Ortofon SPU Phono Cartridges - shoppingFirst

A product, or in this case a product range, that lasts more than a handful of years in the consumer electronics industry is a rare thing indeed, but one that remains in production for more than fifty years is unheard of. Yet that is the record (if you will excuse the pun) held by the remarkable Ortofon SPU phono cartridge. Admittedly, audiophiles have a somewhat different buying profile than the rest of the market, but they are certainly not immune to changes in fashions and new developments, so what is it that makes the SPU so different?

Ortofon SPU Phono Cartridges

Ortofon first started by supplying sound equipment to the burgeoning film industry in the early 1900s. They soon spread into other activities and were at the forefront of developments in the professional and domestic music reproduction markets. Producing equipment for the record industry enabled them to effectively reverse the technology in order to provide equipment for professional broadcasters and home users, and this is still the mainstay of the business today, with a wide range of products for domestic users, broadcast studios and DJs.

Late in 1941, a young man called Robert Gudmandsen joined Ortofon, having previously worked for a while as a radio engineer. His first work for the company was designing equipment for the professional market, including dynamic amplifiers and high-quality microphones, and during the 1940s he was involved in designing cutting heads for the production of LP records. He almost immediately saw the potential for effectively using this technology in reverse, in order to provide the best possible quality for replaying records, and through this, Ortofon's first Mono Pick-Up record player cartridges were produced.

It was not long before the stereo LP began to gain popularity and with Mr Gudmandsen at the helm of development work, the Ortofon SPU was born and first entered the market in 1959. Standing for Stereo Pick-Up, the SPU had a number of novel design features, but the most recognisable was the use of a complete 'headshell' assembly, allowing the cartridge to simply attach to record player tonearms without the need for intricate work and wiring. There were other 'firsts' for the cartridge, including the use of an elliptical-shaped diamond stylus, reducing record wear. The actual internal construction also used many advanced methods, making the SPU comparatively costly to produce, but capable of a level of performance that was far ahead of any competitor. The cartridge quickly became the standard for recording studios and radio broadcast companies and gradually found its way into high-value amateur systems.

Although continually developed since inception, Ortofon SPU phono cartridges remain in production to the present day and the overall look and 'feel' has changed little. The range has been enlarged significantly, and there are now some nine variants available. Almost uniquely, Ortofon offer products for serious record collectors and as a result, there are three SPU types intended specifically for the replay of various mono recordings in different formats.

So what of Robert Gudmandsen? Sadly, the man himself passed away in 2012, having enjoyed some years of active retirement. However, his name lives on among audio enthusiasts. None more so than in Japan, where after a tour he became known among audiophiles as 'Mr SPU'. There is little doubt too, that his legacy will live on in the form of the SPU range.

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