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Decca cartridge experiences

I really don't expect any response to this as the issue of Deccas, and all the controversies they stirred up is now passé, but does anyone out there own and use a Decca, and if so, did you find a tonearm which will accomodate it? I'd appreciate it if anyone shared their experiences with it, good or bad. I've found two tonearms in which it will work well: one a Mayware tonearm in which it works superbly, and one a Maplenoll air-bearing 'table with fluid damping trough, but I'm having a bit of trouble getting this combo to work again (I've only recently re-acquired the Maplenoll)...I'll have to fiddle with viscosity, amount of fluid and so on.

To all those who haven't had a chance to hear this cartridge, and who like to experiment and have fun (and tear their hair out), then a Decca still has the most slam of any cartridge, and retrieves an incredible amount of detail from the groove. Though these days it no longer sells for pocket change (the Super Gold goes for $850, but there are cheaper models), it's still not in the stratosphere like so many others. It is dificlt to find a tonearm which will accomodate it as well.

I'd appreciate as well any experiences with the new versions, as I hear the new stylus profile makes it less difficult. I think the responses will be "0", but any cartridge which stirred up this much controversy (at least a while ago) is Good News, like the Shelter (which is far more accomodating, however)...Thank you for your attention, if any attention there is...
johnnantais

Showing 3 responses by tobias

tobias
1,534 posts
 
I paid attention, and I want to thank you for the benefit of your experience and research. I don't ever expect to be setting up a Decca again, but you never know.

I did see a couple of years back that someone in Europe had NOS Decca International arms for not much money, and it was almost tempting enough to make me order one. Maybe this time I would get the horizontal alignment right ;-)
tobias
1,534 posts
 
All my experience with Deccas is very old. (But by George, this thread is tempting me... agh!) I too remember it did well in the Keith Monks (you hardly ever saw one of those). It also worked in the ERA tt's stock arm, a plastic girder-shaped device, and of all things it worked in the Sugden Connoisseur belt-drive's gimbal-bearing arm. I hate to think of how sloppy those bearings were, but the design did not frighten a Decca.

Come to think of it, I have a BD2 in the horrible crawl space that serves for a basement. No, no, no... !
tobias
1,534 posts
 
Oh dear, John, you have reminded me of my first high-end source, which I took out a loan to buy and then traded away in a d-i-v-o-r-c-e. It was a London Export, gray case, in an International arm and it certainly boogied. I had champagne tastes then just as much as today.

Unfortunately the cart and arm pair were mounted on a Connoisseur BD-1... sorry. As long as nobody got up and walked around, and no trucks passed, it was very listenable. But the sound had a rather seismographic quality, if I may put it that way.

If I ever get a second analog source, this thread has made sure it will be an attempt to see that old TT done right.
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