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Thread: One for the Sussex Coast Members.

  1. #31
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

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

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    Quote Originally Posted by RobbieGong View Post
    Have had a good number of the upper end 'modern era' Ortofons and never found them 'shiny' in my set up, 2M Black, Quintet Black, Cadenza Black.
    Ok then, Ortofon fanboy.... Sure Rob, but it's all relative. Fit a vintage SPU (or a modern one, whose sound has remained as faithful as possible to that of the originals) in your set-up, and *in comparison*, you might get what I mean by "shiny"

    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.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

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  2. #32
    Join Date: Jul 2009

    Location: Hampshire, UK

    Posts: 3,661
    I'm Adam.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Marco View Post
    Yes, but you also raved about a 103, some years ago in an issue of HFW, when fitted to the high-mass stock arm of an Empire T/T, or have you forgotten?

    Compare *that sound* you heard, particularly the bass end of things, with the intrinsic sonic presentation of an A90, and you should get what I like to hear from a cartridge, and indeed vinyl replay.

    Marco.
    No I haven’t forgotten the Empire and as I said, the 103 sounded even better in the stock arm on a Yamaha GT-2000

    It’s just this still, for me, falls a little short of the presentation of one of Ortofon’s flagship modern cartridges like the A90. I personally think cartridges are one of the areas in hi-fi where modern really is better, hence why the cartridges I have are mostly modern designs.
    Engineers: fixing problems you didn't know you had in ways you don't understand.

  3. #33
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

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

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    Fair enough, then that's something we'll have to fundamentally disagree on. Although, if it's vintage, it has to be GOOD vintage. It's not just good 'cos it's old, and vice versa!

    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.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  4. #34
    montesquieu Guest

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    Quote Originally Posted by Beobloke View Post
    No I haven’t forgotten the Empire and as I said, the 103 sounded even better in the stock arm on a Yamaha GT-2000

    It’s just this still, for me, falls a little short of the presentation of one of Ortofon’s flagship modern cartridges like the A90. I personally think cartridges are one of the areas in hi-fi where modern really is better, hence why the cartridges I have are mostly modern designs.
    Even for someone like myself that likes that full bodied, SPU-inspired, low compliance type of cartridge, for all their charms I have to admit that unless you are deliberately trying to evoke the atmosphere of a bygone era, the original SPUs can be bettered, either by newer rivals who have taken its 1950s principles and moved them forward (Miyajima is a classic case but also the AN Io fits into this category), or indeed by developments from Ortofon themselves as seen in the SPU 95th anniversary and SPU Century, and arguably somewhat earlier with the Royal and Royal N, Silver Meister and Spirit.

    You need a heavy arm to play them though and while I enjoy other non-SPU Ortofons not least the Kontrapunkt range (I've owned Jubilee and Cadenza and rate both with the right SUT) they can come across slightly bloodless/a bit 'hifi' in a direct comparison. I haven't heard the A90 or A95, perhaps they chart a middle way but I'd be prepared to bet on them going in the opposite direction.

  5. #35
    Join Date: Apr 2011

    Location: London

    Posts: 4,419
    I'm Robert.

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    Quote Originally Posted by RobbieGong View Post
    Tom, whilst likely still SPU in character overall, there are quite a number of them.

    How do the ones you've tried differ ?

    Do you have a personal fave and if so why
    Any chance of your thoughts Tom ? If not, no probs it's not important
    My System:
    Amplification - Sansui AU-alpha 707 DR
    Turntable - Technics SP10 MK2-Technics EPA-250 Tonearm-Yannis Tome 423.5Plus tonearm cable-Eichmann KLEI Absolute Harmony plugs.
    Ortofon Cadenza Black moving coil cartridge-Fritz Gyger S re-tip. Panzerholz plinth.

    CDP - Pioneer PD-91
    Speakers - Spendor D7 on Soundcare SuperSpikes
    QED Silver Spiral speaker cable-airloc banana plugs
    Mains - Ultra Pure silver plated un-switched socket-Missing link EPS 500 silver plated plugs-Hi-Fi Tuning gold plated silver ceramic 13 amp fuses

  6. #36
    montesquieu Guest

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    Quote Originally Posted by RobbieGong View Post
    Any chance of your thoughts Tom ? If not, no probs it's not important
    Apologies, forgot to answer this one. My favorite (which I've owned three times now) is probably the Royal N (non-SPU headshell version of the SPU Royal). Like all SPUs it needs the right (very heavy) arm - heavy enough to keep things under control and keep the music flowing. Most medium mass arms won't cut it. The Replicant 100 (Geiger S) stylus and slightly unusual impedance - 6 ohm, compared to 2-3 ohm for a lot of classic SPUs, no doubt as a result of the gold coils - give it a bit of a different flavour and there's no doubt it's harder to set up than any other SPU I'm aware of and also a bit different to the norm in terms of head amp or SUT settings as well. You can't just slap it in. But I love its combination of lushness and detail. Being free of the usual Ortofon headshell you also have the option of different mounting methods and this can make a difference too.

    I'm also a fan of the ellipticals, be they vintage GE or some of the modern ones. The ultimate example I've heard of this is Petrat's titanium SPU 95. For me this is the classic SPU sound.

    Having said that the sphericals can be fun too, even the very cheap SPU #1S is very bold, bouncy and 'right' sounding (if less detailed than the ellipticals) I'm looking forward to hearing the SPU Wood which is a rather special spherical in an A (rather than G) type headshell, with an urushi lacquer finish.

  7. #37
    Join Date: Apr 2011

    Location: London

    Posts: 4,419
    I'm Robert.

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    Quote Originally Posted by montesquieu View Post
    Apologies, forgot to answer this one. My favorite (which I've owned three times now) is probably the Royal N (non-SPU headshell version of the SPU Royal). Like all SPUs it needs the right (very heavy) arm - heavy enough to keep things under control and keep the music flowing. Most medium mass arms won't cut it. The Replicant 100 (Geiger S) stylus and slightly unusual impedance - 6 ohm, compared to 2-3 ohm for a lot of classic SPUs, no doubt as a result of the gold coils - give it a bit of a different flavour and there's no doubt it's harder to set up than any other SPU I'm aware of and also a bit different to the norm in terms of head amp or SUT settings as well. You can't just slap it in. But I love its combination of lushness and detail. Being free of the usual Ortofon headshell you also have the option of different mounting methods and this can make a difference too.

    I'm also a fan of the ellipticals, be they vintage GE or some of the modern ones. The ultimate example I've heard of this is Petrat's titanium SPU 95. For me this is the classic SPU sound.

    Having said that the sphericals can be fun too, even the very cheap SPU #1S is very bold, bouncy and 'right' sounding (if less detailed than the ellipticals) I'm looking forward to hearing the SPU Wood which is a rather special spherical in an A (rather than G) type headshell, with an urushi lacquer finish.
    Thanks Tom, much appreciated, especially with my limited knowledge of SPU's
    My System:
    Amplification - Sansui AU-alpha 707 DR
    Turntable - Technics SP10 MK2-Technics EPA-250 Tonearm-Yannis Tome 423.5Plus tonearm cable-Eichmann KLEI Absolute Harmony plugs.
    Ortofon Cadenza Black moving coil cartridge-Fritz Gyger S re-tip. Panzerholz plinth.

    CDP - Pioneer PD-91
    Speakers - Spendor D7 on Soundcare SuperSpikes
    QED Silver Spiral speaker cable-airloc banana plugs
    Mains - Ultra Pure silver plated un-switched socket-Missing link EPS 500 silver plated plugs-Hi-Fi Tuning gold plated silver ceramic 13 amp fuses

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