After a month and a day (I was counting!) the Reference came home. It was an expensive holiday, but worth the >£1000 involved. Off came the Jubilee with barely a thank you, and onto the Series V went the Reference. VTF set to 1.96g as an approximation of 2g, overhang adjusted with the SME protractor and VTA set so as to have the rear end down a hair's breadth. Right from the first track of the first disk I could tell it outclasses the Jubilee handily, and, poor thing, how it must have suffered by waiting so long for a rebuild and new stylus. It is far better than it was before it went away, clearer, and richer than it had become. There's a visceral response, like the first scotch and soda hitting your stomach after a long day. I say "Ahhh..." and sink into my chair. All the microphony has gone, as the coils are now reglued. This pickup will never again see any Stylast or U/S cleaner fluid. Just a soft carbon fibre stylus brush. Once I've played a few albums, I'll have to compare it with the MP-500 on the other table, which will, I think, be a broad brush compared to the precision of the Reference. All the same, good for putting off the awful day... I had got to the point I was fantasising about yet another cartridge (probably a Soundsmith The Voice MkII), but now such things can wait till this one wears out. I'd probably have to buy the Hyperion to match this! I'm so sad that these wonderful cartridges are going to disappear. The armatures that a Decca cartridge uses to hold the stylus, and which act as the moving iron, are a thin triangular piece of steel, folded in a die to a near right angle, with a central stiffening folded rib running lengthways from base to point. A tubular stylus holder is fashioned from the point of the triangle, and then it is cryogenically hardened in liquid nitrogen. This has been done since Decca Special Products division first designed them in 1958, and is not rocket science. Most of the process is like making the thousands of integrated circuit 'legs' that are produced every day. The issue is that the only company that made them has closed down, and for someone else to do it, they would have to tool up and get a return of a few dozen sold each year, at best. John Wright, about to turn seventy and to retire, would have to train someone to do the rest of the manufacture in his stead. If Peter Ledermann was a younger man he'd be someone I'd nominate for the job!
I spent the morning not necessarily enjoying myself, confirming first impressions on table #2. The MP-500, for all its (relative) bargain price, is closest to the sound of the Deccas. The Kontrapunkt C is different, but in a good way. Less bassy, more detailed, but still capable of rocking. The Statement 3 is a zombie, by which I mean it is dead but keeps on walking. The Sussurro II is bitten but not yet transformed. Suspended as a quasi-zombie. Between the two Deccas, the MP-500 and a couple of spare styli I have what I really need. The Ortofon can get a new stylus when needed. I'd be fascinated to hear the wonder-cartridges that all take the matter of how much mass they must move seriously: the Soundsmith Straingauge, the DS Audio optical and the AT Art1000 with the coils mounted by the stylus. This is surely the way of the future, and which will work out the best remains to be seen. Exciting times if you can play at that table.
Just fyi, the ART1000 is fairly unique now (though there is the slightly less exotic AtrotoS carts ... AtrotoS Adria and Consta Phono Cartridges ), but certainly wasn't the first to go that route with the coils mounted near the stylus, in the 80s Victor had their direct coupled line of carts, the MC-L10 and later MC-L1000 below ...
Agree, it's been a fun adventure to read about, though may have been a little nicer to follow in one thread. Certainly not a criticism, though, gotta follow your own muse
There were a number of third party retippers who, over the years, did good work on the Decca/London Decca. I guess the variable here, aside from workmanship, is simply availability of the armature. Otherwise, I suppose there are enough cartridge bodies to go around. Will make a niche cartridge even more rarified. I remember the old ones. I always wanted to try one in my system--I gather the London version was put together better- there was huge variability, or so I was informed, in the cartridges of old. Remember the Keith Monks arm, with the mercury contacts? That was a favored combo with the old Decca cartridge.
A rather scary percentage of them killed themselves, too. No doubt it was nothing to do with the cartridges they worked on! Bill, if you've never heard one of John Wright's products you should try. Goes with electrostatic Quads like - take your pick - ham on cheese, a horse and carriage etc etc. Man, they really work together! Or maybe don't, as it will make you sad to hear something you cannot buy any more. And before I get so crazy myself, I'm asking the distributor about the DS Audio optical cartridge, as one of the current endpoints of reducing cantilever mass.
I'm guessing you are talking about the Garrott Brothers (and their wives). Sad story. They were both rather nice and had their own version of a higher end Decca London (in its own body and with a hand carved "cantilever"). They repaired many MC cartridges of mine.
