I'm interested in adding another Tonearm (or maybe a second deck) and using an SPu-G type cart - I have to admit I know nothing about them other than I love their looks. What is the best SPu-G available?
Adey
I'm interested in adding another Tonearm (or maybe a second deck) and using an SPu-G type cart - I have to admit I know nothing about them other than I love their looks. What is the best SPu-G available?
Adey
Technics SP10 mk2
Jan Allaerts MC 1 Boron mk1 cart
Miyajima Shilabe cart
Hashimoto HM-X SUT
Siggwan (gimballed not unipivot) Cocobola 12"
Aurorasound Vida LCR Phonostage
The Truth linestage
Dave Slagle Autoformer Volume Controller
Cary 805c SET amps
Audio Note ANe-SPX speakers
Townshend Isolda speaker cables
Cardas Golden Presence interconnects
Nottingham Analogue Spacedeck / Kuzma Stogi S / Benz Micro Ace S L
Lenco L-75 / Carl Ellis Plinth / Ortofon AS-212 / Ortofon SPU Classic GM E MkII
Ortofon ST-7 SUT / Nick G Modded Lentek Head Amp / Croft RIAA
Cambridge Audio CXU / Theta DS Pro Prime
Classé Model 30 / Luxman M-383
Usher Compass X-719
May contain opinions that others find disturbing.
Well you need something heavy, the lighter arms don't really cut it with an SPU. Arms suitable include (all 12in - though quite a few 9ins will suit if massy enough):
- Thomas Schick 12in - I've had one of these, nicely made but a shade basic I think .. depends on what you are after, looks cool with a Garrard 301.
- SME M2-12R - I've had one of those too, works good with SPU though you need to adjust the length as it's made to work with the SME headshell which puts the stylus in the 'wrong' place for an SPU. Thankfully that's easy on the sliding base they come with.
- SME 3012 - the later ones are OK with SPU but ideally you need an early, higher mass one which are like hen's teeth and becoming very expensive.
- Ortofon RMG 309i or RMG 309 Limited - my current 12in tonearm, Japanese re-issue of the 1960s Danish original and rather better made than the original too. Perfect with an SPU as you'd expect, it's what it was made for. Top quality bearings and lovely dynamic balance arrangement. No anti-skate (like the schick, though it's static balance) but I don't feel you need it on an arm that length - this is one of the 'longer' 12in arms.
- Jelco 750L - Excellent for the money but to be fair, somewhat outclassed by most if not all the others on this list
- Audio-Creative GrooveMaster II - Dutch I think, super cool looking, affordable and been on my check it out list for a while. No idea if it works as good as it looks.
- Jelco TK-850 and TK-950L - Jelco's latest tonearms, great value for money and I'm seriously thinking of swapping the RMG out for this out of curiosity - both have the same high-quality knife-edge bearing, the difference between them is static vs dynamic balance
- Ikeda IT-407 - the 12in version of my 9in Ikeda, my lottery win choice!
- Fidelity Research FR66S - the 'original' 12in Ikeda arm that the one above is largely a recreation of (albeit with a few improvements notably in the bearing arrangement) - not worth the money they fetch these days IMO.
- Alfred Gerd 'Ortofon' off ebay - Modified Ortofon AS-212 which is not a bad budget choice. (I had one of his early ones).
There are other vintage arms by Audiocraft, SAEC and others (including Ortofon of course), made of various grades of unobtanium, but I think the above are the main 'available' choices suitable for an SPU. Though doubtless I've forgotten some!
Last edited by montesquieu; 21-02-2018 at 22:10.
And I've just realised you asked about cartridges and not tonearms - well I'm damned if I'm deleting that list after typing it!
Too tired to give my view of SPUs tonight but I must have owned 8-9 over the years and heard quite a few more. Cut to the chase the best one I've heard is Petrat's 95th Anniversary model. My SPU Royal N (same as the SPU Royal without a headshell) is very good too. Vintage ones getting pricey but a lot of fun.
I think Audio-Technica ATP-12 (10 in) or ATP-16 (12 in) or their siblings AT-1503/1501 can be recommended for SPU as well. They are very basic but very well made and inexpensive.
Yes forgot those, I have an AT-1503 on my Garrard at the minute and previously had an ATP-12T. To be honest I don't think either are that brilliant as standard, but I had my AT-1503 modified by Angus (Phonomac) of this parish - rewired, tube damped and with hybrid ceramic bearings fitted - and the transformation was nothing short of stunning. Without the mods the sound was a bit coarse compared to the likes of an SME M2-12R.
Last edited by montesquieu; 21-02-2018 at 22:26.
Tom I'm also looking at arms so your thoughts are welcome. And the Audio-Creative GrooveMaster II is beautiful! Right now Carl is making me up a new, less colossal plinth for the sp10 and the audio creative would soooooo match the sp10. And it's cheap! Ok - my brains ticking.....
What about the silver meister?
Technics SP10 mk2
Jan Allaerts MC 1 Boron mk1 cart
Miyajima Shilabe cart
Hashimoto HM-X SUT
Siggwan (gimballed not unipivot) Cocobola 12"
Aurorasound Vida LCR Phonostage
The Truth linestage
Dave Slagle Autoformer Volume Controller
Cary 805c SET amps
Audio Note ANe-SPX speakers
Townshend Isolda speaker cables
Cardas Golden Presence interconnects