Ortofon Red/Pro-ject Carbon Debut combination; rolled off hi-frequencies. Solutions?

It's funny how many useless things people are ready to do, before they are realizing the weak point is the cartridge. 

I've been experimenting with about 20 cartridges on average turntable like SL1200mkII (not my reference turntable) with relatively cheap phono stage. A good cartridge is ALWAYS better than average cartridge on stock turntable without any tweks with cables, footers, fancy headshells, mats, clamps etc. This is a nature of the cartridge - the only component that actually touch the vinyl media.   

You can not compensate the weak point of the cartridge by cable, footers, mat, clapm etc. You can slightly improve the details and clarity, but a better cartridge will be better without all that tweks on your stock turntable. I've noticed than many times. 

The tweaks are ok AFTER you got the right cartrige for yourself (for your ears, not for the ears of reviewer online).  

Chakster makes valid points. Adding a $150 cable to compensate for a $100 cartridge is daft. That is why I suggested a $10 cable of known quantity.

Thanks again for your valued input, guys. Just an update on my progress after re-calibration of the Pro-ject Carbon SB/Ortofon Red combo...

The VTA was rechecked and is as close to perfect as possible, azmuth is also 5x5, as is the stylus angle. The table balance was checked with a precision Starrett bubble level throughout the tonearm arc and it couldn't be better. The only tweak required was a very minor (less than a 10%) correction to the cartridge alignment using a Baerwald 66/120.89 scale.

I'm incomplete agreement with everyone that says that once the table is properly set up the cartridge is the core of the vinyl playback system. I've run both Supex and Dynavector MC's in my old AR EB101/SME with astonishing results, Signet, Ortofon and Talisman in my old Systemdek, and A/T and Sumiko BPS in my Music Hall MMF 5.1 and been quite satisfied with them. 

I also agree that most of  the new cartridges are not as musical as the older ones. However, time and engineering have raised the peformance of lower price turntables to an acceptable level and a good foundation for hot-rodding. My immediate project is to experiment with vibration isolation with cones and pods, althought the 25 lbs of granite the T'table is resting on isn't likely to yield to much.  My next step is to swap out the cartridge with a conservatively priced (less than $350) unit, based on what I hear (and don't hear) then fine tune the system with a complimentary cable upgrade and probably an outboard phono preamp down the road. My  life's priorities are changing. Being retired and more fiscally practical than in days of yore, dropping 3 Grand on a turntable isn't as enticing as it once was. Besides, my grandaughter is about to enter college and I've got my eye on a new set of Titleist irons and spring is just around the corner.

As to the performance of my Musical Fidelity A3.2...It's fair to say it's more laid back and tubelike in a Conrad Johnson sort of way but I like to listen to music in the manner of Deutche Grammophons' 15th row-center stage playback, but the amp's got buckets of power and could produce blinding sound pressure through my old KEF 104/2s and Mirage sub system. When I would crank up a live rock and roll concert the neighbors ran to their air raid shelters because their sidewalks started buckling. As we used to say back in Detroit..."There is no such thing as too much horsepower..".

@morbius2130aol

My next step is to swap out the cartridge with a conservatively priced (less than $350) unit, based on what I hear (and don’t hear) then fine tune the system with a complimentary cable upgrade and probably an outboard phono preamp down the road.

Right, within your budget (or very close) i would strongly recommend a high compliance Audio-Technica AT-20SLa with genuine 20SL Nude Shibata Stylus (not a bootleg from LPgear). Simply search on audiogon and you will find more about this great MM cartridge from the golden age of Moving Magnets. This cartridge has so many followers here on audiogon. Another cartridge in this price is probably Grace F9E, but the AT20SLa (Shibata) is much better than Elliptical F9E.

Chakster, Ive heard the Ortofon 2M on a AT LP120 Turntable ($350) running through my Manley Chinook phono pre and Jumbo Shirmp linestage with Dynaudio Contour 3.0 speakers driven by a McIntosh MC352. My system is very sensitive to the source and while the 2M red is surely a budget cartridge, its very listenable and to compare the new MM's from Ortofon to a old Stanton.....really is not on the same level at all imo. What were doing now in 2018 with spinning vinyl is leaps and bounds ahead of what we heard in our homes 30-40 years ago, if its not, look to your system!

Matt M