2. analog
  3. 118835-107

Your "eureka" analog moment

In the beginning I had a succession of crappy cartridges. Back in the day (1970's) you could buy a turntable and they would "throw in a cartridge " for next to nothing. 

Had ADC, Empires, Stantons, etc. Nothing above $30. Decided to invest big bucks - $65- for a Shure V15 Type 3. Oh my- my records never were so good after that! That was my moment, and then when a friend loaned me Discovered Again (Lab 5 on Sheffield) I was amazed.

Too bad I no longer have the V15 type 3. Over 20 years ago, missing a stylus, I sold it to someone for I think about $30. 
128x128zavato

Showing 3 responses by bdp24

bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,400 posts
 
Barry, have you heard the current top London (Decca), the Reference?
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,400 posts
 
Definitely hearing my first Decca cartridge (a Blue) in 1972, being used in a full ARC system (Magneplanar Tympani I's bi-amped with D-75 and D-51 amps, and an SP-3 pre) by Bill Johnson. Mounted in a prototype ARC pickup arm that never made it into production. The arm was made of wood, looking like the Grado of the 50's/60's.
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,400 posts
 

Decca's were their own worst enemies! You are not alone in giving up on them, almost all of us moving to LOMC's in the mid-70's. The guy who was making them for Decca bought the rights to the cartridge when they decided to get out of the game, and went to work on redesigning it. The Super Gold Mk.7 (with a line contact stylus, opposed to the Van den Hul profile of the SG Mk.6 stylus) is the first Decca/London with the cartridge's weaknesses eliminated (or at least reduced) sufficiently to make living with it not a love/hate relationship. The improved mounting option, the Deccapod, helps a lot, and there are now four wire tags, not the old 3-wire design. The London Reference is very different than the old Decca's, even having a machined body housing!

My old pal and dealer Brooks Berdan loved the Lyra cartridges, and his son Brian now sells them at his shop (Audio Elements) in Pasadena. I'll have to take a listen to the Etna. 

More to discover