Ortofon 2M Black LVB 250
High-end MM cartridge from Ortofon, fitted with a Nude Shibata diamond on a boron cantilever, designed for demanding turntables.
Description
The 2M Black LVB 250 is a moving magnet (MM) cartridge from Ortofon, designed as an evolution of the 2M Black model. It is intended to be fitted to a tonearm for playing vinyl records, with a standard MM phono connection and an output voltage of 5 mV.
The stylus uses a Nude Shibata diamond mounted on a boron cantilever, a combination also used on the Cadenza Black MC cartridge. This fine, polished tip profile offers an extended contact area with the groove walls, which favours detailed reproduction across the entire spectrum, including at high frequencies. The cartridge has a frequency response of 20 to 20,000 Hz (+2/-1 dB) and a frequency range extending up to 31,000 Hz. The coil is made from silver-plated OFC copper wire, and the body, in Lexan DMX, incorporates a nano-particle-loaded rubber compound (MWCNT). The recommended tracking force is 16 mN (1.6 g), within an allowed range of 15 to 17 mN, with a stylus compliance of 22 µm/mN.
- DC resistance: 1.2 kOhm, Inductance: 630 mH
- Recommended load resistance: 47 kOhm, Recommended load capacitance: 150-300 pF
- Weight: 7.2 g, Height: 18 mm
This model is aimed at vinyl enthusiasts fitted with a light- to medium-mass tonearm, seeking an MM cartridge capable of delivering a high level of detail, close to the brand's MC references, without changing phono circuit topology.
Technical specifications
| Cartridge type | MM (moving magnet) |
| Output voltage | 5 mV |
| Amplifier connection | MM phono |
| Channel deviation at 1 kHz | 1 dB |
| Channel separation at 1 kHz | 27 dB |
| Channel separation at 15 kHz | 15 dB |
| Frequency range | 20-31,000 Hz |
| Frequency response | 20-20,000 Hz +2/-1 dB |
| Tracing ability at 315 Hz | 80 µm |
| Stylus compliance | 22 µm/mN |
| Recommended tonearm type | light and medium mass |
| Diamond | Shibata, nude |
| Radius (r/R) | 6/50 µm |
| Tracking force range | 15-17 mN (1.5-1.7 g) |
| Recommended tracking force | 16 mN (1.6 g) |
| Tracing angle | 20 degrees |
| DC resistance | 1.2 kOhm |
| Inductance | 630 mH |
| Recommended load resistance | 47 kOhm |
| Recommended load capacitance | 150-300 pF |
| Housing material | Lexan DMX |
| Height (excl. PnP MkII) | 18 mm |
| Weight | 7.2 g |
What to check before buying used
The Nude Shibata diamond is the most fragile part of this cartridge: check that it is neither worn nor chipped, and ask if possible for the number of hours of use or the purchase year to estimate its wear. The very fine boron cantilever can be bent by an impact, resulting in off-centre sound or distortion on one channel. A replacement stylus exists for this model (Stylus 2M Black LVB 250): if there is any doubt about the condition of the tip, it can be replaced without changing the whole cartridge.
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