Ortofon SPU Classic G MKII Moving Coil Cartridge

Why choose the Ortofon SPU Classic G MkII

The Ortofon SPU Classic G MkII is a moving coil cartridge built on the original 1958 SPU design, carrying forward the twin low-impedance coil generator that Ortofon engineer Robert Gudmandsen created for the first stereo pick-ups. The cartridge sits in the SPU Classic series, positioned for buyers who want the SPU's original stereo playback concept in an integrated-headshell format, without the refinements (and cost) of the Meister Silver, Synergy or Royal models further up the range. It suits owners of classic tonearms with detachable headshells who are building or maintaining a vintage-style analogue front end rather than a modern, easily-upgraded system.

What makes the SPU Classic G MkII different from other moving coil cartridges?

The SPU Classic G MkII is fitted with a nude spherical stylus, mounted with an 18 µm tip radius directly onto the cantilever rather than bonded to a metal shank. A nude diamond carries less moving mass than a tipped diamond, which increases responsiveness, reveals more detail and reduces distortion by lowering the mass the cantilever has to move on each groove excursion. Behind the stylus sits the SPU's original generator layout: two low-impedance coils wound with very fine copper wire and crossed so that the two walls of the stereo microgroove each drive a separate coil. That crossed winding is what keeps the channels discrete, and it's why the Classic series achieves splendid channel separation with firm, positive imaging rather than a blurred centre image. Its 2 ohm internal DC resistance and 0.2 mV output at 1 kHz are typical of a low-impedance moving coil design, which is why the cartridge needs a step-up transformer or an active MC preamplifier rather than a standard moving magnet phono stage.

Which tonearms will it fit?

The SPU Classic G MkII is built with an integrated headshell, cast as one piece with the cartridge body rather than sold separately. This is designed to mount directly into classic tonearms with detachable headshells, such as the SME 3009 and 3012, and other tonearms built around the same universal headshell mount. Because the headshell is part of the cartridge, buyers don't select or fit a separate headshell for it, but they do need a tonearm that accepts the SPU's specific fitting rather than a standard half-inch or bayonet mount cartridge.

How does compliance affect which tonearm suits it?

The SPU Classic G MkII is rated at 8 µm/mN dynamic, lateral compliance, which places it in the low-compliance band, and low-compliance cartridges pair best with moderate-mass tonearms, those with an effective mass roughly between 11 and 25 grams, such as the SME IV, V and VI, the Triplanar or the Graham. The match matters because cartridge compliance and total tonearm system mass together set the resonance frequency of the pickup arm and cartridge working as a spring-mass system, calculated as F = 1000 : (2 × π × √(M × C)), where M is the combined mass of the cartridge, headshell and screws, and the tonearm's effective mass, and C is the cartridge's lateral compliance. A resulting frequency of 7 to 12 Hz is optimal, with 6.5–7 Hz and 12–14 Hz still usable and anything outside that range likely to cause tracking or bass problems. Since the SPU Classic G MkII's 28 g weight already includes its integrated headshell, that full figure goes straight into the mass side of the calculation rather than being added separately.

How do you install and set it up?

The SPU Classic G MkII is designed to deliver its intended performance when the tonearm is adjusted parallel to the record surface and set to the recommended tracking force. Its tracking force range runs from 3.0 to 5.0 g (30–50 mN), with 4.0 g (40 mN) as the recommended setting, and a tracking angle of 20°. Getting the arm level and the tracking force set to spec matters directly for tracking ability, which is rated at 60 µm at 315 Hz when the cartridge is run at its recommended force.

What ongoing care does the SPU Classic G MkII need?

The SPU Classic G MkII is kept performing at its best by dusting the stylus regularly with a stylus brush, guided gently forward in the direction of the diamond tip to avoid pushing debris back into the cantilever mount. From time to time, the cartridge should come off the tonearm so the gold-plated contact points on the cartridge, and the matching contacts inside the tonearm, can be cleaned with a small amount of propyl alcohol, which prevents dust or sticky residue from causing a poor electrical connection. Unlike a moving magnet design, the stylus on the SPU Classic G MkII isn't a separate, user-replaceable assembly, so a worn or damaged tip is handled through Ortofon's Special Repair Service via its webshop or authorised dealers rather than a stylus swap at home.

What is it made from?

The SPU Classic G MkII's body is a ground wood and resin composite, finished in black matte, and its coils are wound in High Purity Copper (OFC). These are the same body material and coil wire used across most of the Classic and Mono SPU models, reserving silver and gold-plated silver windings for the Meister Silver, Royal and Wood A models further up the range.

How does the SPU Classic G MkII compare with other Ortofon SPU and cartridge options?

The SPU Classic G MkII is the standard, integrated-headshell entry point into the SPU Classic series, and where a buyer sits relative to it depends on tonearm fit and stylus preference. Buyers whose tonearm takes a standard half-inch headshell, or who want a wider choice of tonearms, should look at the SPU Classic N instead, which carries the same generator in a half-inch adaptor rather than a fixed integrated headshell; those who want the same adaptor with an elliptical rather than spherical stylus should consider the SPU Classic NE or GE MkII. Buyers new to SPU cartridges who want a simpler, lower-cost route in are better served by the SPU #1 S or E, while anyone playing mono pressings should move to the SPU Mono G MkII or CG models rather than use a stereo cartridge, since a mono generator removes the crosstalk, phase error and vertical-noise sensitivity that a stereo cartridge picks up from a single-channel groove. Buyers chasing further technical refinement within the same body style, such as higher-purity coil wire or lower tip mass, should look to the SPU Meister Silver G MkII or SPU Royal G MkII. And for buyers who value straightforward stylus replacement over the SPU's integrated-headshell format and moving coil generator, an Ortofon moving magnet cartridge, such as the 2M series, offers a user-replaceable stylus, which the SPU Classic G MkII, as a moving coil design, does not.