Yip, I'm keen to avoid that. I had an Ortofon 2M Black and it was very unforgiving, of everything really! Alignment not perfect, feck you. Record not perfect, feck you! I can't be bothered with that any more. I want to pick the music I listen to, not have it picked by the damn cartridge.
I'll take the Exact over the Black or cartridges like it any day. I don't care if it's half the price, I think the Exact is the better cartridge. The 2M Black makes you think it's a great cartridge. The Exact makes you think it's great music.
I think the Exact and Ania Pro both use a Vital tip. It feels like the Exact is a bit rolled off at the top which might make it more forgiving? Guessing.
What I want is a Super-Exact! :0)
Ortofon Compatibility with Rega brand TT/TA:
REGA brand cartridges’ height from stylus tip to the top cartridge mounting surface is lower than standard. Therefore you would need spacers to ensure the correct set-up of the Ortofon cartridge.
Adjusting the height of your Rega tonearm is easy with Acoustic Signature's Spacer Set. It allows you to adjust the height from 0.5 mm to 3.5 mm in precise steps of 0.5 mm - without removing the tone arm. Simply loosen the screws, insert the AS-spacer, then lock the screws back down, and you're tonearm is ready to play.
3.2 - 4 mm spacers should be enough for 2M cartridge.
2 - 3 mm spacers should be enough for Quintet cartridge.
Arm height adjustment is not VTA adjustment in strict definition. The term "VTA" should be applied for cartridge proper in stereophonic use: i.e. against vertical component of modulation.
The object of height adjustment at arm is simply to make cartridge mounting face parallel to record/turntable (the height of cartridge body is ranging usually between 15-20mm). Height adjustment +/-5mm with same VTF cannot change effective VTA/SRA on cartridge essentially (for example: max +/-1.3degrees at lateral effective length of arm 220mm). Meanwhile there is a funny tweak term "Tail down or up" of arm as often called by amateurs. Its geometric and dynamic difference if any might be a matter of static balancing arm (VTF by shifting counter weight) and not the cartridge nor record.
The Ortofon 2M Black has a Shibata line contact stylus. This stylus profile requires accurate alignment or it will audibly distort. The Ortofon 2M range of cartridges has a stylus to mounting surface distance of 18.00mm. Rega arms cannot be adjusted for height and rely upon a common Rega cartridge fixed stylus/mounting surface of less than this (14.00mm). Therefore correct VTA/SRA cannot be achieved with taller cartridges. Unfortunately the 2mm shims that Rega sell are not a complete answer due to the variations in manufacturing tolerances of the stylus/cantilever interface ( at best plus or minus 2 degrees). Fine adjustment by ear is therefore required.
Roy Gandy's concept that rigidity trumps correct alignment dates from the early 1970s when fine line stylus profiles did not exist ( I am in any case sceptical about Gandy's justification as I believe it simply reflects that he could not engineer a reasonably rigid yet adjustable arm mount for the entry level price of his arms at that time - I cannot think of any other reputable arm manufacturer that has since followed his concept).
Later complex stylus profile designs mean that although ultimate arm rigidity may provide more information, the lack of correct alignment accuracy means that this information will be distorted. Any hands on experience of a misaligned Shibata or similar stylus profile with an adjustable arm will easily demonstrate the problem. Unfortunately the fixed Rega arm height means Azimuth / Sra that it is not possible to compare correct alignment against misalignment.
So my advice is either to modify your Rega to accommodate a VTA (SRA) adjuster, to look at cartridges with a simpler stylus profile than the Black and/or find a cartridge that is 14.00mm high.
VTA (biglobe.ne.jp)
How to Measure Dynamic Stylus Rake Angle Webinar - YouTube