Ortofon SPU Meister Silver G MK II
Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
92/100
Build Quality
84/100
Features Usability
76/100
Value for Money
85/100
The Ortofon SPU Meister Silver G MK II brings vintage SPU heft into sharper focus, pairing punchy, clear bass with high-register nuance, expressive dynamics and precise image layering. Garrett Hongo found its broad, deeply organized stage especially compelling with orchestral music, while silver coils and a nude elliptical stylus make complex textures feel effortless and immediate.
Pros
Expressive dynamics, forceful rhythmic momentum, and punchy, clear low frequencies.
Broad soundstage with exceptionally precise front-to-back layering and vivid instrumental placement.
Refined upper-register detail and tonal color for vocals, strings, brass, and woodwinds.
Cons
Specialist setup: its low-compliance, integrated-headshell design needs a suitable high-mass arm and careful phono-stage or step-up matching; one initial pairing sounded slightly aggressive.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 92/100
The review finds the Meister Silver G MK II exceptionally composed and involving, combining easy-going authority with precise handling of dense rhythms and textures. Its strengths include expressive dynamics, clear and punchy bass, finely resolved upper-register color, and unusually well-organized spatial presentation.
Overall Sound
93/100
Garrett Hongo was impressed by the cartridge's ease, precision and ability to convey complex musical textures without strain. He also heard expressive acoustic dynamics, convincing decay, forceful rhythmic momentum, sweetly incisive brass and string tones, plus more punch and clarity in the low frequencies.
Tracking Retrieval
90/100
The review praises how readily it renders intricate notes and instrumental timbres in the higher registers, while retaining composure through complex rhythms and textures. Its nude elliptical stylus does not offer the theoretical tracing reach of an advanced line-contact profile, but the reported clarity and control are very strong.
Soundstage Imaging
95/100
The reviewer describes a broad stage with exquisite image layering, including convincing front-to-back orchestral placement and vivid horizontal positioning of small ensembles. He specifically attributes the cartridge's excitingly precise layering to the updated motor system and reduced tip mass.
FEATURES USABILITY PERFORMANCE 76/100
Tonearm compatibility / system fit.
Tonearm Compatibility
76/100
This is a specialized, heavy integrated-headshell SPU with low compliance, a 4g recommended tracking force and 0.3mV output. It is best suited to a suitably massive arm with SPU-compatible mounting and to a phono stage or step-up transformer that can accommodate its low output and 10-ohm loading recommendation.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
84/100
The specifications describe a substantial 28g integrated SPU assembly, a ground wood-and-resin composite body, nude elliptical stylus, and high-purity silver coil wire. The review focuses on performance rather than close inspection of fit, finish or long-term durability.
Value for Money
85/100
At a stated MSRP of $2,169, the Meister Silver G MK II is positioned as a premium specialist cartridge. The review is highly enthusiastic about its musical and spatial performance, but does not directly compare its value with competing cartridges at this price.
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Specifications
- Channel balance at 1 kHz
- 1 dB
- Output voltage at 1 kHz, 5cm/sec
- 0.3 mV
- Channel separation at 1 kHz
- 20 dB
- Frequency response 20 Hz - 20 kHz
- 2/-1 dB
- Tracking ability at 315 Hz
- 70 μm
- Compliance, dynamic, lateral
- 8 μm/mN
- Stylus type
- Nude Elliptical
- Stylus tip radius
- r/R 8/18 μm
- Tracking force range
- 3.0-5.0 g (30-50 mN)
- Tracking force, recommended
- 4.00 g (40 mN)
- Tracking angle
- 20º
- Internal impedance, DC resistance
- 3 ohm
- Recommended load impedance
- 10 ohm
- Coil wire material
- Silver, 6-nines
- Cartridge body material
- Ground wood and resin composite
- Cartridge colour
- Shiny black
- Cartridge weight
- 28 gram
Manufacturer's Description — Ortofon
The masterpiece of Mr. Robert Gudmandsen, the SPU Meister Silver was introduced in 1996 as a technological improvement of great importance. Ortofon has succeeded in having the purest silver wire ever produced for the coil winding process.
Features
The SPU Meister Silver G MkII has been improved on coil winding material, stylus, and magnet. The cartridge has been outfitted with high purity multi-conductor 6-nines Silver wire (of a purity of 99.9999 %) for a more open and revealing high-end presentation.
The nude elliptical stylus tip mass has been decreased by a factor of more than 50%, resulting in increased tracking ability and reproduction of microdynamic detail. The generator system has been revised to produce a slightly higher output to ensure compatibility with a wider range of moving coil transformers and active MC preamplifiers.
Verified Dealers
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Authorized dealers for Ortofon SPU Meister Silver G MK II
- In Living Stereo — in-store — New York City, New York, United States (website)
- Resolution A/V — in-store — New York City, New York, United States (website)
- The Audio Association — in-store — Anaheim, California, United States (website)
- 2C Stereo — in-store — Washington, District of Columbia, United States (website)
- à la carte productions — in-store — Palm Coast, Florida, United States (website)
- A Tube High Fidelity — online and in-store — Almere, Flevoland, Netherlands (website)
- A/V Solutions — in-store — Pleasanton, California, United States (website)
- Accent On Music — in-store — Mount Kisco, New York, United States (website)
- Acoustic Image — in-store — Los Angeles, California, United States (website)
- Acoustic Sounds — online and in-store — Salina, Kansas, United States (website)
and 417 more verified dealers