Decca Cartridge.

[valves]

Hi,

I know this is a bit of a long shot,

But I'm keen to try a Decca Cartridge with my NA Spacedek and Croft amplification.

Reading around this subject I believe my options are to find a Decca Blue and have it re -tipped/serviced, as long as the coils are all right.

Option two, by a newer Decca Gold.

Any thoughts or any Decca cartridges for sale?

Thanks.

[DSJR]

Living with and using ANY Decca or modern London series is as much an emotional relationship as anything else. Get one right and you'd never want for anything else, since correctly mounted (and I DEFINITELY prefer the more 3-D presentation a Deccapod allows to the shallow and tinny rendition but wider compatibility offered by the soft plastic mount they come with). HOWEVER, they're still unreliable and can fail for no apparent reason, as hifi dave found with a Jubilee and his ex-dem Super? Gold he'd sold on, the latter sounded awesome just a month or two before.

The Blue was a bit of a nail, albeit an entertaining one, with a real "twang" in the treble, although most today will have been tinkered with at least once by now. The Export silver was supposed to be better, although the only one I ever had dealings with long-term had been quietly fitted with a superb VDH style diamond and this one was lovely - used in an Omega Point arm on a Bastin plinth'd 301 (Croft Super Micro, Crofted Quad II's and '57's - gorgeous).

The Golds were better again, at least as a new purchase, although old ones were still plagued by severe quality control issues and premature failures. The Garrott Microscanner I have is sublime and overall, one of the very best cartridge I've ever used and heard by and large, as long as the turntable and arm its fitted to can fully exploit the dynamic range on offer. Fitted to my old Mentor (and into either ARC SP14 or my original Croft SMA4-PP), the sonics were the closest to master tape I've ever heard from vinyl - and I don't say that lightly either.

So, you have the right deck and arm for one, but any used purchase will have to be regarded with EXTREME caution IMO. The wonderful thing is though, that they can ALL be rebuilt, re-tipped, re-glued etc etc so if and when it does go wrong, don't despair. Just get something cheap like an AT91/95E/Rega Carbon for standby duties..

For "normal" cartridges with a sort-of Decca-like delivery, look for something like a Sumiko BPS or Blackbird, which have a strong, full-on presentation, rather than the more restrained tones of say a Dynavector 10XV. The ever popular denon DL110 isn't in the same resolution league IMO.

[hifi_dave]

http://http://i1058.photobucket.com/albums/t406/hifi_dave/007.jpg



Like this..:ner:

[worrasf]

I echo all Dave said.
I'd just add I have a Decca Blue that was rebuilt by Presence Audio and I'm delighted with it. Every time I try something else I end up going back to it. My "alternate" is a Garrott P77 which is also mighty fine but the Decca pleases more.

FWIW - Glenn C opines that the Blues had the better "internals" but I wouldn't really know.

BTW - they like mass in the headshell I use a nifty 5g headshell weight produced by Presence (I can't justify the cost of a Deccapod) :eek:

Steve

[The Black Adder]

Same here... I'm also looking to try a Decca... But the sound from my Shure V15 III + Jico SAS is bloody lovely too!

[valves]

Hi all,

I think I'm still keen to try a Decca cartridge.

Now hear's a question,

What would be the best used one to look out for? and how much should I pay?

Thanks.

[worrasf]

Well - whichever one you buy if its used I personally would factor in another £200 or so to get it checked out - more than likely the suspension will need replacing.
Steve

[Moko]

I'm not sure this is the right place to post this but I have a Decca Maroon that was retipped/rebuilt by John Wright a few years ago that has basically sat in a draw unused for the last few years, before being run over the last few weeks.

I absolutely love the sound of but I have been offered a Gold so I will have to sell my Maroon.

So if you are interested please PM me for price details etc.

PS: If this is not the right place to put this just let me know & I will put up a proper ad but I just wanted to reach people who would appreciate this great cart.

[Barry]

This (http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=7107) might be of interest.

The Decca "Silver" that Dave referred to, is the Export version of the Decca Blue, usually called the Decca Grey.

The Maroon was a better built Blue, also fitted with a spherical tip.

[DSJR]

The compliance laterally was higher on some (Maroon and Gold?) and adding weight to the headshell causes alarming lateral shimmy when setting down or if the deck is lightly jogged as mine did in the Td125/R200/Nagaoka shell combination.

I still maintain a 'Pod improves the overall soundfield reproduction no end, the soft red plastic mount as supplied taking loads away if making for a safer sound...

Shilling? I no longer give a stuff, but the Rega Apheta should offer a similar sense of drama and clarity, but it will need a carefully matched phono stage to tame it. Do this (I've heard it extensively with an EAR834P) and it shines so brightly and shouldn't fail so regularly either with any luck.....

[Clive]

I have a London Reference and Garrott P77i breathed on by Dom running side-by-side albeit on different decks, Dave mentioned the Garrott so I thought I'd comment. In some respects they are remarkably similar though the Garrott is a little more easy going. The Garrott also needs a phono stage that is a little brighter (llower capacitance) than the London / Decca. Vs a much lesser Decca I feel my Garrott with boron cantilever, thanks to Dom, would pull well ahead. As standard the Garrott was too nice sounding for my taste.

As for the Rega Apheta, doesn't this really need the Rega phono stage with a 8.5kHz notch filter to work?

[Mileend]

I have a Decca Maroon with Decca Pod just serviced by John Wright that I would consider selling. Please pm if interested.

ps Clive what phonostage do you use with your Decca's ?

[Clive]

ps Clive what phonostage do you use with your Decca's ?

I use a Diyhifisupply Vinyl Song LCR phono stage, valve with LCRs for the riaa correction. I've set 33k input imedance.

[hifi_dave]

As for the Rega Apheta, doesn't this really need the Rega phono stage with a 8.5kHz notch filter to work?


No, it sounds pretty amazing into all the phono stages I have tried it with. To my ears, the Apheta is the closest in sound to a good Decca/London I know of.

[DSJR]

I did say the Apheta is lively in sound, but IT IS NOT thin, gutless and wiry as an ill-matched AT OC9 can be, if you see where I am. The Apheta has a vibrant, direct and very clear quality to it which can bring vinyl to life in a positive way. I wonder if Marco would like it, even if he wouldn't use one himself?????

Carl, look at the Maroon above and consider a Pod for it if it doesn't already have one. The four pin connector is worth adding too (assuming it comes with the original three pin one)

[basnas]

Hi
Is it best to add a decca pod, my deck is Hyperspace with Acespace.
My Decca is the blue with new tip from John Wright, also with 4 pins.
Any sell a Decca pod second hand?
Best jan

[DSJR]

With a suitable arm (yours is perfect) then a Pod is essential in my view. The pastic mount is better of the arm is suspect or too low in rigidity.

For some reason, Deccas do like good unipivots and back in the day, it's where Hadcocks used to truly shine. Toms arms are like the Stax UA7, a unipivot but with stabilisers to prevent the clumsy rocking exhibited by other arms (the ARO particularly) and without the need for damping at the pivot.

[hifi_dave]

Hi
Is it best to add a decca pod, my deck is Hyperspace with Acespace.
My Decca is the blue with new tip from John Wright, also with 4 pins.
Any sell a Decca pod second hand?
Best jan

I'm surprised that John didn't persuade you to have a pod fitted when he worked on the cartridge. It is very desirable if you have a decent arm, which you do. The original plastic mount is kinder if the arm isn't up to the job but it's a pain in't ass every time you remove the stylus guard..:doh: