I had many Londons early in my audio career. As you say they are a love/hate relationship. I don't really recall what caused me to move away from them, probably MCs, but I do firmly remember that a knife edge bearing tone arm was unusable. I did have a Decca International and actually recall that I got better performance from another arm, the Keith Monks. I would imagine that an air bearing arm would be tight enough and massive enough for the cartridge. I have a Schroeder arm and am thinking of buying a Decca Jubilee. Frank Schroeder told me that he knows of several dedicated Decca lovers using his arm with great success.
In Europe and the UK you will find many Decca users. |
Can you give us details for ordering? |
Rwd, where did you hear the Decca on ServoStatic 1A's? In Tallahassee? If so, it was mine. I too wonder why I don't have the Deccas anymore. I know why I don't have the SS-1As; I could not keep them running.
I just bought a Jubilee, however. It will go on my new Schroeder. |
Johnnantais, I have a Jubilee on the way because of you and others reminding me of the Deccas. There is an English firm that has new wiring for the Decca International. I had forgotten the crappy headshell.
Try a Garrard tt! |
Johnnantais and Joe, I got this message. Was yours the same? What is CE, the European Community?
Dear --,
For CE Euro 25 + Euro 10 = Euro 35,- prepaid in cash by registered letter as
all other ways of payment are too expensive. Outside CE 25 + 15 = 40 Euro.
Please send by registered letter Euro 35,- or 40,- to:
DUROB AUDIO BV
Asserlaan 4
5251 XJ Vlijmen
The Netherlands
We send the arm after receipt of money by registered mail to your address. |
Where did you guys get the Euros? |
What kind of hole does the Decca International need? I wonder about mounting the Decca on my Garrard 501. |
Ah, yes, extreme dynamics! I remember it well! I think I am just going to mount the Jubilee on the Schroeder as I already own it, and Frank Schroeder says he has close friends using Deccas on it. With the decline of the dollar, the Loricraft/Garrard 501 is over $20k! |
Don't ask the cost of the Schroeder. Much of this is the low value of the dollar. |
Johnnanais, I finally got the Jubilee mounted on the Schroeder. I have gone through two iterations of dialing in the cartridge and spend a long time of VTA. I think I am pretty close to having it right.
Several comments seem justified. The Jubilee like earlier Deccas is very immediate and dynamic with very well defined bass and very metal like symbols. And I have no mistracking problems; none. I have yet to decide whether the Jubilee has the finesse of my J. Allaeret, but it sure causes me fewer problems in getting enough gain. |
Some further comments on the Jubilee. It is incredibly sensitive to VTA. You can easily cause the image to vanish. At this point I am not certain whether you can find a single best point that will work to all records, and the Schroeder does not allow for easy replication of VTA. Second the Jubilee is very sensitive to antiskating adjustment. Too much can easily result in mistracking on one side.
The recommendation is that the cartridge have no VTA nor any asmuth angle. I used a small bubble level to achieve this. I wish the Schroeder had the included bubble of the Decca International arm.
There is no question that no other cartridge can match the bass on this cartridge. And I should say nor can digital bass. |
I am having very good luck with my Jubilee in the Schroeder Reference arm on the Garrard 501. I recently discovered that I could get it to track with no problems at just under 2 grams. Here the bass is what I remember the Londons being like and the top end is very quick and true. The anti-skating, however, has to be right on, especially for the inner grooves.
I have my J. Aleret MC2 Finish back, but I am having so much fun with the Decca. |
Johnnantais, you might be interested in my post on the H-Cat phono using the Jubilee. |
Yes, see my post today on the phono stage. I, of course, did buy both the line stage and the phono unheard, but I knew Roger Paul. Where do you live, if you are near NJ, CT, or TX, I know where you might hear one.
Roger sells direct, but he has taken on one dealer, who I introduced to the H-Cat. I am not a dealer. |
The post is at http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1094395608&openusid&zzTbg&4&5#Tbg |
Andrewg, I had written a response, but it seems to have gotten lost.
The Jubilee works very well on the Schroeder. The most critical adjustment is the gap between the magnets, where a slight increase can make the Decca mistrack. Anti-skating is also critical. In short even the Jubilee is hard to get to perform properly, but the well adjusted performance is outstanding.
I don't know whether you have had prior experience with Deccas. They can be frustrating as well as outstanding. |
The Garrott Brothers are dead. Perhaps their company lacks the expertise to re-tip cartridges. |
Johnnantais, it is a very long term comparison, but in my experience the Decca Jubilee tracted better than did my London Deccas of 25 years ago. I think then I used it on the Formula 4 and Keith Monks arms. I do think that spherical tips are easier to select the VTA but ultimately less resolving. |
Topoxforddoc, can you please tell us more about the cartridge? I have never heard of it. |
Topoxforddoc, Thanks for the information. I had asked as in the late 60s and early 70s I had Decca London cartridges which were troublesome but magnificent. They may have been the Mark Vs. All I remember is that they slid on a plastic mount and had only three pins, namely a shared ground. The only arms that I could get these cartridges to work in were the Decca Internation and the Keith Monks.
I bought a Jubilee hoping to get good tracking and the dynamics of the Londons, but had the Schroeder arm. I could get it to work but not with the benefits that I recalled of the Londons. I too have not heard the Reference. |
