Ortofon SPU Royal N Moving Coil Phono Cartridge

Replicant 100 stylus. Electrum coils. Headshell-free SPU design.

The Ortofon SPU Royal N brings the refined engineering of the SPU Royal series to a cartridge designed for use with a separate headshell. It delivers the same published sound-reproduction characteristics as the SPU Royal G series while offering greater flexibility for compatible tonearms.

Its Nude Ortofon Replicant 100 diamond stylus features a 5/100 µm profile and reduced tip mass for precise groove tracking. Electrum coils made from gold-plated silver wire and a modified damping system contribute to detailed reproduction and improved linearity.

Unlike the integrated-headshell SPU Royal G MkII, the Royal N can be installed in a compatible SPU-type headshell or mounted to a conventional headshell using the appropriate SPU N Adapter.

Key Features

• Nude Replicant 100 stylus: 5/100 µm diamond profile for precise groove tracing.

• Electrum coils: Gold-plated silver winding material.

• Modified damping system: Designed to improve linearity and permit a lower tracking force than traditional SPU designs.

• Headshell-free construction: Offers an alternative to integrated G-style SPU cartridges.

• High-purity internal wiring: Ortofon specifies six-nines-purity copper wiring.

• 0.2 mV output: Low-output moving coil generator.

• 13 g cartridge weight: Excludes the weight of a separate headshell or adapter.

   

Complete Technical Specifications

SPU Royal N vs. SPU Royal G MkII

The Royal N and Royal G MkII share the same published cartridge specifications. Their principal difference is the mounting configuration.

The Royal N is intended for listeners who want the Royal-series generator in a separate-headshell configuration. The Royal G MkII provides the integrated SME-style bayonet arrangement associated with traditional SPU cartridges.

Compatibility & Installation

Important: The SPU Royal N is not supplied as a conventional, ready-to-mount ½-inch cartridge. Installing it on a standard headshell requires Ortofon's SPU N Adapter.

The separately available adapter is made from aluminum, weighs 2.9 grams, and is designed for the SPU Royal N, SPU Classic N, and SPU Classic N E.

The Royal N's low compliance requires careful tonearm matching. Its 0.2 mV output calls for a suitable low-output moving coil phono stage or an appropriately matched step-up transformer.

Ortofon recommends a tracking force of 3.0 grams and a load impedance of 100 ohms.

Discover Ortofon at The Grid HiFi. Our Houston team can assist with SPU cartridge selection, mounting compatibility, and moving coil phono stage matching.