Originally Posted by
Barry
There is no connection, apart from both being Danish companies. The fixed-coil generator of the Ortofon cartridges used a principle called "variable magnetic shunt", whereby the motion of the stylus modulates the reluctance of the magnetic 'circuit', and hence the flux threading the fixed coils. B&O cartridges also modulate the magnetic reluctance, but by different mechanical means: best classified as 'moving iron'.
It's been a long time since I gave my B&O SP6 a spin, so cannot really comment on how the sound compares with that of an SPU, or any of the early Ortofon cartridges (such as the SL15E or the S15TE (with integral transformer)).