Ortofon --- A90 or SPU 90th?


Trying to decide between an Ortofon A90 or SPU 90th. They both utilize a lot of the same technologies.

Rest of system is Garrard 301 (grease), Schick 12" G-style Tonearm, Shindo Masseto/Cortese, Devore Nines.

I'm a relative newcomer to vinyl and trying to do it right the first time. I've heard great things about both cartridges but heard neither personally. I've also never heard an SPU in general so not sure what kind of sound characteristic differences i would see between an SPU type and non-SPU type cartridge.

Thoughts?
jcote

Showing 3 responses by wrm57

I think you can only get the SPU 90th as an NOS aftermarket purchase, which means without the normal Ortofon warranty. Take a look on eBay. 2juki often sells them. I've bought from him before and he's been dependable.

The top of the current SPU lineup is the Royal GM II. I have one, along with an A90. They both have the Replicant 100 stylus, which makes them a little more closely related, but they still occupy different genres, as others have said. I really enjoy the Royal's unusual combination of SPU-like body and coherency plus excellent detail and sparkle on top, for which most SPUs are not usually noted. Still, the A90 is the better all-around cartridge for soundstage depth and layering, imaging, and the other audiophile characteristics while still being IMO very musical. It is extremely sensitive to all set-up parameters, however, especially VTA, so I don't think the Schick is the best arm for it. The Royal is much less finicky though it still wants VTA changes for different record widths. The SPU 90th, without the Replicant, might be less demanding in this regard, I don't know.
Jcote,

The SPU 90 was a limited edition when made but now, long discontinued, it's pretty scare, hence the premium. IMO, to get the most out of an A90 youneed to be able to really fine-tune VTA, etc., like you can with a Tri-planar or Graham or Clearaudio Universal arm.

Best,
Bill
Uh, that should say, "it's pretty scarce, hence the premium." Please excuse.