London Decca

Thank you Exlibris. I talked to Warren a few days ago and he suggested the Jubilee for me based on my system. He had no used Jubilee's which was unfortunate. He said that the Graham 2.0 that I use on the Clearaudio Ref TT will work mighty fine with the Jubilee. The cartridge will arrive in 2 days.

I have been an MC user for 30 years. The change to the Decca will be quite a treat to run phono in a simplified manner. As incredible as the highly modified Counterpoint SA-2 has been, I have no doubt that eliminating this and the extra IC and cost of extra PC, will render some phenomenal results.

All the talk of the incredible dynamics of the Decca will motivate me to get the CAT JL-3 amps up and running again. These are currently out of commission as the system was moved from basement to living room and there is only one AC line to that room. The CAT's need a 20A circuit each! So the backup Counterpoint or Wolcott amps will have to do until I get circuits added. But the Decca will be a good start to phono enjoyment once again. I'm excited!

John

Hi John

I run the Jubilee on my Graham 2.2 with excellent results. I also have mounted it on a JVC 1045 and also had the same results. Table for the Graham is the VPI Aries Extend and for the JVC it is the Victor (JVC), TT-81. This cartridge puts many high end M/C's to shame. I kid you not!

Jafox, Warren has a used Jubilee on his website. Maybe it hasn't been updated...

The Satanic sound of the Decca is the only thing I miss from high end audio.

After I last moved house (almost 2 years now), all my beloved equipment remains in boxes (Immedia and Mico Seiki turntables, Triplanar/ Graham Phantom/ Ikeda and SME V arms, CEC TL-0 and Chord CD transports, Dartzeel amplifier, German Physiks HRS120, JBL Jubals)and I have been listening to a Bose Wave radio/CD. Like my car audio, I can live with this quite happily (just enjoy the music).

My first cart was a Garrot Decca on a Pink Triangle in the 80's and I loved that sound. When both broke, I missed the sound and always thought it was the Pink that was the main thing. In those days, uncolored turntables were rare so to some extent it was true. But nowadays turntables sound clean, and with a CD transport like my Chord or CEC there is no coloration, but something was missing. I thought I had just grown up, become less impressionable. Jaded.

Then I bought a Decca Maroon a couple of years ago on a whim. At first the sound was so bad I got a shock (was I listening to that!?) and I was even afraid the needle was damaging my records.

With a Decca if the VTA is wrong you can tell by the sound. VTA has to be set my sound, not sight. But when I got the VTA right it was like "this was the sound I was missing; it was the Decca, not the Pink". And I am dancing to music again.

I listen to classical and rock/pop. And with classical I am happy to listen with my CD players and MC carts like Ikeda, Ortofon SPU, ZYX and Koetsu. OK, with Glenn Gould playing Beethoven's Emperor Piano Concerto the Ikeda provided some of of my greatest hifi moments. But with Paul Simon or Led Zepplin, I gotta have my Decca.

There is no sound like a Decca set up right playing the human voice. And guitar. And synthesizers.

I want to get the Decca Reference. It is the only thing I desire from high end audio right now. Otherwise I can live with my car audio and Bose Wave.

NoRomance: Yes, sadly, I was too late for that good deal. And Warren had not updated the page. But it is ok. Mine arrived few days ago but just too crazy busy here. I hope to have it setup tomorrow.

Tokyojohn: What an incredible story. To have all that top rated equipment and yet reflect back on the return of musical enjoyment by the Decca experience says so much.

John