Interesting. I’m happy enough with my 4 lesser Deccas. Judging from the sound of the ascending order of mine, I suspect that the more one goes up the ladder, the more damped they become, to the point where the Reference might be the least exciting but most refined one of the bunch. As you like the Benz, maybe a AT-ART1000 would be interesting to compare.
Change of plans!
An interesting few days here, where I compared, head-to-head, the London Decca Reference on a Series V on an SME Model 10, to the LP-S on a Series IV on a second SME Model 10. Lots of different styles of music, but mainly on really good recordings (largely Opus 3) that I know inside out. It pains me to say it, but the Reference sounded slightly muffled compared to the LP-S. So the king is dead, long live the king! And just as that phrase proved comforting when QEII passed away, the implied continuity will let me move on here. The LP-S is now on my best arm, the Series V. That leaves the Series IV free for my mono cartridge, the Cadenza Mono. I'm told I cannot cancel my order for two more Acoustand tonearm pods, even though it is still a month before they are to be machined. Oh well, I may sell them or just keep them for the next time I want to have as many tonearms as possible!
Even so, I can't help fiddling a bit. Just as the LP-S is better than the London Reference, the Reference is better than the Kontrapunkt C. Going back 12-13 years, I used to use a Benz Micro Ruby 3, and it still sounds good, although it must be in need of a re-tip. Could the Ruby 3 be an improvement over the Cadenza Mono? It's a stereo cartridge, but Steve Leung is happy to rotate the armature 45° and disconnect one coil, the connect the remaining horizontally-sensitive coil to both sets of output pins when he gives it a new stylus. It's a relatively cheap experiment to do, and so I'm going to give it a go.
Otherwise, it is interesting to note that the LP-S currently costs about the same as the Reference did when I bought it 12 years ago (and the Reference isn't currently available, unless or until londondecca.com wake up and start making them again). And the LP-S isn't dreadfully expensive compared to the uber-cartridges, so maybe they are better still. I shan't be in a position to find out!
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