Eternal Night. Pitch control was very good. I must admit to being sensitive to this area of vinyl reproduction.
My Heybrook TT2 runs consistantly at 33.5rpm so I could argue my TT was at fault here rather than the 2MB.
Conclusion - The 2MB fell flat on it's arse with extremely complex passages of music, it did however produce very good note stability when listening
to passages of piano/keyboard music.
PROS CONS
Amazing with any bass. Surface noise
A good emotionally transcriber. Can be difficult to set up.
Easily handles complex musical passages. Expensive replacement stylii.
Very good note pitch stability Brutal, exposes poor recordings
Exceptional when given excellent recordings Electronica just wasn't electronic enough
Vivid. Not so good with extremely complex passages of music
Huge, wide, vista of a soundstage.
3D & Holographic
FINAL NOTE
I went through these notes again and I will state that I'm slightly biased in that I'm comparing a cobbled together system up against my reference
system which amongst other things comprises of a SME V with a Ortofon Cadenza Black + FG stylus and Active ATC 50 speakers. I admit, hardly a faircomparison. But then it says something when I compare the 2MB up against a cartridge and system costing many more thousands than the one it's been reviewed in.
I make no apologies for spelling or grammatical error.
SYSTEM
Radford SC25 Pre-amp (MULLARD 8317 fully loaded)
Italian no-name 300B amp - That's as much as I know about it's origin!
EAR 834P (Clone) - Modded to the hind-teeth and fully loaded with Mullard 8317's)
Heybrook TT2 + Alphason Solo Arm + Ortofon 2M Black cartridge
IMF Supercompact II speakers - Fully rebuilt and refurbished by myself
Wiring - All IC's, tonearm cables, speaker cables - DUELUND "REAL SOUND" Western Electric copy.
The Heybrook TT2 had been slightly modded with a Isokinetik PSU, the 2MB cartridge had approx 800 hours on it. The TT2 was running at a steady
33.5 rpm with an old belt.
Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner - Iron Maiden - Original pressing.
Why ? - A comparison old tecnnology mated with new pitched up against of the very best currently available MM's.
- Can the 2MB do Heavy Metal
The M55E presented an anaemic sounding set of vocals. I'm used to hearing a certain amount of snarl in Dickinson's vocals, it was there just not
as much as I'm used to. Vocally, Dickinson was central, but far away and recessed, usually you get him more intimate and a little more in your face. Bass was another problem, muted, punitive, lacking punch and power, just no authority. Nicko McBrain's drumming sounded reasonably well controlled but bass drum was lacking in presentation, cymbals sounded wishy-washy, a confused presentation which sadly was muted and recessed into the background. It's usually very easy to pick out each drum in his kit, Bass, snare, toms, cymbals, not so with the M55E. The M55E was unusually good with surface noise which is something the 2MB couldn't beat. The M55E was optimised with the EAR834 clone phonostage
Let's strap the 2MB back into place.
Less anaemia to vocals which whilst sounded centralised also sounded like him singing in a confined box. The 2MB managed a far more realistic
protrayal of the vocals with powerful output and a well centralised vocal presentation, snarl was restored! The bass on the 2MB compared to the M55E is somthing else. It's probably better to described what the 2MB did because the M55E could not replicate it. Bass was very well controlled, well defined, there is a section where you are simply bathed in bass as it panned from left to right and back again, this extended out forwards of the speakers not quite touching me but definitely a weird 3D holographic feeling. The M55E got nowhere near!! One small section of the song in some rainfall, it was heard quite meekly like a drizzle with the M55e but it sounded like a down pour with the 2MB. Drums became a joy to listen with the ability to easily determine individual pieces of McBrain's kit. The big downside to the 2MB is surface noise. The "Black" range of carts excel on surface noise and this no matter how hard or carefully you set the "black" range of carts, even with the use of a test record and a Fozgo meter!!!
Conclusion - A bit unfair really, a but like putting Del Boy's Robin Reliant up against a Bugatti Veyron SuperSport. Secondly, the 2MB can really,
really do heavy metal, probably better than a lot of MC's.
Why? - Can the 2MB do prog?
- Can the 2MB do percussion?
- Can the 2MB do Intimate male vocals?
The ELP album is one of my favourites and at the same time enabled me to listen to various aspects of the 2MB's abilities. This album has many
parts where note decay is allowed to progress for quite some time, we have some accoustic guitars and piano, note pitch stability was spot on,
decay of the note seemed to last forever in the ether. Carl Palmer's percussion was fast, pacy, precise, crisp, it's as good as I've heard on
any other album. Greg Lakes vocals where spot central in the soundstage, textured and dripping with echo/decay, again very impressive
J.S.Bach - Tocatto and Fugue in D Minor - Karl Ritcher.
Why? - Can the 2MB do really deep bass?
I have only one recording which could test this and it's a classical piece recorded on Readers Digest vinyl! Carl Richter played Bach organ
tocatta and fugue in B minor, this goes as deep as anything I own on vinyl and I'm pleased to say that the 2MB really can do deep bass, again
I think this carts fortee is bass, no matter what type of bass I've tried it's proven to be this carts party trick. Bass on this track can sound
very bloated but the 2MB managed to control this very well indeed. I'm not going to hear Albert Hall levels of deep organ bass reproduction
within the confines of my medium sized listening room more like a small village chapel with the local organ player being allowed to play at full
blast with the doors shut. Great levels of bass in my room, enough to mimic something much larger. Bass was never bloated, just poewerful, deep
and majestic.
Conclusion - Yep, it can plumb very deep indeed.
Kraftwerk - Autobahn
Prodigy - Music for the Jilted Generation
Jean Michelle Jarre - Oxygen
Why? - Can the 2MB do electronica?
Bouyed on by the 2MB's ability to do prog very well I decided to try something a little more specialised. It was time for electronica.
Electronica just didn't sound as sterile as I'm used to. The 2MB did a great job in playing the music, producing a massive wide soundstage, everything had a place with space in the soundstage but that metronic, sterility that I enjoy when listening to this music was missing. The ability to produce a nice sharp edge to every note was lost with the 2MB when trying to transribe electronica, this happened time and again with no matter what I listened to. I've heard electronica being described as metronomic, I'd agree but on this system it was fair to say that Electronica just wasn't electronic enough. I just didn't emotionally click with any on the electronica played on this system. That's not to say that the 2MB can't do electronica well, it just didnot happen on my system. Strangely the 2MB did a reasonably good job of playing Oxygen, wide panoramic vista's, quite etheral in some places, probably the best piece of electronica, this piece is less demanding than the others I tried and may explain why the 2MB fared better?
Conclusion - The 2MB just couldn't raise enough volts!
Michael Jackson - Off The Wall - Epic
Earth Wind & Fire - Raise - CBS
Chic - Tres Chic
Why? - Can the 2MB Boogie with Disco?
Spurred on by the complete flop of advanced electronica I thought I'd try a slightly leftfield choice for my next genre. I decided 70's disco/
funk. I figured I should be in for a treat with the 2MB's cavernous ability to produce bass. I wasn't let down. The bass on Off the Wall by Jackson
was simply sublime, fast, tight, centralised, the bedrock of the soundstage, Drums were fast, snappy, snare was sharp. Synth's, weirdly, sounded
so much better than the electronica I tested. I still have no idea why this can be. Guitar was sharp. The whole soundstage again, wide, and filling
the width of my listening room. The Quincy Jones production was amazing. The Earth Wind & Fire album demonstrated a very similar presentation but this time we had hand claps which sounded like hand claps! Brass stabs which sounded smooth, tight, mmmmm, probably the next area I need to explore, let's see what brass I can find. Finally, the Guv'nors of 70's disco bass and guitar needed to be played and assessed, CHIC BABY! Nile Rodgers andBernard Edwards please make your way to the centre of the soundstage. Bass on the Le Freak track just burbles along, controlled, meaty, centralised, powerful, absolute rock steady. Guitar sounded fresh and accurate and when placed with Bernard Edwards just made the whole thing. I think I can say that emotionally I clicked with this aspect of the 2MB.
Conclusion - Can the 2MB boogie? Err yeah is the simple answer, and very well, in fact it has the biggest medallion, hairiest chest and
widest flares this side of Studio 54.
Comus - First Utterance - Song to Comus
Michael Newman - Classical Guitarist - Chaconne
Leo Keotke - Songs for 6 and 12 string guiatrs - Classic Records 200g
Why? Assess 6-12 string accoustic guitars
The 6 string did sound rather muddied on this track but strangely the 12 string sound vibrant, oodles of timbral decay, very precise straight edged
notes. I wasn't quite sure what to make of this test so I decided to try another couple of albums. This is a direct to disc recording and very imtimate it also majors in timbral detail and nuance. The 2MB did indeed appear to fair better with this recording. I was rewarded with a very imtimate and timbre loaded performance, small details like the strings squeaking, actually being able to hear strings being plucked. The final record was the Classic Records version of the famous Leo Keotke record. The 2MB produced a very similar performance to the Michael Newman recording, the Leo Keotke recording sounded even more vibrant with more energy, greater insight into the timbre, notes seemed to be sustained forever, decay, reverb, echo, all easily detected with this recording. Keotke again sounded centre stage but also way beyound the speakers.
Conclusion - The 2MB can easily replicate accoustic guitars with great vibrancy, energy, and timbral detail. Very good at putting the man on a chair in the middle of the room.
Peggy Lee - Black Coffee - Black Coffee (MONO) - Ace of Hearts.
Cal Tjader - Sessions - S'Wonderful (Chris Conner singing)
Love Walked in (Chris Conner Singing)
Why? -To assess close imtimate female vocals
Both of these recordings are amazing recordings. The Cal Tjader being a live recording whilst the Peggy Lee is studio based. The Black Coffee recording is an excellent example of just how good mono can sound and the 2MB does an amazing job of placing Peggy Lee in front of me. Every single word drips out of this woman's mouth, it's as if time slows when listening to how she articulates her words, they only thing giving it away is the in time drumming. She oozes sex, the eptiomy of sultry where every word is pronounced with crystal clarity. The Sessions album by Cal Tjader has two amazing tracks recorded on size 2 by Chris Connor, this lady is no Peggy Lee but she has plenty of emotion living in her pipes. Both tracks performed by Chris Conner show even more intimacy than the Peggy Lee track, these are very imtimate live performances where you feel very much part of performance. Superb stuff.
Conclusion - The 2MB can easily portray imtimate female vocals and manages to transcribe all the emotion of a close mic'd performance.
Janos Starker - Bach Cello Suites
Why? - Any good at replicating a man sitting in front of you with a Cello?
Live vibrant with cello, lost some detail and vibrancy when compared to SPU Silver Meister II.Plenty of Timbral detail.
Could easily hear fingers on the fret board of the Cello
Conclusion - Good at producing live closely miked performance. Lost some intimicy compared to other cartridges that I have tried.
Deep Purple - Made in Japan Box Set Sweet Child in Time
Why? - Anguish of a man screaming, fret fireworks, intricate control of high guitar treble.
Fireworks, fireworks, fireworks.
Bass drum thumb, echo and decay central soundstage.
Very well controlled high treble despite trying to test it's stridancy with Richard Blackmore solo's.
Visceral, banshee wails.
Conclusion = It can do well controlled high treble. Instrument placement generally very good, this recording can sound a little muddled as it did
here. Overall, impressed considering I'm using aural memory and my notes of how this sounds against a Ortofon Cadenza Black + FG stylus.
Not the last word in emotional bonding but I could detect the anguish in Ian Gillan's vocals. So I guess, test passed, just.
Limitations of the SC II's?
Dream Theatre - Dark Eternal Night
Why? - Killer bass drums, clarity of treble, ability to discern embedded micro detail. Ability to protray a machine gun of notes.
Tried really to produce some of the microdetail that sits in the back ground. Not the last detail but bloody good!
Fast, dynamic, agile, bass like a speeding, uncontrolled juggernaut. Just fast, slamming, dirty bass.
Intricately picked through the notes, just like a machine gun of notes being fired central soundstage.
Real, emotionally bonded with this track, chest thumbing, piloerection, yep, loved this one.
Dream Theater - Lost Not Forgotten
Why? - Extreme test of transcription of densely packed, extremely complex passage of music.
- Pitch control of piano.
Lost but not Forgotten has been a reference track of mine for years it's tests a cartridge ability to disect and place layers and music notes
in a 3D soundstage. So far, every cartridge has failed and this track has just sounded muddied, blurred and too overly complex, this could just be
a facet of the track itself and nothing to do with the cartridges abilities. I'm sorry to say the 2MB fell flat on it's arse, but, even a Ortofon
Cadenza Black + FG stylus can fluff this track. A very brave attempt but I think the 2MB reached it's limits here. This track is in another league
of complexity when compared to Dark Eternal Night. Pitch control was very good. I must admit to being sensitive to this area of vinyl reproduction.
My Heybrook TT2 runs consistantly at 33.5rpm so I could argue my TT was at fault here rather than the 2MB.
Conclusion - The 2MB fell flat on it's arse with extremely complex passages of music, it did however produce very good note stability when listening
to passages of piano/keyboard music.
PROS CONS
Amazing with any bass. Surface noise
A good emotionally transcriber. Can be difficult to set up.
Easily handles complex musical passages. Expensive replacement stylii.
Very good note pitch stability Brutal, exposes poor recordings
Exceptional when given excellent recordings Electronica just wasn't electronic enough
Vivid. Not so good with extremely complex passages of music
Huge, wide, vista of a soundstage.
3D & Holographic
FINAL NOTE
I went through these notes again and I will state that I'm slightly biased in that I'm comparing a cobbled together system up against my reference
system which amongst other things comprises of a SME V with a Ortofon Cadenza Black + FG stylus and Active ATC 50 speakers. I admit, hardly a faircomparison. But then it says something when I compare the 2MB up against a cartridge and system costing many more thousands than the one it's been reviewed in.