Ortofon 2M Red Pre-Mounted on SH-4 Headshell

The 2M Red, Ready to Play

This is the Ortofon 2M Red pre-mounted and aligned on a quality Ortofon SH-4 headshell, so it's ready to play the moment it arrives. If your tonearm takes a detachable headshell, you skip the fiddly job of mounting and aligning a cartridge yourself, just clip it on, set the tracking force, and enjoy the 2M Red's open, warm sound.

Why You'll Love It

• Ready to fit, no alignment: The 2M Red comes professionally mounted and aligned on the SH-4 headshell, so you avoid the tricky, time-consuming job of positioning a bare cartridge. Clip it onto your tonearm and you're playing.

• A quality headshell included: The Ortofon SH-4 is a solid, well-made universal headshell, so you're getting a complete, balanced front end ready for a detachable-headshell tonearm.

• The 2M Red's sound: An elliptical stylus and Ortofon's split pole pins deliver open, dynamic sound with a slight touch of warmth, the all-purpose cartridge fitted to so many turntables as standard.

Under the Hood

• Elliptical diamond stylus: A tipped elliptical diamond traces the groove more accurately than the conical styli on cheaper cartridges, pulling more detail from your records with lower distortion.

• Ortofon SH-4 headshell: A rigid, precision universal headshell (bayonet mount) that suits the vast majority of tonearms with a detachable headshell.

• Pre-aligned and balanced: Mounted at the correct overhang and angle, with a total pre-mounted weight of 16.7g, so setup is limited to tracking force and anti-skate.

CHT Insider Verdict

This is the easiest way to put a 2M Red on a turntable with a detachable headshell. You pay a little more than the bare cartridge, but you get a quality SH-4 headshell and skip the alignment. If your tonearm has a fixed headshell, or you're happy to mount and align it yourself, buy the standard 2M Red. And if you want more detail and resolution, the 2M Blue on SH-4 is the step up.

Pro Tip: Before you buy, check your tonearm has a removable (bayonet-type) headshell, the kind you unclip and twist off. If it's fixed, like on a Rega, you'll want the standard 2M Red.