Yes. YES! Now, I am no audiophile (but I play one on TV;-). Definitely could hear quite a difference in definition and ambiance. Not kidding. Pink Floyd-The Wall (second US pressing PROMO) had better bass, higher highs, and the mids seemed more perfectly balanced than with the stock AT120 cart. I did not expect that much of a difference, and mainly upgraded so I could use/convert the AT cartridge to play old Victrola 78 RPM disks I have. But, wow! I am impressed. I properly aligned it using a Technics needle gauge tool and a Sleeve City cartridge alignment protractor. Definitely recommend the latter, as it is an easy and very quick way to get the cartridge set properly. A Riverstone Audio Precision Turntable Stylus Tracking Force Pressure Gauge is nice to have too.....

This replaced the OEM headshell + cartridge on my Audio-Technica AT-LP120 USB. My ears have been around for 64 yrs and have been through a fair amount of abuse, but I'm impressed with the noticeably cleaner/clearer sound I'm hearing with it, particularly the crisper high end response. Bass is very solid, powerful, seems more precise. My amp/speaker setup is far from audiophile quality (a Logitech 2.1 system, highly regarded but it's still just a 2.1 system), but the 2M Red makes itself known even in this environment.

Buying the headshell + cartridge bundle costs a little more than just the cartridge, but (1) saves me the installation hassle of swapping out cartridges in my OEM headshell and (2) leaves me with a spare headshell and cartridge (the originals that this replaced) so I can easily swap if I want to, get a cartridge suitable for 78s, who knows. Besides, the red Ortofon headshell looks spiffy and that's surely worth something.

If you have a similar Technics/Technics clone turntable, pick up a Technics Needle Gauge Adjustment doohickey (a technical term) to go along with this. It's a piece of plastic that helps you position the cartridge correctly in the headshell and you need to do that. It's cheap, available on Amazon and easy to use (check out YouTube for how-to videos).

I don't usually write reviews, however with this particular package I feel compelled to do so. First off the Ortofon 2M cartridge is in my opinion the best on the market today for the money. It tracks smoothly and really picks up the mids and has excellent tonality through out. If you really want to amp it up there is a good in the cartridge body that can be filled ( I prefer modeling clay) this gives the cartridge the added weight on the elliptical needle to cancel out any small needle vibration making it rock solid. Well worth the $ on my Fluance turntable. The head shell is another matter it is thin TOO light and is basically a stamped, bent price of aluminium. There is no formidable structure to it, this leaves the head shell prone to twist and vibration. The weight of this head shell is so light that no matter what you run the counter balance at it floats across the LP so badly that every album will sound as if the volume is fluctuating. I would certainly recommend the 2M Red, just make sure it will fit your existing head shell first, then get an alignment protractor and you're off to the races...... this cartridge will make you from form ear to ear.

I bought this cartridge and headshell with high hopes but small expectations. How could this tiny little piece make my entry-level turntable sound better? Well boy was I surprised! Here are my thoughts after a few days of listening.

Product Quality - The build quality of this cartridge/headshell combo is great. It doesn't feel cheap at all and for the price it's more premium than I imagined it would be.

Installation - How simple! It took about 2 seconds and maybe I got lucky but the alignment with my protractor was spot on. I only needed to adjust the counter-weight to 1.8g and it was good to go!

Sound Quality - Let's face it this is why you bought this thing and I will say it WOWed me. My vinyl sounds so much cleaner, the lows are lower the highs are higher and maybe I don't "hear" as well as some but I am not getting the over brightness that some people have mentioned. I don't have the vocabulary to properly articulate my point here but everything seems to be more enunciated, the vocals more clear, the separation of the instruments are more defined. For the price this was a STEAL!

I am extremely happy with my purchase! I would absolutely but it again and if you are on the fence about it, trust me its worth every dime!

I have an Audio Technica LP 1240 turntable that I purchased to replace a Fluance RT 81 that I sent back for a refund because I was not happy with is at all (see my review on that). Anyway, the LP 1240 comes with a headshell, but no cartridge. I had a near new AT 95E that I installed and it was ok. But I wanted to try something different, so I started reading some of the reviews on the Ortofon 2M Red, and even though it is the lowest priced in the Ortofon line and considered a "bottom" tier cartridge, I decided to try one. Man, am I glad I did. It is leaps and bounds better than the AT 95E. These 66 year old ears noticed the difference right away. The bass is deeper, the midrange is clean, and the highs are clear and sharp (but not bright as some reviewers have stated). I can't wait for it to be properly broken in. It will sound fantastic!! And the nice thing about this is that if I eventually want to upgrade to the 2M Blue, Bronze, or Black, all I have to do is buy the stylus since the cartridge bodies are the same. What more could you ask for. These Ortofons are the way to go.