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Thread: Deccapod -a curates's egg

  1. #1
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: West Yorkshire

    Posts: 1,796
    I'm Stephen.

    Default Deccapod -a curates's egg

    Received my Decca Blue back from Prescence Audio yesterday having had a Deccapod fitted.
    First rate service from Presence with great comms and fast turn around. Deccapod fitting and cartridge recalibration was £179 including return postage.

    I must say I like the look of the cartridge with the Deccapod fitted much more than with the old bracket.

    I've installed it in my Oyaide HS TF headshell.

    It is the best tracking cartridge I have ever owned - tracks all 4 bands of the HfN test disc without a glitch

    The blue sounds a very different cartridge now. The Deccapod has taken some of the attack and PRaT away and substituted a much more refined presentation which is less fatiguing at high volumes. Tone and pitch sounds spot on although it lacks the very fine detail retrieval of the Dyna 20x2.

    It's too early to say whether I like what the "new blue" is doing enough to keep it installed but while I await delivery of my new Zyx R100 I will have a good few weeks to find out.
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  2. #2
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: N E Kent

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    I'm Geoff.

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    I must say, I always liked the Decca Blue (and my old 4RC), for the sheer speed and tightness. They may be a bit 'wilder' than the more expensive models, but there's always plenty of drama.

    I don't know if you've used a ZYX R100 before, but you'll find it has all that same speed and even more detail and depth.
    It is impossible for anything digital to sound analogue, because it isn't analogue!

  3. #3
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: West Yorkshire

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    I'm Stephen.

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    I've not heard the more expensive Decca carts but Glenn Croft who sold me this one maintains the coils in the blue were superior to the later and more expensive ones. After some more listening this morning I'm liking the Blue/Deccapod more and more - it has tamed a bit of the "wildness" but I thinks it's resulted in a more balanced and natural presentation.
    Again I've not heard the Zyx as yet but from the conversations I've had with Paul at Reffc I think I'm going to like it very much
    Always a little further

  4. #4
    Join Date: Apr 2012

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    I'm Geoff.

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    Well I'm not sure how it will work out with you Stephen, but after using ZYXs for a while, I sold my Deccas. I got the ZYX R50 Bloom H first, then the R100 H2. I've also got a regular R100, very different to the R100 H2. I like all three. (and my Ortofon MC25FL and a few ADCs).
    It is impossible for anything digital to sound analogue, because it isn't analogue!

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    Join Date: Jan 2009

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    I'm Deleted.

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    I've got a gold somewhere.
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  6. #6
    Join Date: May 2008

    Location: A Strangely Isolated Place in Suffolk with Far Away Trains Passing By...

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    I'm David.

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    Dave W (HiFi Dave) told me similar about the alnico magnets in older Decca Londons, but I think that's a blind alley in all honesty.

    Steve, the thing about the Deccas when properly working is that they sound a lot more like master recordings than almost any other - bear in mind that many vinyl cuts will have an upturned U response, limited deep bass (difficult to track), mono'd remaining bass (universal for cutting/playback reasons) and a seemingly boosted upper mid. If the cut is too much like this, any Decca will faithfully reproduce this as cut. The other thing about bog-standard Deccas is the 'nasal-twang' noise when locating a groove. Better examples tend to minimise this hugely, but more basic models still have the 18kHz peaky resonance which some phono stages don't like.

    PLEASE take huge care of your Decca, as reliability still ain't good. They'll fail for no apparent reason, but while it's working, an R100 or Rega Apheta are two candidates for closeness, as well as the Dynavector 17D series, which Max Townshend used in the Rock II when he had Decca troubles.
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  7. #7
    Join Date: Apr 2012

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    I'm Geoff.

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    Quote Originally Posted by DSJR View Post

    PLEASE take huge care of your Decca, as reliability still ain't good. They'll fail for no apparent reason.
    I've heard that often, but despite having owned more Deccas than I can actually recall, I've never had a reliability problem. I did have to send one off for a new stylus tie cord, but that was down to my hamfisted handling.
    It is impossible for anything digital to sound analogue, because it isn't analogue!

  8. #8
    Join Date: Jul 2010

    Location: Cheltenham

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    I'm Charlie.

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    I've had not troubles with my Deccas, having used them a lot over the last 35 years. Standard Maroon & Gold, Garrott-ed Gold and a FFSS MkIV C4E. All have worked faultlessly. You have to keep your vinyl meticulously clean (with a wet RCM) and match them carefully with the tonearm.

  9. #9
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: N E Kent

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    I'm Geoff.

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    Stephen, when you get your R100, I'd love to read your opinion of it.
    It is impossible for anything digital to sound analogue, because it isn't analogue!

  10. #10
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: West Yorkshire

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    I'm Stephen.

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    Quote Originally Posted by walpurgis View Post
    Stephen, when you get your R100, I'd love to read your opinion of it.
    Hi Geoff - will certainly post my thoughts - I expect I will be waiting a few more weeks yet for it to arrive.
    I must say the more I listen to it the more I am liking what the Deccapod has done to the Blue.
    Always a little further

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