SPU People: I love my Royal N. Which SPU will I like even better?

Did the 95 live up to your hopes for it?

I’ve also fallen for the SPU Royal N but not heard any other SPUs. I have a heavy arm with removable headshell on the way to explore further.

Nope it didn't. I'm sort of going back in time now and I'm enamored with the non SPU SL15 and the SPU-TE with the built in transformer. It's tough, once you hear the tone these cartridges produce, to enjoy to the more sterile A95. The Royal N is still closer to those vintage carts but still has the more modern dynamics. I'm in a "less is more" phase I think.

I had a Transfiguration Proteus before the Royal N and bought the Royal N because I expected it to be so different from the Proteus that I wouldn’t forever be comparing unfavourably, as I would had I gone back to my DV17D3. I ended up preferring the Royal N to the Proteus. When I eventually came to get the Proteus rebuilt I was offered an Ogura OA as originally fitted or two other profiles, one of which was a Gyger S (120/6).The Ogura would have been the sensible choice with regard to potential resale value but I opted for the Gyger on the back of what I was hearing from the similar Replicant 100 (100/5) and I can’t say I regret the choice. The Royal N has it on tone but the Gyger Proteus isn’t so far behind and has leading edge detail that the Royal N rounds off, going back will be the decider. Both dig out the emotional content from the music rather well.

Interesting. Which SUT do you use with the Royal N?

I’m not using a SUT, though it’s something I’ll try in the future. I use a Naim MC only Superline upgraded with their supercap power supply. I load the Royal N with 220Ω and the Proteus with 100Ω, The arm is a Schröder Reference. I do have Naim’s rather more primitive stageline N MM phonostage as well but it only has 35dB of gain, I bought it for my mono wired Decca which I use on a Townshend Rock mk2, with which it’s works very well but since the Royal N ideally wants no more than a 20:1 SUT it doesn’t have enough gain for that and I’d need to look elsewhere. I’ll probably need something rather better too. My history with separate phono stages is limited to the Tom Evans built Michell iso (now rather old) and the Superline, both MC only, plus the Stageline N.