Could you show some results? The original question was, if a change from the red to the blue would make a difference with presumably elder records. I like vinyl, because I grew up with it. Anyway, I question the benefit of an optimized system--and compared to a mere streaming DAC is is a literal "system" to the user in its own right, considering the cost, when compared to the sound quality delivered by even the worst digital equipment. Objectively--objective as in "money".
In short: welcome to vinyl, but don't start the spending as if it were 40y (uups: 50y) back
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For sound-bites, try Lowbeats.de (you may need a translator for the text). They don't seem to do detailed objective testing now, but a few years ago, some of the AT VM95 and VM500/VM700 range and also, the Ortofon 2M models, were given full tech testing and soundbites were posted.
The 2M range is a better-body update I believe, on the Super OM range that came before (and the 500 range which never seemed as popular in the UK sadly). I'd suggest the 2M Red is a Super OM10/510mk2 level, the Blue roughly OM20/520mk2* and the Bronze, a livelier sounding version (for whatever reason) of the OM30/530mk2.
In Ortofon's case, the outer mounting body really does seem to make some difference and the OM body did have slight upper hundred Hz resonances which came through in all the HiFi Choice tests done at the time forty years back (worldradiohistory UK page has links to all the early 'Choice books). The 500 series from the early 90s (?) attempted to sort this with a solid body style and the mk2 versions reduced the compliance to allow 1.5g tracking forces I recall from chats with the then Ortofon rep.
I like the 2M Red and love the 2M Bronze, which is slightly 'snappier sounding' than my slightly 'genteel-toned' Super OM30 here. I also have a 520mk2 and a pal who bought and tried to tame a 2M Blue, confirmed that both have a slightly 'wild' sonic character at hf, bordering on excess if one's tweeters are not refined or that well balanced. yes I know, it's all subjective, but I share anyway. The OM20 was a well balanced all-rounder I remember
I like my vinyl ideally to be neutral to lively, rather than dull and ploddy as say, Rega's previous generation of Rega-made MM types were (I have a low hours original Elys here to confirm, accepting they did improve a tiny bit over the years). Their posher-made current ND models are now routinely supplied and fitted (I think) to decks from the factory and, according to a trusted pal currently using a Planar 3 and ND3, said this cartridge model needs a few LP sides to settle down (accepting he's also getting used to it) but still has the 'relaxed' mid-hf region of the Elys2 and Exact2, but clearer than previously. £200 for a bonded elliptical is a bit much I feel, no matter how well the diamond is ground, polished and set and how neatly the hand-set cartridge internals are these days.
The AT VM540 and VM740 are seemingly the same internals and both share the same stylus assembly. The responses are slightly different in the Lowbeats review, despite using the same stylus I gather, the 740 having a slightly more relaxed hf response which shows in the sound-bites, so not imagined or irrelevant. The VMx740 looks to be fifty quid cheaper than its immediate predecessor and if basically the same as its predecessor (the metallic mount has had its tail tweaked by the looks of things), should be an absolute bargain I reckon.
Loads more I could try to add (with sincere apologies), but pickup cartridges do first rely on a decent stylus profile as long as it doesn't interfere with electrical and mechanical 'things' in the rest of the design. Vintage Shures were a huge compromise of resonances and electrical characteristics, carefully optimised for a good end result. This is why, I suspect, the otherwise excellent Jico replacements usually seem to change the tonal balance from the original (more hf is better, right?)
