Lewis CaliburnOrtofon A/S has announced a new addition to its SPU cartridge range. In 1958, Ortofon introduced the world-famous SPU stereo cartridge. The SPU GTX carries on this long tradition and boasts the typical SPU body shape and direct tonearm connection.
However, it also boasts some new and updated features, making it more relevant and interesting to modern listeners. Available in two variants, with a spherical or an elliptical stylus, the SPU GTX S and SPU GTX E are shipping during December 2024.
The SPU GTX takes the iconic Ortofon SPU design but adds some clever technology to make it more durable and more relevant for modern listeners than ever before.
SPU GTX cartridges are hand-built by experienced workers in Denmark. Their unibody housings are moulded in one piece from a specially selected glass-fibre reinforced co-polymer – never before used for SPU cartridges.
This ensures a stable, rigid, and low-resonance housing for the sensitive generator system. The bottom cover is moulded from the same body material and encapsulates the engine for added safety and increased rigidity.
Despite its moving coil generator system, by integrating a step-up transformer within the SPU GTX body, the cartridge can be connected directly to any standard phono stage or amplifier as if it were a moving magnet cartridge.
When developing the GTX series, Ortofon chose to develop a new step-up transformer in collaboration with Lundahl Transformers. Lundahl is known for its expertise in audio transformers and is a perfect partner for Ortofon on this project.
SPU GTX cartridges offer the best of both worlds, combining the musicality and rich tonal character that has defined Ortofon’s SPU series for decades with the latest innovations in audio technology.
The SPU GTX S makes use of a spherical diamond tip, while the SPU GTX E employs an upgraded elliptical diamond tip.
The SPU GTX is shipping in the UK from December 2024 through authorised Ortofon stockists priced at £949.00 (UK SRP); SPU GTX E: £999.00 (UK SRP).