[Bhasi]

I've been scratching my head - and doing nothing - for a few years now about how to get very good playback of stereo, mono and 78 rpm records using dedicated cartridges.  Separate decks would be too space-consuming and multiple arms on one deck look too fussy and ugly to my eyes, which leaves swappable arm-tubes/wands or headshells.   (I'm not sure that swappable styli are available for really good cartridges.)

I recently discovered the Ortofon SPU range, which I know fit certain SME arms, and I see they have stereo, mono and 78 versions of identical weight, which would suggest they could be swapped with minimal readjustment.  Instead of - or before - getting into the whole time-consuming and pricey Garrard/Loricraft/Slate Audio/Martin Bastin scene, though, I wondered whether these cartridges would work with the Technics/KAB decks: specifically, can the stock arms be fitted with the extra weights necessary to counterbalance them?  Has anyone tried this?

Any input gratefully received.

[Wayner]

The Technics SL-1200/KAB can handle cartridge weights in the range of 3.5 to 13 grams That should handle most carts. Technics does have headshell weights to compensate for lighter cartridges. This deck is ideal for your purpose, IMHO.

Wayner 

[GBB]

The SPU cartridges are really heavy.  If you head over to the Cartridge Database ( http://www.cartridgedb.com/ ), you'll see that most of the SPU range weighs ~32g.  They are also pretty low compliance.  To get the tonearm/cartridge resonance down in the range of 9-11hz, which is generally considered the ideal range, you'd ideally have a tonearm with an effective mass of 19-30g.  That's pretty high by modern standards and is the reason people like using the SPUs with older heavy tonearms like the SME3012 and the older Ortofon tonearms.

That doesn't mean that you can't make it work on the Technics - just that you'll be operating outside of the "ideal" range.  Since the KAB folks have lots of experience using and tweaking the SP1200 turntables and tonearms, they might be the best source for ideas of matching the SPU.

---Gary

[Bhasi]

Wayner, Gary

Thank you both for your helpful comments.  I've had an eBay-sourced Garrard 401 in bubblewrap in the garage for a few years now, which I guess means I'm drawn towards the secondhand SME/detachable headshell route, though discovering the SPU's via an Art Dudley article and the schopper.ch site had me thinking in terms of an old Ortofon arm (or even a new one from Ortofon Japan, eventually), perhaps on a Thorens TD-124.  Apart from the initial schlepping between UK- or Swiss-based specialists, I'm a bit apprehensive about the longer-term TLC such warhorses would, I imagine, need.  A new direct drive deck would seem to be so much simpler - and cheaper! - right now, provided the weights were available. 

Anyway, I'll get in touch with Kevin at KAB and report back.

Thanks again.

[Bhasi]

Update from Kevin at KAB (who, by the way, took the time and trouble to reply almost immediately):  20.5g is the limit with stock auxiliary counterweights, so I'd need to get a threaded stub weight made especially.  Not impossible.  Will keep mulling this over!   

[thinker10]

Hi,

You can get bigger extra-weight here :

Technics SH-1200W-S


http://www.musicfield.jp/item/18882

Then no problem with ultra heavy cart like the SPU !

Thank You