MM cartridges

DSGriffiths,
The Graham 2.2 as you have stated is a unipivot, whereas the JVC 7045 has gimbal bearings. It is surprising that you get the same results with both arms with the Decca. I have set up about 20-25 Deccas on half a dozen different arms and heard substantive differences depending on arm and which Decca model is installed, even sample variations between Decca's.
Martin Colloms of Hifi News had variable tracking results when using different arms - Linn Ittok, Naim Aro, SME V - despite all having good bearings.
These variable results concur with my own experiences.

OK, well lots of feedback on the Deccas (which is my first preference). The Decca Garrot I used was purchased new in the mid/late 80's. It is long gone and was mounted on a Morch DP-6 (unipivot). The audio mods appears to be an arm that the designer keeps squeezing better performance out of with each newer level. The new London Deccas are said to be built much more reliable and better sounding. Plus they can now be purchased with a "pod". A interface between tone arm and cartridge that adds mass. I wonder if it also helps dampen the energy between cartridge and arm? If so, perhaps more types of arms can be used.

Hello Dover,

I do not nor have I ever trusted recommended VTF settings. I use the 'image hifi presents VINYL ESSENTIALS
THE ULTIMATE PICKUP TEST RECORD' to set VTF. I assure you that those settings are different between the Graham arm and the JVC.
But what those VTF numbers are, is not the point. The Jubilee tracks and sounds phenomenal on either arm.
I do not doubt what you have discovered with your various set-ups. Arms sound different. So do turntables. So do tone arm cables. Hearing ''substantive differences'' is a given in those situations. But I do not doubt what I have also discovered! My JVC has excellent bearings therefor it works! Perhaps therein lies the the problem of reported Decca's not tracking! Not all highly touted arms 'have' excellent bearings!
Regards,

Powder1, the "pod" is called Deccapod, and is a thick chunk of aluminum machined in the exact shape of the Gold/Super Gold body. It replaces the standard flimsy plastic mounting bracket (which is a joke and should be done away with, the Deccapod becoming standard), rather than being added to it. It becomes the new top of the cartridge (with threaded holes for mounting the cartridge to a pickup arm), and does indeed damp the cartridge (but not by damping "the energy between tone arm and cartridge"---read on); without it the thin tin body is unsupported and free to resonate like crazy (you can hear the record even with your pre-amp muted!), and very microphonic. It also stiffens the whole cartridge assembly and facilitates the passing of the massive amounts (for a cartridge) of physical energy the cartridge produces into the pickup arm, making the stiffness of the arm's tube and quality of it's bearings even more important. The Deccapod's extra cost is definitely justified---I would go so far as to say a Gold or SG should not be purchased without it. The Jubilee and Reference London's don't need it (because of their different bodies), and in fact can't accommodate it.

Bdp24, I owned a Stogi Reference for several years. Over that time I was continually impressed by the design/features of the arm. And every cartridge I mounted seemed to work well.

I only sold it (along with the Stabi table) because of the fixed headshell and wanting something to more easily utilize multiple cartridges.

I expect the Decca would match just fine.