Forums - 2025 London Decca Maroon Auction!

Steve Deckert Administrator If the 1st watt sucks why continue? Posts: 6454	2025 London Decca Maroon Auction! 01/27/25 at 19:36:51 We will be auctioning off one of the first 2025 London Decca Maroon cartridges with the new ceramic finish. When it arrives, we will send out a mailer with the link. If you're not on our mailing list, you can get on it here: https://decwareproducts.com/contact#customerappreciationlist Happy listening!
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Steve Deckert Administrator If the 1st watt sucks why continue? Posts: 6454	Re: 2025 London Decca Maroon Auction! Reply #1 - 02/16/25 at 21:31:42 London Decca Website is now online: https://www.londondecca.com/ Steve : )
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Steve Deckert Administrator If the 1st watt sucks why continue? Posts: 6454	Re: 2025 London Decca Maroon Auction! Reply #2 - 06/09/25 at 21:51:19 The long awaited Decca Maroon cartridge is here! Make sure you're on our mailing list, (the one at the bottom of this forum) so you can get notified of the auction in the next several days. Steve : )
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Steve Deckert Administrator If the 1st watt sucks why continue? Posts: 6454	Re: 2025 London Decca Maroon Auction! Reply #3 - 08/10/25 at 03:21:32 The auction is live now: https://www.decwareproducts.com/product-page/london-decca-maroon-phono-cartridge...
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Geno Seasoned Member Without music, life would be a mistake. Posts: 2269	Re: 2025 London Decca Maroon Auction! Reply #4 - 08/11/25 at 01:22:32 And the winner is…..me!!!
Back to top	(2)SE84UFO(Balanced Monoblocs) OR Sansui AU222/800 Cambridge Audio CXN(ModWrt) SL1210 MK5(KAB Mods) London Decca Maroon cart • Darlingt.Labs MP8b Otari MX5050-Bii2 R2R ZLC Power Cond Lii Audio PT-10 OR F-12 OR Betsy Alnico 8"/ W-15 in Open Baffles IP Logged

Kahuna Jack Seasoned Member Posts: 210	Re: 2025 London Decca Maroon Auction! Reply #5 - 08/11/25 at 02:52:18 Thats so cool Geno. I forgot to check in on time. By the time I did it was over. I didnt need it as I have new carts sitting in boxes not used yet but this was pure temptation. Happy Listening !
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MM Seasoned Member Posts: 361	Re: 2025 London Decca Maroon Auction! Reply #6 - 08/11/25 at 04:29:32 Nice. Congrats, Geno!
Back to top	Cambridge CXN100, DSR3 Interconnects, SEWE 300b, ZSTYX SC, Lii F15 & W15 in open baffle. IP Logged

Geno

Seasoned Member

Without music, life
would be a mistake.

Posts: 2269

Re: 2025 London Decca Maroon Auction!
Reply #7 - 08/13/25 at 04:19:23

Thanks guys!

I am super excited about this. It shipped today, and is expected to arrive on Friday.

I’m really looking forward to seeing how it performs. Ever since Steve first mentioned Decca, I’ve been enchanted, doing lots of reading about the long history. Of course, I knew well how prestigious the record label is, but did not even know they made cartridges.

Hopefully, by this weekend, I’ll have it playing!

Best,

Geno

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(2)SE84UFO(Balanced Monoblocs) OR Sansui AU222/800
Cambridge Audio CXN(ModWrt)
SL1210 MK5(KAB Mods) London Decca Maroon cart • Darlingt.Labs MP8b
Otari MX5050-Bii2 R2R
ZLC Power Cond
Lii Audio PT-10 OR F-12 OR Betsy Alnico 8"/ W-15 in Open Baffles

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Geno

Seasoned Member

Without music, life
would be a mistake.

Posts: 2269

Re: 2025 London Decca Maroon Auction!
Reply #8 - 08/16/25 at 02:35:55

Well, I got the new cart yesterday, got things set up last night, and played music for a few hours. I started with my tone arm level, but listening this evening, Ive experimented with the VTA. I think I have it set about right now, with the tail down just a smidge.

I’m amazed at what I’m hearing. So smooth and very musical. It is very easy to listen to - effortless. I’ve been using a Soundsmith cart that’s in the same general price range, and like it a lot. But this Decca is in another league.

Thank goodness I was so determined to win this auction. I just had to have it, and it cost me about half of retail - so quite a winning result, all around.

I feel a long listening session in the works this evening!

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(2)SE84UFO(Balanced Monoblocs) OR Sansui AU222/800
Cambridge Audio CXN(ModWrt)
SL1210 MK5(KAB Mods) London Decca Maroon cart • Darlingt.Labs MP8b
Otari MX5050-Bii2 R2R
ZLC Power Cond
Lii Audio PT-10 OR F-12 OR Betsy Alnico 8"/ W-15 in Open Baffles

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Kahuna Jack

Seasoned Member

Posts: 210

Re: 2025 London Decca Maroon Auction!
Reply #9 - 08/16/25 at 05:48:37

So it's mounted in a stock Technics tone arm correct? + you still have some break in time to evaluate as well.

I've played in the $1k range of carts a tiny bit but never the $2k or up zone.
Snapping off the stylus of my very first MC mount I'd be a nervous critter myself handling higher end phono carts but if you wanna play you gotta pay I guess the saying goes.

Happy Listening with the Decca !

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Geno Seasoned Member Without music, life would be a mistake. Posts: 2269	Re: 2025 London Decca Maroon Auction! Reply #10 - 08/16/25 at 14:40:05 Yep. In a stock Technics headshell/arm, but KAB mods. And I’ve read to give it around 50 hours to be broken in.
Back to top	(2)SE84UFO(Balanced Monoblocs) OR Sansui AU222/800 Cambridge Audio CXN(ModWrt) SL1210 MK5(KAB Mods) London Decca Maroon cart • Darlingt.Labs MP8b Otari MX5050-Bii2 R2R ZLC Power Cond Lii Audio PT-10 OR F-12 OR Betsy Alnico 8"/ W-15 in Open Baffles IP Logged

HockessinKid Seasoned Member Posts: 1296	Re: 2025 London Decca Maroon Auction! Reply #11 - 08/16/25 at 15:01:08 Belated congratulations Geno. So glad you were able to win the Decca cartridge and I hope you will thoroughly enjoy it. Cheers, HK
Back to top	Nottingham Interspace TT > MWI PH 9.0XT phono preamp or MWI modded Cambridge CNX V2 > CSP3-25th preamp > STL STR-1002 Super > ZMA-25th amplifier > PI Audio UberBUSS > Caintuck Lii15 Magnum speakers > Vera-Fi Snub Station > SA AUVA's > Snake River & ZenWave cables. IP Logged

Geno Seasoned Member Without music, life would be a mistake. Posts: 2269	Re: 2025 London Decca Maroon Auction! Reply #12 - 08/16/25 at 20:48:01 Thanks HK!
Back to top	(2)SE84UFO(Balanced Monoblocs) OR Sansui AU222/800 Cambridge Audio CXN(ModWrt) SL1210 MK5(KAB Mods) London Decca Maroon cart • Darlingt.Labs MP8b Otari MX5050-Bii2 R2R ZLC Power Cond Lii Audio PT-10 OR F-12 OR Betsy Alnico 8"/ W-15 in Open Baffles IP Logged

Geno

Seasoned Member

Without music, life
would be a mistake.

Posts: 2269

Re: 2025 London Decca Maroon Auction!
Reply #13 - 10/06/25 at 13:10:27

There was a slight learning curve with this Decca cart.

The cantilever (or lack of traditional cantilever) makes it finicky with static electricity. The result of this static build up, is pops that sound much like scratches on a record.

The first handful of times this happened, it left me scratching my head. I eventually figured out that something out of the ordinary was going on, and did some research online.

The static build up, mainly happens after I use one of the newer type anti-static brushes, but the type of sleeve the record is in, can affect this too.

Most of the time, it isn’t a problem, but in the event that I play a record, and have the pops, I just stop it, and take the record back off of the table. You can feel the charge as it comes up. This eliminates the charge. I may end up with a Zerostat gun to help with this.

This really isn’t as much of a problem as it sounds. It just had to be figured out. And this is easily the best sounding cart I’ve ever heard.

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(2)SE84UFO(Balanced Monoblocs) OR Sansui AU222/800
Cambridge Audio CXN(ModWrt)
SL1210 MK5(KAB Mods) London Decca Maroon cart • Darlingt.Labs MP8b
Otari MX5050-Bii2 R2R
ZLC Power Cond
Lii Audio PT-10 OR F-12 OR Betsy Alnico 8"/ W-15 in Open Baffles

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Sean

Seasoned Member

Posts: 386

Re: 2025 London Decca Maroon Auction!
Reply #14 - 10/06/25 at 20:00:57

I have Decca on a short list for a second system, happy to read you enjoy it.

As for a zerostat, it’s a must for me. I recently bought a second one as my first has taken a few hits on the floor. Every time I put on a record I hold a brush at 9 o’clock on the record and slide it off as I zap or is it unzap the record. Even doing that there are times when the record gets “charged” around the label area after playing it.

But wait there’s more! Ever get a brand new record that is STUCK in the sleeve? I mean stuck to the point you can hold the sleeve upside down the record won’t even slide out, I pull the sleeve away and zap inside and most times it frees up the record to slide out. I now keep the old one in the laundry area for clothes that get super static from the dryer. Once the furnace kicks on in a few weeks the zerostat gets a lot of use.

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Technics 1210G, Phasemation PP-500, ZMC2, ZP3, CSP2+, UFO25, Tekton Pendragon

Denafrips Ares 15, Mac Mini, Roon

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Geno Seasoned Member Without music, life would be a mistake. Posts: 2269	Re: 2025 London Decca Maroon Auction! Reply #15 - 10/06/25 at 22:35:59 Hi Sean. Yep, fall and winter can be a very dry time of year - even here in the deep south. I have read many times, of folks using some sort of humidifier, in their music rooms. And with my issue, I bet it would help. We will see what the Zerostat does. Best, Geno
Back to top	(2)SE84UFO(Balanced Monoblocs) OR Sansui AU222/800 Cambridge Audio CXN(ModWrt) SL1210 MK5(KAB Mods) London Decca Maroon cart • Darlingt.Labs MP8b Otari MX5050-Bii2 R2R ZLC Power Cond Lii Audio PT-10 OR F-12 OR Betsy Alnico 8"/ W-15 in Open Baffles IP Logged

Sean

Seasoned Member

Posts: 386

Re: 2025 London Decca Maroon Auction!
Reply #16 - 10/07/25 at 02:53:36

We’ve got natural gas furnace and when that kicks on, everything turns to a raisin. Last year when it went below 20, I ran two humidifies in the room and got it up to 15%! Our new house has a central humidifier I hope it works better than this house. In the winter I have to remember to touch the metal support on the rack to discharge before touching the turntable.

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Technics 1210G, Phasemation PP-500, ZMC2, ZP3, CSP2+, UFO25, Tekton Pendragon

Denafrips Ares 15, Mac Mini, Roon

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