Justin & Jerry's Hifi Blog

[jandl100]

First I wouldn't go much beyond 2.0g in tracking weight.

I tried 2.5g and the cart bottomed out.
2g seems to track best!

I believe most Deccas benefit from some form of damping. So I would try pushing some Blutak in between the top of the cartridge and the plastic bracket.

OK - I'll try that later.

You might like to experiment with the loading. Some find reducing the loading to 33 kOhm helps. With my sample, depending on the preamp used, I found adding a considerable capacitance (1000pF) was necessary to tame that over lively top end.

I've a Trichord Dino so my options are restricted .. it does either 100pF or 1.1nF (for the MC settings) and loading is 47Kohms or 1Kohm or less.

[Barry]

Thanks Barry!

I'm a bit concerned about the condition - but it may just be the Decca Way!

There's very little clearance between tha bottom of the cart and the LP. Looking at the cart edge-on all that can be seen poking out is the actual diamond itself - is that the way it should be?

See if you can see what I mean from this photo - a lot less tham 1mm between cart bottom and LP ...

Yes that is quite normal. In fact the clearence is so small (about 0.5mm) that you might have trouble with 'sleeping policeman' shaped warps: the cartridge might ground, or bottom out.

You could try slightly raising the back of the arm, but be careful this does not affect the tonal balance. In not having any cantilever to speak of, all adjustments have a far greater effect than they would with a conventional cantilevered cartridge.

Your records need to be flat and scrupulously clean - even then you will probably have to clean the stylus after each play, if not each side!

I notice you have only used one of the return connections. I found I had to connect the two returns together so as to not troubled by hum.

Regards

[DSJR]

That one needs some internal fettling. Mine has at least 1mm clearance and barely needs 1.5g to track properly. The internals can get pushed up into the body, reducing clearance and, if it's an old one, will definitely need to be returned to Presence Audio for checking and adjustment...

P.S. Which Dave said the PL71 arm wouldn't work? if that was aimed at me, I must protest as I used mine in the R200 with similar headshell (and extra mass too) for over two years with excellent results...

[jandl100]

That one needs some internal fettling. Mine has at least 1mm clearance and barely needs 1.5g to track properly. The internals can get pushed up into the body, reducing clearance and, if it's an old one, will definitely need to be returned to Presence Audio for checking and adjustment...

Ah, thanks Dave.

In that case it's going back - I paid enough for it to be in decent nick.

[DSJR]

Put it this way, in its second life (in the mid 90's and as a Microscanner), like many, it developed a sort of "buzzing" coloration on sustained piano and guitar notes. This was one of the things that caused Max Townshend to go over to the Dynavector 17D IIRC. Mine was put away in disgrace for over ten years and before funds ran out, I sent it to be serviced via Mike at Moth Marketing. The bill was well under £100 and in my case (because I'd been peeking further - ahem!), involved a new lateral coil, the top maget to be re-glued in position and a full cleanout and re-alignment. It came back better than ever and was sounding swell last I used it (the TD125 is now gone, but I've kept the R200).

[jandl100]

I've returned to my Zu103 with a sense of relief.

OK, so it hasn't (quite) got the Decca's speed and openness, but it ain't bad, it ain't bad at all ... and it's a much easier listen.

Plug & play - that's the way I like 'em.

[Marco]

It is simply astonishing.

I've had a few (well, OK, a lot!) of CDPs and DACs pass thru my system over the years. Of the one's I have enjoyed, some have been cheap & cheerful but surprisingly fine, others much more expensive and bloody marvellous. Some owned, some loaned, some just passing thru with a visitor to Jerry Towers.
But after a week or so with this wee beastie, I can confidently say that I have NEVER heard such good CD playback.

I'm having trouble getting my head round quite how good this player is, and in what ways it excels.
I think the ability on which everything else builds is in the way it separates out everything that's going on in the music, there's an uncanny clarity and lack of confusion in the imaging. Yes, I've had 'great imaging' before, and my speakers are good at presenting this, but the RA CD50 is simply 3 steps up on anything else I have heard.
When this sort of clarity is achieved the insight into the music is hugely enhanced.

Tonally it's good; bass is deep and very taut, treble is extended and pure, the mids nice and open.

Oh yes ... the dynamics. How could I forget the dynamics? That's the next best thing after the amazingly lucid imaging. They are just so free and unconstrained. The system really just lets go of the music with the CD50 at the front.

I just find it hard to believe how good this sounds - it amazes me with every disc I put on.

Damn, I really am running out of things to box-swap.

Excellent stuff, Jerry! What did I tell you?

The CD50 is a veritable example of one of the 'proper' CDPs I often refer to when CD was in its heyday, such as what I've been talking about on the Audio Note thread.

I can tell you that it would give my Sony a run for its money, as they both share a similar musical presentation. Everything is 'right' about how the RA CD50 handles music. It should put a big smile on your face every time you hit the 'Play' button: genuine 'no compromise' digital repay at its absolute best!

CDPs are just not made like that anymore. I can tell you quite categorically Jerry that if you let the CD50 go, you'll likely never find another CDP to better it. Enjoy!

Marco.

[jandl100]

CDPs are just not made like that anymore. I can tell you quite categorically Jerry that if you let the CD50 go, you'll likely never find another CDP to better it. Enjoy!

Marco.

Yup, the more I listen the more I agree with you.
Damn.

I didn't particularly mention the treble in my main posting, but it's just so bloody natural. It reminds me a lot of the treble of the early top Focal Utopia beryllium tweeters. (No, not the more recent mid-range Utopias which screech).

It's a keeper. or depending on whether I've got my boxswapper's hat on!

Go along to Stu's room (chelsea on AOS, russ abbott on the Wam) - I'm loaning him the CD50 to use in his system at Scalford.

[Marco]

Nice one, Jerry - I'll defo be checking it out. The CD50 was one where they got the recipe 'just right'. That doesn't happen so often!

Marco.

[DSJR]

I wonder if the Zu 103 can have its tip tweaked with a better diamond profile? We need to find someone who's done it to a 103, leaving the lower compliance, but fitting a line tip or similar...