I keep hearing people mention 'cantilever haze' which, according to some accounts, becomes apparent once you hear the 'magic' of Decca C4E cartridge (which has no cantilever to speak of).

However, Decca C4E is notorious for being notably 'temperamental' (some compare it to vintage British automobiles); people are encountering a lot of quality control issues with it. Also, reports of mis-tracking abound. So according to many testimonials, this cartridge a blessing-and-a-curse type of a component.

Which makes me wonder: given the advantages of cantilever-less cartridges (i.e. the absence of cantilever haze and the amazing speed gained through the more direct signal path), why aren't some other cartridge manufacturers building cantilever-less cartridges? Does Decca own patent rights or what?

I mean, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand the many disadvantages of having a metal tube suspended via some rubber 'ring' vibrate and relay the signal. It is definitely desirable to eliminate that 'middle man' and shorten the distance between the tracked grooves and the coils/magnets that generate electrical signals.

It would be great if we were to see some competition in that arena. A little bit of a price war, and also hopefully a bit better quality control (Decca is historically notorious for its spotty quality control process).