Moving Magnet Phono Cartridges

I hope that it will be possible again in the future to include the London Reference in the list of superlative MI cartridges. A descendant of the Decca design, there are very few cartridges at any price that can come close to its speed, transient response and naturalness. Since John Wright (an ex-Decca engineer) retired over a year ago, there have been no new ones for sale, but londondecca.com have taken over servicing them, and did briefly mention on their website that a new version was planned, but that has now disappeared. I expect there is some difficulty about sourcing the stamped, thin, iron armature that holds the stylus. I believe Peter Ledermann offered to make them at one point, but was turned down by John.

It is often said that grounding can be awkward, but that more an issue for the older three-pin designs: I have no hum with it. It is also claimed that they are not the best trackers, but I have had no issues with either the Jubilee or the Reference, using them on SME IV and V arms, only the latter of which has a damping trough. I have the Reference back in play at the moment, on a IV. It still sounds like the most honest and neutral of all my cartridges, with a wonderful ability to make me tap my feet. The LP-S is warmer and richer, but that is perhaps an added colouration rather than honesty. The Sussurro, MP-500 and Grado Statement 3 come close, but none of them beat the Reference to my ear. Here are a couple of representative reviews:

Absolute Sound

Stereophile

And a splendid PS, from Stewart at londondecca.com today:

Yes we will manufacture  the current Reference as well as a new version as well. hoping it will be ready in August.

Start saving!

Yes, I am a big fan of MI cartridges both vintage and current versions. I don’t necessarily agree that the current crop are categorically superior to the very best of the vintage ones, like the B&O MMC1 or the Acutex 320 (two versions) and probably some others I don’t know about. The MP500 is a great bargain but I’m not ready to say it’s my favorite. Raul has evaluated more cartridges in a systematic way than anyone I know of.

My experience using a Hyperion (the original) for the last few years (for stereo) and an Ortofon 2M Mono SE, puts me in general alignment with what seems to be the nucleus of a forming consensus among many of us here.  Although I also like and still listen to a few favorite MC as well.  It is interesting, though, that so many of us seem to be going in the same general direction with respect to cartridges.  Either we are right or are a bad influence on each other.

For what it is worth Soundsmith rebuilt one of my Stanton OEM stylus with a Ruby cantilever and a nude contact line diamond that I use on a 981 HZS, I am very pleased with the results and have no plans on going back to a MC.