It took me 3 years to find a decent C4E, but the wait was worth it!
Location: Cheltenham
Posts: 982
I'm Charlie.
It took me 3 years to find a decent C4E, but the wait was worth it!
R2R: Studer A820 1/2 inch 2 track; Otari MTR-12 1/4 inch 2 track; Sony APR 5003; Sony APR 5002; Studer A807/II. Vinyl: Platine Verdier Allaerts MC1B/Schroeder Reference & Model 2 Decca C4E/Hadcock 228 TRON Seven Reference phono. Keith Monks MkII RCM Other analogue source: Nakamichi Dragon with ANT4066 mods. Amplification: TRON Meteor preamp TRON Voyager 20B SET power. Speakers: Avantgarde Duo. Digital: computing at last with Prism Sound Lyra 2 A2D converter
The blurb says it is a Decca 'Grey'. The Decca Greys were hand-picked samples of the Mk. V reserved for export (and usually referred to as the Decca 'Export').
They were thus fitted with a spherical stylus.
'Silver' and 'grey' are not too different in colour, although the Decca 'Greys' I have seen were darker in hue.
Barry
Location: Estonia
Posts: 145
I'm ahto.
Lenco L75 in a very heavy plinth /Hadcock 228 /London Decca Blue /Croft SMA IV Octal with separate 2020 PSU/ Croft 7R monos /Harbeth SHL5
Fletcher .3 /Hadcock 228 / Denon 103R/ Croft HeadAmp /Croft Mega Micro II (2015) /Croft Series 5 MkIi /Markaudio SOTA Cesti B
Leak Troughline III GTA / Vecteur D-2.2 / Wadia 121 / Katana, Isolator & RPi /RFC & AntiCable
It is impossible for anything digital to sound analogue, because it isn't analogue!
As Geoff has said, there doesn't seem to be any difference. Both are 'export' samples of the Mk. V (aka the Decca 'Blue'), fitted with a spherical sample.I've tried googling it, but with no apparent success. what is the difference between a Decca Grey & a Decca Silver?
There is some understandable confusion with Decca's nomenclature for their Mk. V and Mk. VI cartridge designs. For example there is mention of a Decca 'Black', which I think might be the same as the 'Blue' (but I could well be wrong). Likewise there is the the Decca 'Maroon' (known in the US as the Decca 'Plum') which is a Mk. V design, but made on a separate production line, with (supposedly) extra special care taken with its construction. Like all Mk. Vs, it also sports a spherical stylus.
The big problem with all Decca cartridges is their atrocious standard of construction, leading to enormous variations in quality, and hence reliability. I have had three Decca 'Blues': one fantastic; one OK, and one decidedly poor. The Decca 'Gold' I have is fine, as is my Decca SC4E. I also have a Decca Mk. III which I can use with a Decca ffss Super arm. or via an SME D3 adaptor on an SME arm. It hasn't be used for a good while now, so I can't really comment on how it sounds compared with the the later designs.
There is further complication in that Decca fitted an RC network to some of the Mk. IV designs: ostensibly to the RC, but some other Mk. IVs had them fitted as well. And to make matters even more unclear, the coils for early Decca cartridges were made for them by Parmeko. These coils continued to be used up to the early Mk. Vs, when Decca made their own coils, which produced a lower output than the Parmeko coils.
Barry
Location: Estonia
Posts: 145
I'm ahto.
appreciative as I am of what amounts to a free education, I'm still looking for a Decca.
Lenco L75 in a very heavy plinth /Hadcock 228 /London Decca Blue /Croft SMA IV Octal with separate 2020 PSU/ Croft 7R monos /Harbeth SHL5
Fletcher .3 /Hadcock 228 / Denon 103R/ Croft HeadAmp /Croft Mega Micro II (2015) /Croft Series 5 MkIi /Markaudio SOTA Cesti B
Leak Troughline III GTA / Vecteur D-2.2 / Wadia 121 / Katana, Isolator & RPi /RFC & AntiCable
How much are you willing to pay? Are you still looking for an SC4E or a C4E, or would you consider a Mk.V or Mk.VI?
Barry
Location: Estonia
Posts: 145
I'm ahto.
I'm afraid there is no short answer.
I'm looking for a long-term replacement for my Music Maker III, which I've retired considering it has about 1200 hours on it (2012-2020). my budget would be what it costs having the MMIII refurbished by Mr Gregory (plus a little more, if needed). this is not to cast aspersions on the MMIII (which I've not heard in its most recent incarnation). however, I bought a 103R on this forum to tide me over & it's made me think.
so I've come to the conclusion I'd like to push the MM envelope & try a Decca. I had a refurbished one (Mk V I think), but suppose felt intimidated by it & sold it here untried a few years ago. still regret that. I keep reading a C4E or a SC4E refurbished by John Wright is the way to go -- so that's what I'd like to try. though if that's going to take years, as suggested above, then I'm open to other options.
I've bought a Croft head amp meanwhile & the 103R is going to stay. I've also bought a second deck, however, so, for the Decca it'd either be a Cartridgeman Conductor/Fletcher Omega 3 or a Hadcock 228/Lenco75 in a very heavy plinth.
cheers
ahto
Last edited by eksiil; 11-05-2020 at 18:36. Reason: accretion
Lenco L75 in a very heavy plinth /Hadcock 228 /London Decca Blue /Croft SMA IV Octal with separate 2020 PSU/ Croft 7R monos /Harbeth SHL5
Fletcher .3 /Hadcock 228 / Denon 103R/ Croft HeadAmp /Croft Mega Micro II (2015) /Croft Series 5 MkIi /Markaudio SOTA Cesti B
Leak Troughline III GTA / Vecteur D-2.2 / Wadia 121 / Katana, Isolator & RPi /RFC & AntiCable
The C4E and SC4Es are rarely come up up for sale these days, whereas the Mk.V and Mk.VIs are more common.
There is a rather nice Decca 'Maroon' for sale on ebay at the moment for £560: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/London-De...75.c100623.m-1
Barry
Location: Kendal
Posts: 26
I'm David.
I have 21no Decca cartridges comprising FFSS MKI (6no), MKII (5no), MKIII (3no), H4E (4No) plus 1no each of Decca London Green (78rpm), Blue & Maroon. PM me if any of interest. Obviously, unless you are using the original Decca tonearm, you will need an adaptor for the FFSS type for use with a modern tonearm with detachable SME pattern headshell. These adaptors are availble and still being made, albeit a little expensive.