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Decca cartridge experiences

I really don't expect any response to this as the issue of Deccas, and all the controversies they stirred up is now passé, but does anyone out there own and use a Decca, and if so, did you find a tonearm which will accomodate it? I'd appreciate it if anyone shared their experiences with it, good or bad. I've found two tonearms in which it will work well: one a Mayware tonearm in which it works superbly, and one a Maplenoll air-bearing 'table with fluid damping trough, but I'm having a bit of trouble getting this combo to work again (I've only recently re-acquired the Maplenoll)...I'll have to fiddle with viscosity, amount of fluid and so on.

To all those who haven't had a chance to hear this cartridge, and who like to experiment and have fun (and tear their hair out), then a Decca still has the most slam of any cartridge, and retrieves an incredible amount of detail from the groove. Though these days it no longer sells for pocket change (the Super Gold goes for $850, but there are cheaper models), it's still not in the stratosphere like so many others. It is dificlt to find a tonearm which will accomodate it as well.

I'd appreciate as well any experiences with the new versions, as I hear the new stylus profile makes it less difficult. I think the responses will be "0", but any cartridge which stirred up this much controversy (at least a while ago) is Good News, like the Shelter (which is far more accomodating, however)...Thank you for your attention, if any attention there is...
johnnantais
frogman
7,456 posts
 
My Decca only has three pins, that's why I strapped the two ground wires for the arms. The noise is more of a very loud buzzing, along with some hum; precisely the sound a normal (four pin) cartridge makes when one of the wires is not connected to one of the pins. I have tried strapping the two ground wires, NOT strapping the two and connecting only one of them, moving the wires around, not gounding the table, grounding the table. Nothing helps. Physically, the cartridge seems to be intact, and it does make great sounds; but combined with a level of noise that makes it unusable. Thoughts?

BTW, my table is a VPI HW19 MkIV.
johnnantais OP
621 posts
 
Damn those Deccas! In my Mayware one of the tonearm wires is contacting the walls of the tonearm inside, giving the occasional loud buzz as the tonearm travels across the record, and so I must re-wire. If you have another tonearm, connect the Decca to it and see if the buzz persists (just tape the two negative cartridge clips together for contact for purposes of this experiment). I also get buzzing from the transformers from my tube amps, which, however, disappeared when I mounted the Decca on the Maplenoll. Once, I used toothpaste to clean the contacts on the plastic bracket as well as the pins. This is not as stupid as it sounds, as nothing removes oxidation from metal as quickly and thoroughly as toothpaste, and it smells good! This you should try first, as it is the easiest to accomplish and perhaps there is no contact. Also pry the little copper tabs in the bracket out a bit for better contact. If all else fails, then buy a Decca International tonearm, which is being sold for 40 Euros including shipping! Man I hate those Deccas. Man I love those Deccas. If we can get interest up on these then we can create an organization for the betterment of Deccas!
johnnantais OP
621 posts
 
Frogman,

Now I remember a similar experience with a three-pin Decca which belonged to a friend. At first it sounded fine, in fact quieter than mine. But it suddenly developed this loud buzzing which I couldn't get rid of. Since it didn't belong to me, I simply disconnected it and went back to my own Decca. I never did find out what was wrong with it, but I have heard that the armature of older Deccas can rust: they do eventually die. I hope this isn't the case with yours, but if after all of the previous experiments it still buzzes, then slide the cover back and see what you can see. If it's toast, then I'd try something desperate like opening it and pouring an anti-rust agent in it, or something like that. Ken Kessler of HiFi News is probably the world's leading expert on Deccas, maybe you could e-mail him. Or ask London/Decca themselves, I think a refurbishment is much cheaper than buying new. Is it worth all the trouble? I think so, but mine is now working perfectly, and my previous one, which I foolishly sold, also worked very well. The problem with Deccas is that once you hear one working well, you never forget. Good Luck! Let me know how it goes.
tobias
1,534 posts
 
All my experience with Deccas is very old. (But by George, this thread is tempting me... agh!) I too remember it did well in the Keith Monks (you hardly ever saw one of those). It also worked in the ERA tt's stock arm, a plastic girder-shaped device, and of all things it worked in the Sugden Connoisseur belt-drive's gimbal-bearing arm. I hate to think of how sloppy those bearings were, but the design did not frighten a Decca.

Come to think of it, I have a BD2 in the horrible crawl space that serves for a basement. No, no, no... !
johnnantais OP
621 posts
 
I too have a Connoisseur for the Collection (mine is a limited-edition chrome jobby ), but man do those things rock: they make all cartridges sound like Deccas! Beware, plugging this in might make your high-end rig sound wimpy. I'm telling you, something is missing from much of the new designs - cartridges, tonearms, turntables - which the old guard understood: music. And I'm not that old! The Connoisseur arm is very massive (practically solid stainless steel) which probably overrode all the Decca's objections. Now that you mention it, perhaps I should try this combo too! I can report, though, that so far the Decca works best in unipivots. I just ordered two NOS Decca International Tonearms for 75 euros: magnetic suspension unipivot with a jeweled bearing and fluid damping...tasty...
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