Recommend which SPU?

I sometimes use a Royal GM MkII with that tonearm and like it a lot. At just 0.2mV, it requires a pretty good, high gain phono sage or a 1:30 SUT, in my experience.

@dhcod interesting question. I asked myself some years ago.

The worst SPU ever (IMO) is Classic GM MK2 with conical tip, i was influensed by the hype and reviews from those people who call it "musical cartridge" as opposite to "high-end" cartridges. Tried it on Schick "12 tonearm designed for SPU and realized that i clearly prefer high-end cartridges and will never buy anything with conical tip again! Therefore my next SPU was Limited Edition (Japan only) model called Ortofon SPU Spirit with rare 9N copper coil and elliptical tip, this model is much better!

But i agree with @wrm57 that Ortofon SPU Royal G mk2 is the way to go, simply because ONLY this SPU has Ortofon Replican 100 stylus (similar to Fritz Gyger) - this is the most advanced stylus profile nowadays. You can read my thoughts here: http://www.ukaudiomart.com/details/649386068-rare-ortofon-spu-royal-g-mkii-with-replicant-100-stylus...

I no longer use SPU and Schick, the only heavy tonearm i use now is Lustre GST-801 and it’s busy with FR-7f cartridge.

Is there a difference between the Royal G and Royal GM?

@dhcod well, It’s two different cartridges. The SPU Royal GM model was released in 1998 to celebrate the Ortofon 80 year anniversary, the Royal G is MK 2 version of that cartridge. There was also a universal Royal N model (without SPU headshell).

As you can see my sample is Royal G MKII as stamped on the warranty card with serial number (not the earlier Royal GM version). Even the boxes are different, the G MKII is an improved version, this particular sample made for high demanding Japanese market, there are so many followers of the SPU in Japan.

Visually the earlier SPU Royal GM version is frosted (loow at headshell).

While the improved later version called Ortofon SPU Royal G MK2 is luxury gloss lacquer body!
This MK2 version is much more expensive, official Ortofon’s retail was 2200 Euro when it was released, they goes for $2600 (if the cartridge is unused) nowadays.

You can find both (an old GM and improved G MKII) on ebay to compare design and prices.

@chakster , I think dhcod might have been speaking to the dissimilarity of the names, yours and mine: the Royal G MkII v. Royal GM MkII. I’m guessing they are identical, perhaps with the "G" marketed in Japan, but I could be wrong.

Here’s the one I have:

https://www.ortofon.com/spu-royal-gm-mkii-p-459-n-1579

There is no Royal GM MKII cartridge, only Royal GM or Royal G MKII
I’m just trying to be correct with actual models

1) Royal GM (1998) https://www.ebay.com/itm/263279889753
(frosted headshell finish)

2) Royal G MKII https://www.ebay.com/itm/282738766094
(glossy lacquer headshell finish)

3) Royal G MKII (Japan Only) https://www.ebay.com/itm/332453173508
(luxury lacquer headshel finish)

@wrm57 they are looks different, MKII version is another cartridge (no matter european of japanese box) compared to the first version from 1998

Now when we can see the actual pictures it seems like there is a mistake in the article on Ortofon site about those old models. The picture on the Ortofon website is definitely not the Royal G MKII, but the first version aka Royal GM (froasted finish of the headshell). 

@chakster , Right, but I’m talking about the Royal GM MkII, NOT the Royal GM. Please look at the link I supplied above and tell me if that SPU is different from the one you’re talking about. Based on the following specs, I'd say they are the same.

Here are the specs of the Royal G Mkii (from your ebay link):
Output voltage: 0.2 mV
Frequency response: 20 Hz - 20,000 Hz + 1.5 / - 0 dB
Diamond needle: Nude ortofon Replicant 100
Cantilever: Aluminum
Proper needle pressure: 3.0 g
Weight: 30 g

Now the Royal GM Mkii (from my Ortofon link):
Output voltage: 0.2 mV
Frequency response - 20-20.000 Hz + 1.5/- 0 dB
Stylus type - Nude Ortofon Replicant 100
Tracking force, recommended - 3.0 g (30 mN)
Cartridge weight - 30 g
And the cantilever is aluminum.

Right, our MK2 are the same according to specs, the different cart is MK1

BTW Your MK2 has glossy lacquer body? 

Yes, it is glossy.

@dhcod if the budget is lower find info about the Ortofon SPU Spirit, i have a picture of my old SPU Spirit here. For an elliptical it was a great SPU! Only 500 made!

The 85th anniversary model was the one i always wanted to try when i've been looking for the best SPU back in the day. 

You would recommend the Spirit over the #1e if I'm just thinking about getting a taste before I commit to a large investment?

You're pretty much in my situation, my cartridge was ZYX Airy-3 when i decided to try SPU first. If you will start from the entry level SPU i'm pretty sure you will not be impressed at all compared to High-End Lyra Cartridge. My ex ZYX simply killed that SPU in dynamics, extended frequency range, clarity etc etc. Everything was much better with ZYX, compared to the entry level SPU. I realized pretty quick that it was just a waste of time and money, but at least i tried the thing that people call "musical cartridge", if fact it was so boring, and when i was thingking about 4g tracking force i was worried about my records. Personal experience is important with everything we would like to use in our systems, i sold that conical SPU here on audiogon and lose money on it, but i gave it a second change and bought Spirit LTD model. 

The Spirit has very rare 9N copper coil wire and that's why it's limited to 500 units only. It was much better than conical SPU classics for sure, but still not refined as the modern high end cartridges.  

Royal G MKII is better than Spirit. Replican 100 stylus of the Royal G MKII require less tracking force than all other SPU models. And this stylus profile can extract everything from the grooves if you can set it up propertly (VTA is very important). So it is worth the price difference if you like detailed sound reproduction, not rolled off highs and bass like with the oldschool or modern classic SPU. 

I've never tried #1e, but i think it's just the same as the Classic GM MKII E (budget model from the past). 

  

Hi dhcod,

if you want to get a taste of SPU-ness you should go for the
SPU #1E. It gives you a very good impression what that means.

The Royal with the replicant 100 stylus is in our opinion (a friend
of mine owns one) neither fish nor fowl. It has not the resolution
of a Lyra or ZYX and not the typical charming SPU-sound.

If you want to spend more a Synergy GM or the SPU95 are the
top contenders. Slightly in between the Synergy and the Royal
is the Meister Silver Mk2.
A Shindo-SPU is very good as well, but rare to find.

So what is the charm of the oldschool SPU, i just don’t get it. Heavy low compliance monster that track with 4g with generic stylus profile and very thin frequency response, there is something in the mid range, but when you play same records on the proper cartridge (on the different tonearm) with advanced stylus tip then you realize how better the vinyl is actually sound. The design of the SPU is charnimg (visually), but without proper stylus this is oldschool sound. Owned both SPU and ZYX. Later discovered vintage MM cartridges with much better sound compared to all of them.

So many cartridges can surpass the SPU, and Miyajima with Shibata stylus is one of them for reasonable price. Fidelity-Research FR-7f is a killer cartridge! None of them using generic styli like conical/elliptical in their top models, but only Shibata/Line Contact.

At the same time DL-103 users (which is similar to that SPU sound) often re-build their carts to avoid that oldschool conical tip and even oldschool cantilever. Most of them are happy after rebuild with Line Contact on Ruby Cantilever. And this is what they call the upgrade.

To buy the SPU with Replican 100 from the start is a huge advantage in my opinion. It is the same SPU generator and same cantilever, but the diamond is much better, there is nothing to lose! 

The Royal with the replicant 100 stylus is in our opinion (a friend
of mine owns one) neither fish nor fowl. It has not the resolution
of a Lyra or ZYX and not the typical charming SPU-sound.

I understand this criticism, and agree with it to a degree. But really, why must something be fish or fowl? It is an artificial binarism. A mermaid is neither fish nor women but still captures the imagination. I find the Royal to supply enough of each to make it special and interesting--and that's in a 3-armed system with many other hi-rez cartridges, including an SPU A95. The A95, indeed, is better, with richer tonality and huge soundstage. But I find the Royal on my bayonet mount more often, so that tells me something. Maybe I'm just into mermaids. ;-)