why no mc from croft?

[DSJR]

I don't mean to attract the "Wrexham Police" but my recent experiences with both the Decca Gold Microscanner I had repaired in recent years and also a good original Shure V15IV in the Lab 80mk2 (yes, it works well) shows me that GOOD magnetic types can "do" 3-D and bass *if it's there in the original recording and vinyl cut.* The turntable is all, followed by the arm - but you guys know that already don't you?

DECENT moving coil types cost money (the DL110 isn't really much better than a good MM, just different if truth be told) and you then have the added expense of a decent step up which can again add hundreds of pounds of a good one is to be got. Forget lavish confections like the more expensive Koetsu's, as you're buying into the name and the cachet produced, rather than a better sound per se..... Also, there is the tendency, expressed by Glenn, to take a basic design at x price, select a few and charge 2x, select a few more and charge 4x etc. etc. All good business practice of fleecing well off audiophools. Also, Roy Gandy of Rega once suggested that the maximum a moving coil cartridge should sell for is a very few hundred quid, unless it has a fancy gemstone body as some did and do, yet I notice the Apheta costs nigh-on a grand - hmmmmmmm!

You may not agree with Glenn's point of view, but one must agree that his opinion works in a huge number of cases

[MartinT]

The SIP (Stereo Integrated Preamp) is a complete preamp, not just phono stage, and dates back to about 1986 or so. I bought it from Audio T when they were having problems with Glenn and I'm fairly sure it came from him and not anyone else. It's full width, in brown casework, discretely built and sounds superb. I know it's rare because I've never heard of another one! It's sitting unloved in my garage and I need to find a home for it. I bought it with a Series 4S which has a fault in one channel.

[worrasf]

Glenn's MM phono stages are legendary and when you hear a well set up London/Decca through one, you have to agree that MC's are, perhaps, not the best way of playing your vinyl.

My system is living proof of the truth of this statement

Steve

[hifi_dave]

The SIP (Stereo Integrated Preamp) is a complete preamp, not just phono stage, and dates back to about 1986 or so. I bought it from Audio T when they were having problems with Glenn and I'm fairly sure it came from him and not anyone else. It's full width, in brown casework, discretely built and sounds superb. I know it's rare because I've never heard of another one! It's sitting unloved in my garage and I need to find a home for it. I bought it with a Series 4S which has a fault in one channel.

Very early Croft pre-amps were in cream or cream/brown cases. Pretty soon they came in black from, say, 1983 onwards. The model names were Micro, Super Micro, Super Micro A etc but I never saw a SIP.

I have only ever dealt with Glenn and still do. Sometime in the mid 80's his products (more accurately his name) were touted by someone else and it is these products which were numerous and varied. Glenn had little to do with these products but will service and support them if required.

[DSJR]

Dave, do you mean from the early nineties onwards? Both the SMA4PP's I've owned date from 1990 or so, but I remember a customer bringing in a cream/brown pair (pre plus Series 4) a few years earlier that had been bought from your good self. The little Micro pre that Mark I owned/owns still was given an excellent review (technical as well as sonic) in a 'Choice amp book and this one had a stereo volume control from memory and just three inputs in a cream and blue "RS" project case. When I first met you in 1988 or so, the black cases had only recently been introduced from memory.

[The Grand Wazoo]

I was going to mention the blue RS cases, but I thought I must have been imagining it.

[DSJR]

Oh no, they existed alright and were made the same way inside as the current ones. I remember from another thread somewhere that Glenn did one up for a poster, mainly the phono stage ouput impedance mod and an uprated valve power supply similar to mine, and the work was beautifully done and looked as good as new

[Marco]

I don't mean to attract the "Wrexham Police" but my recent experiences with both the Decca Gold Microscanner I had repaired in recent years and also a good original Shure V15IV in the Lab 80mk2 (yes, it works well) shows me that GOOD magnetic types can "do" 3-D and bass *if it's there in the original recording and vinyl cut.*

Lol - I don't have any problem with that statement, as in some ways it reflects my own experiences, especially with the M3D and G800 - both MMs

However, as usual, let's not get bogged down with absolutes....

I too own a (very good) Croft preamp, with in-built valve MM phono stage, and I've heard MMs, MCs (via SUTs and head amps), and yes, moving-irons (Deccas), through it, and as undoubtedly superb as Deccas are, I still prefer my SPU, through its matching A23 SUT.

It just has a magical and effortless way with music, that so far no other cartridge I've heard can emulate, so yes Deccas are great, but they're not the only way to analogue audio nirvana, with or without a Croft preamp or phono stage

Marco.

[The Grand Wazoo]

Oh no, they existed alright and were made the same way inside as the current ones.

With an overhanging top cover?

[kininigin]

just been reading up on these decca's and they sound like they could be what im looking for after being suitably worked on.Not going to happen this year,but would love to hear one some time.Do dealers demo carts nowadays?