LONDON Decca, Tzar DST and similar cartridges

Hey bdp24. I have a very understanding wife. Maybe one day I'll tell her what I got?????

Being an old guy, with kids all gone and doing well, I can occasionally treat myself. I hope my beat up old pickup lasts a few more years. I'd hate to explain why I can't get another?.

And now a very important edit: with a slight VTA adjustment, and now 10 hours of playing time, both the bass, and the base, are amazing. Please disregard any reservations about the lower registers. My first impressions where premature.

I’ve received the DB Systems DBP-6 MC Phono Resistor Loading Kit and I can now load the Decca Reference at both 33k and 15k (both at  220pF).

I did some listening at 33k last night and will listen at 15k tonight.  

The kit is to be used for experimentation rather than as a permanent part of the system.  So far, there are some things that I don't like about the presentation (a little 'processed' sounding with less air, space, breath of life and aliveness to it -- like SS or digital as opposed to the analogue/SET experience I'm used to) but I'm not sure if that is because of the loading itself or because the signal is now going through some inferior wire, resistor, cap, and connectors.  Perhaps the components in the kit need to burn in(?)  
Having said this, there are definitely some huge sonic benefits that I'm hearing but I don't want to go into detail on those before I really get acquainted with the changes.

I generally prefer my system without the loading kit because the music is more robust and has more room-filling energy and impact.
With the plug that brings me to 33k/220pF plug the energy lessens and the soundfield moves back toward the speaker end of the room.
With the plug that brings me to 15k/220pF the effect is even greater and soundfield is almost entirely behind the speaker plane.  The music is also somewhat anemic.

What I like about the effect of the kit is that the music become more coherent.  I get a better sense of where the musicians are and what they are doing.  The music is also slightly more nuanced.  I suspect this is a function of the increased capacitance rather than the decreased resistance.  I'm going to try and experiment with both by ordering more plugs that contain either just a capacitor or just a resistor.

The kit has really opened up with burn-in so disregard the previous post.

Ok, I received the 2 plugs that just contain a resistor and the 1 plug with just a capacitor.

As much as I wanted to like the London Reference at 15k or 33k, in my current system it sounds best at 47k.

Adding the capacitor to bring to total capacitance to 220pF, however, has a very positive effect. As I said above, "the music becomes more coherent. I get a better sense of where the musicians are and what they are doing. The music is also slightly more nuanced."