- Ortofon A/S can now offer two new SPU cartridges, the Ortofon SPU GTX S and Ortofon SPU GTX E solutions.
So-called SPU cartridges have a long tradition at the Danish specialist Ortofon A/S, which is now presenting two innovations in this area, namely the Ortofon SPU GTX S and Ortofon SPU GTX E systems. The Ortofon SPU series is thus being expanded with two extremely exciting solutions, as the Ortofon SPU GTX S is a moving coil cartridge system with a built-in step-up transformer, a glass fibre reinforced housing and a spherical diamond.
The Ortofon SPU GTX E has the same design and construction as the Ortofon GTX S, but is equipped with an elliptical diamond, as the Danish specialist Ortofon A/S announces.
Integrated step-up transformer
The fact that these two new cartridge systems in the Ortofon SPU Series have an integrated step-up transformer is, of course, a very special feature. As already mentioned, both are so-called moving coil cartridge systems, also known as MC cartridges for short, which, in contrast to MM cartridges (moving magnet cartridge systems), deliver a very low output voltage and therefore require special electronics.
Thanks to the integrated step-up transformers, this is not the case with the new Ortofon SPU GTX S and Ortofon SPU GTX E models, which can be connected directly to any phono preamplifier designed solely for MM cartridge systems, including many amplifiers with an integrated MM phono preamplifier.
Incidentally, the step-up transformers in the Ortofon SPU GTX S and Ortofon SPU GTX E cartridge systems were developed together with the Swedish specialist Lundahl Transformers AB, as Ortofon A/S emphasises.
Precision engineering and handcrafted production
The solutions in the Ortofon SPU-GTX cartridge range are handmade by experienced employees in Denmark, as the company explains. Their so-called unibody housings are moulded in one piece from a specially selected glass fibre reinforced plastic, which, according to Ortofon A/S, has never been used for SPU cartridges before. This ensures a dimensionally stable, rigid and low-resonance housing for the cartridge, while the bottom cover is also moulded from the same new material, ensuring that the cartridge is enclosed in a uniform material.
Round or elliptical stylus
As already mentioned, the main difference between the two cartridge systems is the stylus used. While the Ortofon SPU GTX S uses a stylus of the type Spherical R 18 µm, the Ortofon SPU GTX E is equipped with a stylus of the type Elliptical r/R 8/18 µm.
Both deliver an output voltage of 4 mV and should be operated with a terminating resistor of 47 kOhm and a capacitance of 150 to 600 pF, as the data sheet reveals. The recommendation to set a tracking force of 4 g can also be found here.
Prices and availability
The two new cartridge systems from Ortofon A/S are now available from specialist retailers. The recommended retail price is identical for both systems, i.e. € 1.099,- each.
Getting to the point
The two new Ortofon SPU GTX cartridge systems, Ortofon SPU GTX S and Ortofon SPU GTX E, are designed to combine the best of both worlds, combining the musicality and rich sonic character that has characterised the Ortofon SPU series for decades with the latest innovations in audio technology, according to the promise of Danish specialist Ortofon A/S.
| Product | Ortofon SPU GTX S and Ortofon SPU GTX E |
|---|---|
| Price | Ortofon SPU GTX S € 1.099,- Ortofon SPU GTX E € 1.099,- |
| Brand | Ortofon A/S |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Ortofon A/S |
| Distribution Austria | Audio Tuning Vertriebs GmbH |
| Distribution Germany | Ortofon A/S |
| More about this manufacturer at HiFi BLOG |
