Ortofon --- A90 or SPU 90th?


Trying to decide between an Ortofon A90 or SPU 90th. They both utilize a lot of the same technologies.

Rest of system is Garrard 301 (grease), Schick 12" G-style Tonearm, Shindo Masseto/Cortese, Devore Nines.

I'm a relative newcomer to vinyl and trying to do it right the first time. I've heard great things about both cartridges but heard neither personally. I've also never heard an SPU in general so not sure what kind of sound characteristic differences i would see between an SPU type and non-SPU type cartridge.

Thoughts?
jcote
In a surprise change of events I just picked up the Soundsmith retipped Goldbug Ms. Brier LOMC cartridge recently posted here for sale. This rare cartridge has very high marks and I feel it will be an excellent pairing to my setup. Now I can take my time to find an SPU in due course as I still want to try my hand at one.

Now to figure out what headshell to use...
An alloy of ilaid titaniumand unobtanium into true Russian Alexandrite crystal. Why is there some other garbage headshell being sold. Or you could go to a living legend in Japan and have him carve you one from 350 year old Pine.
I don't have much first hand experience with the A90, but I have been thoroughly enjoying a brand new Ortofon 90th Anniversary SPU mounted on a Thorens TD-124 mkii with an Ortofon RMG 212 tonearm. Coupled with an Audio Research amp/preamp and a pair of vintage Altec Valencia's, if I had a mirror in the living room, I'd see my slow and silly Cheshire Cat-like grin in the evenings as I listen to vinyl. It feels like the SPU is "settling in" as it continues to improve with each session (all in all probably less than 30 hours on it at this point).

Sitting next to the 124 mkii is a recently serviced and setup 124 mki with an SME 3012R arm and a Denon DL-103R cartridge in a Yamamoto HS-1a African ebony headshell going through a Auditorium 23 SUT on into the ARC preamp/amp. Both TT setups sound great and I am still A/B-ing, but at this point, there's a nod to a greater level of detail and soundstage holography to the 90th Anniversary setup.

Due to a clumsy mishap, I recently sent a bent tip DL-103R in a Uwe ebony body to Soundsmith for re-tipping, so hopefully, later this summer or perhaps in the early fall, there will be a fun comparison of the stock v. modded Denon.

Eventually, I hope to migrate one of the cartridge and tonearms onto a grease bearing 301 that needs a good plinth hence my great interest in coming across your post.