A short history of early Ortofon pickups

[Marco]

Awesome stuff, Andy!

I'd love to hear that arm and cartridge combo one day, on say a nice Thorens TD-124, or an SP10, in suitable plinths. I can imagine that the results would be stunning!!

Marco.

[BTH K10A]

Awesome stuff, Andy!

I'd love to hear that arm and cartridge combo one day, on say a nice Thorens TD-124, or an SP10, in suitable plinths. I can imagine that the results would be stunning!!

Marco.

I missed out on buying one from a guy whom I purchased some other bits from in america some years ago. He asked me if I wanted an old ESL arm cartridge and SUT for an additional $50. I was unaware of them and their connection to Ortofon at the time and passed on the offer. It was only when the bits I purchsed arrived a few weeks later I found he had included a pic of the ESL. I then realised what it was. When I contacted him it was already sold.

[Barry]

Hi Andy,

We all know that in practice Ortofon cartridges were only available fitted into Type A or Type G shells, but Ortofon at one time mention the use of a third, Type B shell. The illustration in the Ortofon leaflet clearly shows all three, as well as mentioning the overall weight of each version. I’m just curious to know what happened to the Type B shell – perhaps Ortofon found no demand for it, so dropped it.

The designation “G” as used by both Ortofon and later EMT (to denote ‘empty’ headshells: the TSD-G) might be from the Danish “generelt” and the German “generell” for ‘general (purpose)’.


I think you are right about ESL being an American company. My researches found a reference implying it was a Danish company, however I believe this was a misunderstanding; ESL clearly were agents and distributors at that time for Ortofon products in the USA. A similar situation existed here in the UK: SME were reciprocal agents for Shure products; KEF for ADC cartridges and arms and Lowther for Dynavector (then marketed as Ultimo). I believe Radford were at one time agents for B&O cartridges.

Reference is made in the ESL leaflet you show to “Danish hand craftsmanship”. This is the possible source for the misunderstanding that ESL was a Danish company.

It is also likely that ESL obtained a license from Ortofon to manufacture moving-coil cartridges of their own design. It was only after Ortofon’s patents lapsed in the mid ‘70s did we see an explosion of moving coil designs emerge from Japan.

Regards

[BTH K10A]

Hi Barry

I think the B shell you refer to is the AB that has a stlylistic synergy with the Ortofon A212 arm.

I assume it was discontinued along with the arm.

See reply 58 here
http://www.lencoheaven.net/forum/ind...?topic=6812.45

There was an even earlier oval headshell that had a different mounting arrangement but essentially the same Mono A cartridge

[BTH K10A]

Hi Barry

Another little part of the Ortofon/Fonofilm history is Linnet & Laursen (LL). They uses early Ortofon arms and cartridges in their high quality radio / phonograms that were badge engineered with their own logo the double L.

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Linnet & Laursen both previously worked for Bang & Olufsen before setting up their own company. They ceased trading around 1965 so made it into the stereo era but I don't know if they made a stereo phonogram and there were SC or SPU cartridges with their logo.

http://beophile.com/?page_id=2245

Find a few more connections and we'll have six degrees

[Pani]

Friends, I have been longing to hear an SPU for quite some time now. Recently a friend of mine lent me a SL15 ELL to try out in my system and said it is a very close relative to the SPU and hence should sound 'almost' like an SPU. This cart came with its own STM72 step up transformer. Generally I have read that SPUs sounds warm, rolled off, bold, dark and thick (I may be incorrect but thats the general opinion I got by reading). I expected the same from the SL15 ELL BUT it was nothing like that, the SL15 ELL rather sounded very open, clear, extended and uncoloured. It is also quite a fast cartridge with a very nice flow to the music. Compared to my Kontrapunkt B, the SL15 was a little less refined, slightly less macrodynamic and less bass power but it compensated by having a more open sound, better flow and slightly more nuanced than the Kontra !! Wow thats some achievement considering the the Kontrapunkt B is one of the best mid priced Ortofon of recent times and this SL15 is a 40 year old design. Moreover the current age SPUs have progressed a lot (thats what I read) with products like Meister Silver and the likes, does that mean the SPU Royal N should be a huge step up from the SL15 ELL ?

[Barry]

Friends, I have been longing to hear an SPU for quite some time now. Recently a friend of mine lent me a SL15 ELL to try out in my system and said it is a very close relative to the SPU and hence should sound 'almost' like an SPU. This cart came with its own STM72 step up transformer. Generally I have read that SPUs sounds warm, rolled off, bold, dark and thick (I may be incorrect but thats the general opinion I got by reading). I expected the same from the SL15 ELL BUT it was nothing like that, the SL15 ELL rather sounded very open, clear, extended and uncoloured. It is also quite a fast cartridge with a very nice flow to the music. Compared to my Kontrapunkt B, the SL15 was a little less refined, slightly less macrodynamic and less bass power but it compensated by having a more open sound, better flow and slightly more nuanced than the Kontra !! Wow thats some achievement considering the the Kontrapunkt B is one of the best mid priced Ortofon of recent times and this SL15 is a 40 year old design. Moreover the current age SPUs have progressed a lot (thats what I read) with products like Meister Silver and the likes, does that mean the SPU Royal N should be a huge step up from the SL15 ELL ?

Hello Pani,

The SL15 ELL is a comparitively rare, higher output, version of the SL15E. I have used Ortofon moving coils for the last 40 years. First with the SL15E and SL15E Mk.II and then with a short lived MC20. I wasn't that enamoured with the MC20, preferring the SL15Es. After the MC20, I got involved with EMT and Denon moving coils, though I still have my SL15E's.

Now I am using a 'new' SPU. It is a recent model using a rare earth magnet, and despite being fitted with a spherical stylus, is fast, detailed, has good attack and is open-sounding. Like you, I can't understand how others find the SPU sounds "warm, rolled off, bold, dark and thick "

Certainly the Meister Silver and Royal N models ought to be better, but I'm going to live with, and enjoy, my SPU for a good while before I think about changing.

Regards

[zenith2134]

I've inherited a 1950s-60s Lp collection played with Ortofon SPU (according to the pictures from back then). Most all of these discs play superbly to this day. I figured a nice new OM-40 Super would keep them sounding nice for years to come! Would love to find an early hi-fi table and original SPU in good shape someday .

[Marco]

Nice one, Tommy. So much then for the bollocks people spout about heavy-tracking cartridges 're-cutting' records, and over time, causing damage, eh?

Marco.

[topoxforddoc]

Friends, I have been longing to hear an SPU for quite some time now. Recently a friend of mine lent me a SL15 ELL to try out in my system and said it is a very close relative to the SPU and hence should sound 'almost' like an SPU. This cart came with its own STM72 step up transformer. Generally I have read that SPUs sounds warm, rolled off, bold, dark and thick (I may be incorrect but thats the general opinion I got by reading). I expected the same from the SL15 ELL BUT it was nothing like that, the SL15 ELL rather sounded very open, clear, extended and uncoloured. It is also quite a fast cartridge with a very nice flow to the music. Compared to my Kontrapunkt B, the SL15 was a little less refined, slightly less macrodynamic and less bass power but it compensated by having a more open sound, better flow and slightly more nuanced than the Kontra !! Wow thats some achievement considering the the Kontrapunkt B is one of the best mid priced Ortofon of recent times and this SL15 is a 40 year old design. Moreover the current age SPUs have progressed a lot (thats what I read) with products like Meister Silver and the likes, does that mean the SPU Royal N should be a huge step up from the SL15 ELL ?

I picked up a vintage SL15 ELL this week from a collector on the Wam - £150. It's mounted on my Schroeder Model 2 carbon and fed into the on board phono of my TRON Meteor preamp. Sounds surprisingly good for a 40 year old cartridge. Tracks well. Sounds very open. Lovely midrange and plenty of bass attack. Delicate top end. Certainly a keeper.