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Test: Ortofon 2m Bronze vs. AT150MLx

Q-E-2

Q-E-2

Active Member
Here I go with another test :)

These two phono cartridges are in the same price range, therefore I thought it'd be fun (and useful) to make a comparison between them :) Everybody knows "Black Cow" so I used it in this test, although this MFSL edition, pressed in Japan, sounds a bit too bright (especially cymbals and vocals). That's just how this record sounds, neither the carts nor any link in the chain (or settings) are to blame. Enjoy! ;D


AT150MLx 192/24 audio sample: https://www.dropbox.com/s/6957q7q9vx982kb/Sample-AT150MLx.wav?dl=0
2m Bronze 192/24 audio sample: https://www.dropbox.com/s/v092ts9qi0wbiyt/Sample-2mBronze.wav?dl=0

If you like, you can vote in the onscreen poll! (top right corner of the screen) :)

:banana::lurk:
 
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Any chance of adding some rather more complex needle drops, such as classical or opera, which give cartridges far more of a test than pop?
 
Tough call i cant vote either way. i have both and love them both equally. i do know that if im cranking AC DC i use the 150mlx to me it has more punch, if im listening to Van Morrison i use the bronze to me its a little more laid back and really sweet with great sound staging. i have the black also if there was a vote between the black and bronze i would vote the bronze and i would vote the 150mlx over the black as well.
 
To my ears, AT150mlx smashes the whole 2m range.

Just listened to Blues Brothers briefcase full of blues album and the sheer energy conveyed by the AT is something that the bronze or black can only aspire to. To my ears anyway.
 
Have you tried Mussrgski's "Pictures at an Exhitibitin", the Telarc (or clone) 1812, or Wagner? The AT may only be sutable for some pretty anaonymous pop/blues/jazz.

My point is this is all so subjective. One person's 'smashing' is another's comfy pillow. That's not mentioning that the system you play it through has a bigger impact on SQ than the cartridge.
 
grottyash said:
Any chance of adding some rather more complex needle drops, such as classical or opera, which give cartridges far more of a test than pop?
Click to expand...

I'll add a classical needle drop in a future test :) Gee, it's hard to please everyone. I chose this song because last time one user suggested me that I used this specific track :p
 
Can't really judge thru my current setup, but I find the intro snare too sharp. It softens later, not sure if that's the Ortofon coming in.
Is your Tascam DA 3000 stock or modded?
Do you have any Nagaoka to compare with?
 
Chrisxo55441 said:
Tough call i cant vote either way. i have both and love them both equally. i do know that if im cranking AC DC i use the 150mlx to me it has more punch, if im listening to Van Morrison i use the bronze to me its a little more laid back and really sweet with great sound staging. i have the black also if there was a vote between the black and bronze i would vote the bronze and i would vote the 150mlx over the black as well.
Click to expand...

Why do you prefer the 150MLX over the Black?

Someone whose ears I trust shares your take on the Bronze and Black.
 
Chrisxo55441 said:
i have the black also if there was a vote between the black and bronze i would vote the bronze and i would vote the 150mlx over the black as well.
Click to expand...
Interesting observation. When I participated in Fremer's 9 cartridge survey I picked the Bronze over the Black as well. Top pick for me though was the AT150ANV, which I wound up buying. Be curious to compare it to the standard issue MLX.
 
I picked the Bronze.

I own an AT150MLX and an OM30. Between the two, the OM30 gets more am time :)
 
Just listening through the video, I prefer the AT, though I admit to having a bias towards the AT sound. Wider stereo separation and a more natural tone is what I hear. The Bronze by contrast sounds pinched...the sax in particular sounds nasal, and the cymbals sound like they're mistracking. Bass is bigger/punchier though, so I can see why people would prefer it.
 
nailer said:
Why do you prefer the 150MLX over the Black?

Someone whose ears I trust shares your take on the Bronze and Black.
Click to expand...

so theres no confusion i do like the 2m black and it is a great cartridge. i like my shure v15vxmr better then the black too and the 150mlx sounds very close to that to me. i thinks its that the black is a little more detailed and picks up more surface noise and i havent really gotten the sound stage i get from the others. i have an OM40 also and its the same way to me they just dont sound as good to me. with the bronze its like the musicians are right in the room with me not so much with the black
 
The bronze sounds flat and congested compared to the 150MLX which has much better air around the instruments, much more stereo separation, making for a more liquid and 3D sound.
 
Bootbox said:
The bronze sounds flat and congested compared to the 150MLX which has much better air around the instruments, much more stereo separation, making for a more liquid and 3D sound.
Click to expand...
+1. Treat it with respect (metal body, boron cantilever, etc.) and that dual magnet will give a moving coil a run for it's money.
 
For me, the 2M Black was even outperformed by OM 20 and by OM 30 with the weight plate. And yes, they do classical very well, including the sound of massed ensembles. And the AT 150MLx for me outperforms Ortofon 2M anything, and I am an Ortofon fan.
 
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