Originally Posted by
Patrick Dixon
I have had a few, all secondhand and all rebuilt by John Wright. Currently have an SC4e and C4e plus some 78 rpm and 'head' versions. I also had a Blue which I had rebuilt and transplanted into a wooden body and is now with a friend. Like Barry I would probably go for a London Reference if buying new.
I am currently using the SC4e in a Hadcock 242SE on a Sony TTS-8000 and it sounds better than any previous combination. I also have the C4e in a Mission 774 on a Thorens TD-124/2 and have previously used them in a Terminator and SME 3009/2 Imp (with damping).
I think the key is to get mass at the headshell (which is why the Mk4s and the re-bodied one sounded best IMV) and to find a good tonearm match. I contemplated buying a Graham Phantom to try but the Haddcock is just fantastic with my SC4e (it's a newer 10" version). I'd still like to try with a Graham and/or a Kuzma 4point one day or maybe a Nottingham Analogue Ace Anna.
Dynamics are amazing and in the Sony/Hadcock I also get a wide and spacious soundstage which was a little unexpected. As Barry says, the Deccas are essentially a mono design with a vertical component added as a afterthought to give stereo.
I was long intrigued about Deccas but topoxforddoc (Charlie's) write-up on his C4e a few years ago prompted me to try one. It's been a journey, but I was hooked once I heard The Jam 'Sound Affects' played on a very ragged Decca Blue.