I’ve been using the EH300B Golds for nearly a week now and I really like them but when I swapped in the Gold Lions, wow ! It was an improvement (and not a small improvement), in just about every area.
The only area where I think the EH’s may have it is in absolute dynamics / slam, but I’m not even 100% sure on that.
Anyway, I’m very pleased indeed with both sets of valves and with the amp. The problem now is that System 2 is now System 1 
Nice to have options.
I have three 300B valves I should sell as I can’t see me getting a 300B amp now and I’d bought these in advance 
I think they might be Gold Lion.
Wish I’d known that, as I’ve just bought a spare pair. Mind you, Icon Audio do have a couple of pairs left at a very good price of £229.95 / pr !
It’s been a while since I ran an SPU here so a very slow burning want has been fizzling away for a while now. Equally I’ve been curious try the new Groovemaster MKIV having always enjoyed them previously and noting various improvements with each iteration -
Today was a rare two for one deal, a gleeful faff dialing this in and a joyful noise as a result. The SPU is the newer #1 cheapest version - I wasn’t expecting too much but the full body high emotion presentation reminds me why I have a soft spot for them. OK, if you’re an analytical listener SPU’s are never going to do it for you but if you’re all about the feel (Many are) it’s easy to see why Ortofon have been shifting these for 70 years. The point of this dalliance is to consider offering them on the new website which will probably be ready in time for my residency in a low rent care home.
Thoughts on the arm to follow… 1st impression. There is fuck all at this price point that can do what this does.
Ortofon SPU Royal N is a lovely sounding thing, maybe not the hyper detail and insight available at 5x the price, but very musical
Yes a Royal N is what I’d like to try on the end of my Viv Labs 7" arm.
Had a few Royal N’s whilst the sound is far from neutral my response to them was, don’t know why?
Is it the elliptical SPU? (GM-E?) I think that was the sweet spot for me. Conical one was guessing a bit too much & the finer profiles started to become a little too analytical
I’m beginning to feel this way about most carts full stop tbf.
I haven’t heard the latest Hana SL but I preferred the first version of it to the more expensive ML despite it being obvious that the ML was getting more off the record.
I’ll have to bring in my SL15E but I suspect I’d prefer the SPU
The SL15E has much of what the #1 does. Full, fun & Fruity, easy to love - bit like @stu really (But newer)
Yes my SL15 comes from 1968. @stu was already getting a pension when it was made.
I needed to unpack and check over some old ex demo Heco Statements I’ve just sold.
I’d forgotten how big (55kg each) and how much fun these are. Even with 10W of EL84 pp driving them. The house is shaking!
Very, very underrated speakers IME 
Are they the ones with the open back midrange enclosure?
Yes & Alnico magnet on that mid driver.
I’d forgotten about the magnet. Does alnico make any difference?
It does, particularly over a standard ceramic type. But I recall Heco saying that it took them quite a lot of trials to get the magnet as they wanted it & thought it should be. Some of their early efforts were worse than a standard magnet.
