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Thread: SPU Cartridge

  1. #1
    Join Date: Sep 2010

    Location: West Midlands, UK

    Posts: 646
    I'm Lee.

    Default SPU Cartridge

    Ive been wanting to join the SPU club for quite a while now and currently have a stop gap cartridge the Denon DL 103 in use which was brought with the intention of moving to an SPU at some time in my hifi journey.

    I currently use the Jelco 750D which is being used on a heavy upgrade platter Nottingham Analogue Spacedeck, my question is that if I put an SPU into the 750D c/w the heavy counterweight and set the overhang accordingly by adjusting the tonearm position is this all I have to do? Is the cartridge in the headshell set and does not require any further adjustment with a protractor?

    The SPU I was looking at was one of the new #1 type cartridges either the S or the E.

    Many thanks in advance

    Lee
    Vinyl rig 1 - NAS Spacedeck / FR64s / Lab 12 Melto / Denon SUT / Ortofon GM SPU. Vinyl rig 2 Mono Set Up - Lenco GL75 c/w Jelco 750D / AT33 Mono / EAR 834P Modded. Amplifiers - Audio Note Empress Silver / Hattor Passive Pre. Digital - Fanless Mini PC / Lampizator TRP / Linear PSU / Hummingboard Network audio adaptor. Speakers - Horns.pl Mummy's. Cables are Audio Note / Albedo / Furutech Speaker wire. Power conditioner is a Gigawatt PC2 EVO

  2. #2
    Join Date: Jan 2009

    Location: Essex

    Posts: 31,850
    I'm openingabottleofwine.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Lee Henley View Post
    Ive been wanting to join the SPU club for quite a while now and currently have a stop gap cartridge the Denon DL 103 in use which was brought with the intention of moving to an SPU at some time in my hifi journey.

    I currently use the Jelco 750D which is being used on a heavy upgrade platter Nottingham Analogue Spacedeck, my question is that if I put an SPU into the 750D c/w the heavy counterweight and set the overhang accordingly by adjusting the tonearm position is this all I have to do? Is the cartridge in the headshell set and does not require any further adjustment with a protractor?

    The SPU I was looking at was one of the new #1 type cartridges either the S or the E.

    Many thanks in advance

    Lee
    There is always room for doubt when one uses an 'integrated headshell' cartridge (and hence no means to adjust overhang) with an arm where the only means of overhang adjustment is through use of a slotted headshell, or similar.

    The easiest answer would be to suggest you contact Ortofon's distributor in the UK and seek their advice. I suspect that the cartridge/arm geometry will not be optimum, in that you will not be able to achieve two null points across the record playing surface, but only a single null point and a minimum point (but not null). This is certainly true when an SPU is used in a Pioneer PL-71 deck (where the overhang is adjusted at the headshell), but I can't find the post where I produced the curve.

    But even if the geometry is not optimum, it's still pretty good and the small increase in tracking error distortion is unlikely to be noticeable.
    Barry

  3. #3
    montesquieu Guest

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Lee Henley View Post
    Ive been wanting to join the SPU club for quite a while now and currently have a stop gap cartridge the Denon DL 103 in use which was brought with the intention of moving to an SPU at some time in my hifi journey.

    I currently use the Jelco 750D which is being used on a heavy upgrade platter Nottingham Analogue Spacedeck, my question is that if I put an SPU into the 750D c/w the heavy counterweight and set the overhang accordingly by adjusting the tonearm position is this all I have to do? Is the cartridge in the headshell set and does not require any further adjustment with a protractor?

    The SPU I was looking at was one of the new #1 type cartridges either the S or the E.

    Many thanks in advance

    Lee
    The stylus tip on an SPU is placed at 52mm from the connection point at the collar. I have found one of these to be dead handy in making sure all my non-SPUs line up at the same point as my SPUs https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TECHNICS-...gAAMXQqC9SLu1q

    Although all cartridges, modern ones at least, using a standard half-inch mount should land the tip in exactly the same place (in theory) in practice they don't. And some headshells don't use 52mm as standard anyway, your typical SME headshell places the tip well forward. And some arms are designed to use 50mm not 52mm as a standard (from memory though the Jelco works fine).

    Three arms I know that are spot on for SPU at correct spindle to pivot distance are the Ortofon 309 I currently use (in fact, all Ortofon arms - the cheaper ones are made by Jelco anyway - will fit), my current Ikeda IT-345 arm, and the AT-1010. Curiously the AT-1503 doesn't, it works to a 50mm standard so with an SPU puts the tip ahead of where it should be.

    From memory, a Jelco set at the correct mounting distance should be fine with an SPU, I certainly used one that way, but I don't think I had my Dr Freickert protractor then to check. The FR-64 needed a small tweak if I recall correctly but only 1-2mm which was adjustable within the hole that was drilled in the Thorens armboard. The SME M12-R needed a tweak from standard distance too.

    BTW I added an SPU#1S to my stable recently as well though the example I got appears to have dodgy suspension, it collapsed within a week or so of arrival, so it's back being inspected.

  4. #4
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: W Lothian

    Posts: 99,005
    I'm Grant.

    Default

    i use thes techy setup headshell holders too. like to set mine all up similar and they hold a spare head nicely too
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  5. #5
    Join Date: Sep 2010

    Location: West Midlands, UK

    Posts: 646
    I'm Lee.

    Default

    Thanks for the response guys a little food for thought. I did contemplate one of the Technics overhang gauges for the Jelco, I did have one previously when I had the SL1200 deck but that went when I sold the deck.

    IIRC when I used to use the overhang gauge, Technics used to say that the cartridge needed to be square in the headshell and set the tip of the stylus to the mark on the gauge, voila job done, when I used to check using a protractor the cartridge used to be out of square and I ended up twisting it to make it fit the grid lines, now this where I get confused slightly, should I just set it square in the gauge and set it to the overhang and forget it or do I set the overhang and then twist the headshell as per the protractor.?

    Sorry for so many questions but it can be confusing at times

    Lee
    Vinyl rig 1 - NAS Spacedeck / FR64s / Lab 12 Melto / Denon SUT / Ortofon GM SPU. Vinyl rig 2 Mono Set Up - Lenco GL75 c/w Jelco 750D / AT33 Mono / EAR 834P Modded. Amplifiers - Audio Note Empress Silver / Hattor Passive Pre. Digital - Fanless Mini PC / Lampizator TRP / Linear PSU / Hummingboard Network audio adaptor. Speakers - Horns.pl Mummy's. Cables are Audio Note / Albedo / Furutech Speaker wire. Power conditioner is a Gigawatt PC2 EVO

  6. #6
    Join Date: Apr 2009

    Location: Near Saffron Walden, Essex

    Posts: 7,087
    I'm Dave.

    Default

    Lee,
    With an SPU, the stylus position is fixed - you have no way to adjust in the headshell.

    Fortunately, you have a Nottingham Analogue turntable with a movable, rotatable arm mount pod. So, you slightly slacken the board securing the arm mount, put the stylus onto the protractor and move/rotate the pod until you have perfect overhang.

    Simples..

  7. #7
    Join Date: Sep 2010

    Location: West Midlands, UK

    Posts: 646
    I'm Lee.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by hifi_dave View Post
    Lee,
    With an SPU, the stylus position is fixed - you have no way to adjust in the headshell.

    Fortunately, you have a Nottingham Analogue turntable with a movable, rotatable arm mount pod. So, you slightly slacken the board securing the arm mount, put the stylus onto the protractor and move/rotate the pod until you have perfect overhang.

    Simples..
    Hi Dave

    That was what I thought I had to do which was just to set the overhang

    Many thanks

    Lee
    Vinyl rig 1 - NAS Spacedeck / FR64s / Lab 12 Melto / Denon SUT / Ortofon GM SPU. Vinyl rig 2 Mono Set Up - Lenco GL75 c/w Jelco 750D / AT33 Mono / EAR 834P Modded. Amplifiers - Audio Note Empress Silver / Hattor Passive Pre. Digital - Fanless Mini PC / Lampizator TRP / Linear PSU / Hummingboard Network audio adaptor. Speakers - Horns.pl Mummy's. Cables are Audio Note / Albedo / Furutech Speaker wire. Power conditioner is a Gigawatt PC2 EVO

  8. #8
    Join Date: Apr 2009

    Location: Near Saffron Walden, Essex

    Posts: 7,087
    I'm Dave.

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    Notts turntables are very practical and sensible. So easy to set up and they stay that way.

  9. #9
    Join Date: Sep 2010

    Location: West Midlands, UK

    Posts: 646
    I'm Lee.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by hifi_dave View Post
    Notts turntables are very practical and sensible. So easy to set up and they stay that way.
    Indeed they are, quite musical as well
    Vinyl rig 1 - NAS Spacedeck / FR64s / Lab 12 Melto / Denon SUT / Ortofon GM SPU. Vinyl rig 2 Mono Set Up - Lenco GL75 c/w Jelco 750D / AT33 Mono / EAR 834P Modded. Amplifiers - Audio Note Empress Silver / Hattor Passive Pre. Digital - Fanless Mini PC / Lampizator TRP / Linear PSU / Hummingboard Network audio adaptor. Speakers - Horns.pl Mummy's. Cables are Audio Note / Albedo / Furutech Speaker wire. Power conditioner is a Gigawatt PC2 EVO

  10. #10
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

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    Only issue I see, Lee, is personally I wouldn't use a traditional SPU on a belt-drive turntable, unless it was of the high-mass variety, with a powerful motor (a la Platine Verdier, etc), simply because of possibly straining the motor system with 30 grams worth of headshell and cartridge, tracking records at 4g VTF.

    On a belt-drive turntable, powered by a low-torque motor, it could result in stylus drag (as the combined weight of the above will be significant), and thus potentially increase wow, which will degrade sound quality... Does your Spacedeck have a reasonably powerful motor, in order to compensate for that effect?

    That's why I'd usually only use traditional SPUs (those inside fixed headshells) on D/D or idler turntables, and a 'Royal N' on others. See here: https://www.ortofon.com/spu-royal-n-p-461

    That will give you the SPU sound, fitted to a standard detachable headshell on your Jelco, but without the extra mass of the fixed headshell variety of SPU. Just something for you to consider, as in your circumstances it might be the best option

    Marco.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

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