LONDON Decca, Tzar DST and similar cartridges

ct0517,

That's a great question. In my experience a 1/2 track 15ips master tape is a close to live as I've ever heard. However the Decca really does a fantastic job of simulating a tape. 
We've all heard 'dynamic, sweet, rich,robust,liquid,wet' sounding cartridges. What is unique about the Decca is the rendering of tones. I love jazz trios, I know the sound of live drums, bass and piano. When I play the Decca, it doesn't add accentuation or color to the music. (Most of us actually are very uses to hearing our music colored in some manner).  You can close your eyes and visualize the trio playing like never before. You hear the true piano overtones, the resonance of the upright bass and the real impact of the drums. Nothing is unnatural, which it what makes it unique. Many of my audio friends prefer other cartridges but I believe this is because they are not very familiar with live music. This cartridge sounds live. 
I've listened to old Deccas, new Deccas and three different models. The presentation is the same. If you enjoy live music you'll love what these will do for your record collection. 
Norman

Thanks for all the great responses. In the meantime, I have done some more background work based on your responses. I use Graham Phantom Elite and SME V and SME V-12 arms, and both have advocates for use with the Decca/London cartridges. The Decca/London manufacturer leans toward (but doesn’t necessarily recommend) the Graham, apparently because it is a damped unipivot, and Ken Kessler likes the SME, which can be damped at the choice of the user. The good news for me, dampened by Warren Gregoire’s assessment below, is that I don’t have to buy an arm in order to try the cartridge, unless you Decca/London users believe these arms would compromise the sound. Secondly, I found that my phono preamp can accommodate the loading and capacitance that halcro recommended. That’s a relief!

Thirdly, I spoke to Warren Gregoire, who didn’t like any of my turntables (Basis Debut and Technics SP 10 MK3, the Technics with Bill Thalmann overhaul, Krebs modifications, and Porter plinth) and none of my arms and especially disdained my turntable stands (Symposium Isis), because they are spring loaded to overcome acoustic feedback and footfall problems in my second floor stereo room. Just to be clear, he didn’t like my equipment for use with the Decca London cartridges rather than making any universal judgments. So that conversation left me wondering about any prospect for success with these cartridges and my equipment.

But, if I do take the plunge, which should I try? The London Reference? The London Decca Jubilee? The Super Gold, Gold or Maroon? After all of his reservations, Warren Gregoire suggested I try the Jubilee and then quickly explained his return policy in some degree of detail. He felt my equipment probably wasn’t good enough to realize the benefits of the London Reference. Your thoughts about the differences among these cartridges?

kmccarty, what was Warren’s basis for suggesting that a first rate analog rig like yours would disrespect a top London cartridge? Sounds more like he was trying to drive you into a corner with Woody Allen, who once said that he refused to join any club that would accept a person like him as a member.

Warren Gregoire, whom I've never met, seems to be quite a character. When I talked to him on the phone about the current Londons, he was rather brusque, coming across as someone who has had his fill of dealing with consumers, with which I can sympathize and fully understand. I felt as if I were being interviewed as a job applicant might be by an employer, and that I might not "qualify" to purchase a London from him. In fact, when he asked me who would be installing the cartridge in an arm, and thinking that if I said myself he might find that unacceptable, I replied Brooks Berdan (I actually intended to do it myself, but was thinking I would have Brooks double-check my job and hook my table up to his scope and other machines). To my utter astonishment, he had never heard of Brooks! Brooks was only the most widely known turntable man in the country (Bill Johnson flew Brooks out to Minnesota to set-up the tables in the ARC listening room, and had him out to his home here in the California desert to do his personal table). Warren asked me why would I have a dealer who hadn't sold me the cartridge mount and align it? And, hadn't I ever done it myself? After assuring him I had, including a couple of Deccas, and quite a few arms and other cartridges, and explaining I was merely going to have this Brooks guy double check my work, Warren calmed down a little. He had actually told me he didn't think he would sell me a cartridge! Well!!  

Hi Kmmcarty

Kmmcarty - .....in my second floor stereo room

Curious...Have you heard your system kit on a ground floor / concrete slab?

Hi Normansizemore - quite the moniker you have :^)
thanks for your comments. There was recent discussions of the London Decca’s from owners on the Eminent Technology ET2 thread. These discussions re-piqued my interest in this cartridge. I think its the top contender for my next cartridge one day.
Cheers