LONDON Decca, Tzar DST and similar cartridges

@chakster  In the 2nd link in my post you have a (heroic) @halcro  effort to convey sounds of different cartridges to all of us. You can hear yourself 7fz (presumably original) vs LDR and AS Palladian...if you are interested of course.

Kinda lost touch with this Thread.....🙃
Just made a little 'soundbite' of the Decca to remind everyone just how good this cartridge is....
If you've ever listened to one of the famous Mercury Living Presence records with any of the dozen or so current uber-priced LOMC Cartridges....chances are you might have gritted your teeth during the high-frequency crescendos/climaxes cut into the lacquer during the mastering process.
The LDR manages to decipher and unravel these pressings in a realistic and non-fatiguing performance.

LONDON DECCA REFERENCE

When all is said and done.....for those audiophiles hesitant about testing the world of 'Vintage' (Used) cartridges and with $5,000-$20,000 to spend......I can think of no better sounding current new cartridge.
And for $5,000.....as the Reviewers like to say.....it's a real bargain 😝

@chakster Don't get me wrong, I'm not into "mine is bigger" business :) I've been recently on the market for a cartridge after I had learned that my modified FR7f (boron cantilever + Shibata diamond) has been modified pretty poorly (deformed innards). FR7fz was a natural candidate but after some investigation, and more importantly listening (thank you Halcro!!), I've decided to go for LDR. I'll be setting it up next weekend. 

@bydlo

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not into "mine is bigger" business :) I’ve been recently on the market for a cartridge after I had learned that my modified FR7f (boron cantilever + Shibata diamond) has been modified pretty poorly (deformed innards). FR7fz was a natural candidate but after some investigation, and more importantly listening (thank you Halcro!!), I’ve decided to go for LDR. I’ll be setting it up next weekend.

I have nothing against LDR, i have another cantilever-less cartridge, but it is LOMC Ikeda 9 III

I know many people on this forum that constantly re-tipping and refurbishing their cartridges, if it’s fine for them i have no problem with it.

Personally i collect NOS or Mint condition original cartridges only. I already have LOMC cartridges with Boron Pipe cantilevers (just different cartridges), so i don’t want to destroy a decent original design and transform it into something strange by adding to the Fidelity-Research a Boron cantilever or even different diamond. Same about any other cartridge from my personal collection. Maybe i am alone here, but in my vision a cartridge designer like Ikeda-San (RIP) know better which cantilever and stylus must be attached to his cartridge, seriously, he could add whatever type of cantilever, but his final decision was made already and we have FR-7fz.

I don’t buy broken cartridges, so i have no interest in refurbishing and re-tipping.

I can buy NOS cartridge, the original. Vintage cartridges are more affordable for me, so i am not interested in very expensive new cartridges they are not easy to replace with another sample for the price i can pay for a vintage NOS.

However, last year i bought Miyajima Kansui NOS for a funny price. This is probably my last new cartridge.

I think i will continue with vintage cartridges.

I have so many different combination of sound in my system (i have about 7 toneamrs, many phono stages, suts, headamps etc ... even 5 different turntables) that i will never take seriously is any online review or comparison of the carts in some other people systems 9different than mine) by videos etc. It is a tricky game. I know for sure that even if i will change one component in a chain (like phono stage for example) the sound coming from the same cartridge will be completely different. I only trust what i hear myself in my system. Because some of the components i am using are not conventional design (for example current source power amp from Nelson Pass, current injection phono stage from 47 Labs), also i am not interested in any system with crossovers or low efficient speakers, high power amps - this is all not my cup of tea, but it is ok for others. We are all different and each system is different.

I bought mine FR7f already modded. Otherwise I wouldn't touch it.