Ortofon SPU-G GM mk2

Well if you are looking for an Ortofon SPU, it is certainly because you read or heard something about it or even listened to an original sample. You might even have a few in stock but there is always space for at least one more.

What can we really say about Ortofon SPU ? Maybe only two words : legendary and addictive.

Legendary because it is one of the first stereo cartridges ever made and it is still there. If it is still there than there must be a special reason. No the Ortofon company is not only building up this unique range of cartridges. They have lots of other much more modern cartridges and they sound great but they do not have the particular sound of these SPU. I guess this sound must be addictive…

Addictive because SPU make music like non others. Rich music, with deep and warm bass, huge dynamic and something special about the midrange that gives you the feeling that when you are listening to voice of Ella,  of Janis, the violin of Oistrakh, or the screaming guitar of Jay Hawkins, or Jimi (Hendrix) : there is indeed something very special happening. We could call it shear musicality, just music. Ortofon  SPU do not do anything else than playing music, not hifi : just MUSIC.

The new range of Ortofon SPU are using a new body made of grinded wood. Prior to that was used aluminium or bakelite. This new material has very positive effect on the sound of these cartridges because of its much better controlled resonance.

The other good thing about Ortofon SPU cartridges is that, as long as your tonearm is set at the correct SME compatible installation distance, you just have to plug in the SPU at the end of it and set the tracking force at 4g. Dead simple isn’t it ?

The Ortofon  are still weighting a hefty 30g, with a low compliance of 8 μm/mN which make them work best with heavy effective mass tonearms like theSchick  tonearm that we also offer in our shop. But they do work well also with medium effective mass tonearm like the Jelco SA-750L. On this particular model Ortofon is using a spherical tip of 18μm which makes it ideal to read records from early stereo pressings to modern ones. Nominal tracking force is at 4g.

If your phono stage does not accept low output moving coil cartridges (0.2mV for this particular SPU), you will need either a step-up or an active device in combination with your cartridge and we can of course help you in these matters.

.