I have the London Decca Reference
http://i.imgur.com/KNDkQoV.jpg
and Jonathan Valin fairly nailed it in his review late 2008
http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/london-reference-phono-cartridge/
I don’t hold with all the current theories and folk-lore about cartridge and tonearm matching.
In my experience of a dozen tonearms and over 70 cartridges of all types.....I have HEARD the results of supposedly ’kosher’ and ’unkosher’ combinations and it is my view that the very best tonearms will work with every single cartridge regardless of weight and compliance. Because of the different cartridge body materials utilised by manufacturers....the headshell material of the tonearm greatly affects the ’matching’ to the tonearm.
Because most modern high-end tonearms don’t have interchangeable headshells, the majority of high-end audiophiles are at the mercy of poor cartridge/headshell compatibility.....NOT tonearm compatibility.
So I have my Decca London Ref mounted on my Dynavector DV-507/II which is a mighty weighty arm with extreme rigidity (particularly in the horizontal plane).
None of my arms utilises damping and three of the unipivots I owned which used it were a PITA 😡
The Decca London is one of the lightest cartridges I have owned so you will need a counterweight and arm which can balance this.
When I first mounted it, it certainly DID emphasise many more clicks and pops than I was ever aware of on my favourite discs. But after 10 hours or so of run-in....this flaw diminished.
What it also does is reveal any damaged groove wall on a particular disc......damage which is not revealed by any other cartridge.
But this has occurred (so far) only on my favourite 45 year-old test record...and only on a few grooves.
I think this may be the genesis of the ’myth’ that the Decca London "grinds out record grooves"....
It is also true that it picks up groove dirt and dust faster than others and it will repay you handsomely if you brush, dip in Magic Eraser and finally Onzow ZeroDust after every side.
The only shortcoming of the cartridge which may bother some, is its narrow soundstage.
There is plenty of soundstage depth but any width beyond your speakers is unrealised terrain.
That being said.....the Decca London Reference is perhaps the most ’alive’ cartridge you will hear. It is much more aligned to the great vintage MMs of the past in that respect, than to modern LOMCs and that pleases me enormously.
Everyone speaks of its amazing midrange but it is certainly no slouch in the bass department...😍
For demanding classical recordings.....whether individual instruments, trios and quartets or full-blown orchestral extravaganzas.....it is unsurpassed in my experience.
http://i.imgur.com/KNDkQoV.jpg
and Jonathan Valin fairly nailed it in his review late 2008
http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/london-reference-phono-cartridge/
I don’t hold with all the current theories and folk-lore about cartridge and tonearm matching.
In my experience of a dozen tonearms and over 70 cartridges of all types.....I have HEARD the results of supposedly ’kosher’ and ’unkosher’ combinations and it is my view that the very best tonearms will work with every single cartridge regardless of weight and compliance. Because of the different cartridge body materials utilised by manufacturers....the headshell material of the tonearm greatly affects the ’matching’ to the tonearm.
Because most modern high-end tonearms don’t have interchangeable headshells, the majority of high-end audiophiles are at the mercy of poor cartridge/headshell compatibility.....NOT tonearm compatibility.
So I have my Decca London Ref mounted on my Dynavector DV-507/II which is a mighty weighty arm with extreme rigidity (particularly in the horizontal plane).
None of my arms utilises damping and three of the unipivots I owned which used it were a PITA 😡
The Decca London is one of the lightest cartridges I have owned so you will need a counterweight and arm which can balance this.
When I first mounted it, it certainly DID emphasise many more clicks and pops than I was ever aware of on my favourite discs. But after 10 hours or so of run-in....this flaw diminished.
What it also does is reveal any damaged groove wall on a particular disc......damage which is not revealed by any other cartridge.
But this has occurred (so far) only on my favourite 45 year-old test record...and only on a few grooves.
I think this may be the genesis of the ’myth’ that the Decca London "grinds out record grooves"....
It is also true that it picks up groove dirt and dust faster than others and it will repay you handsomely if you brush, dip in Magic Eraser and finally Onzow ZeroDust after every side.
The only shortcoming of the cartridge which may bother some, is its narrow soundstage.
There is plenty of soundstage depth but any width beyond your speakers is unrealised terrain.
That being said.....the Decca London Reference is perhaps the most ’alive’ cartridge you will hear. It is much more aligned to the great vintage MMs of the past in that respect, than to modern LOMCs and that pleases me enormously.
Everyone speaks of its amazing midrange but it is certainly no slouch in the bass department...😍
For demanding classical recordings.....whether individual instruments, trios and quartets or full-blown orchestral extravaganzas.....it is unsurpassed in my experience.