Decca London International

This is a review of the Decca London International tonearm, However I have a modified version put out by the HiFi News and Record Review magazines accessory club, as a 99 piece limited edition, probably around 1990. It is a modified version which has been rewired and features a modern magnesium headshell instead of the original unit. Ken Kessler reviewed the unit and was extremely complementary.
The tonearm is a vintage unipivot design and has had a number of mixed reviews and opinions. I recall Kessler referring to it as a "stonker" while other online opinions have been that it is lovely, warm and cuddly, and very musical. Equally, others haven"™t liked it and have been far less complimentary.
I have it mounted on a Technics SP10 and I can only say that I find it lovely and the term "charismatic" keeps coming to mind. This thing has you sitting there nodding along with the music with a big grin all over your face. I find it musical, warm and very, very vintage sounding in a very good way. I was at a hifi show last year, eager to finally hear vinyl again, and walked out disappointed. All the turntables sounded clean, modern, dry and sterile as though they were vinyl pretending to be digital. The SP10/London sounds like vinyl is supposed to sound, warm and involving with tremendous presence. Harmonies are just lovely, textured and rich with great depth.
One link online I found was from a gentleman who had rewired his Decca London and referred to it afterwards as "the most musical tonearm in the world" and that he had been surprised at how good all the cartridges he tried on it sounded. I only have a Ortofon Omega on it at the moment (apparently the same as a OM5), and will forward to putting something better on it. Already though, I am very happy indeed with it and am something of an instant convert to unipivots.

9/10 by hal55

verry nice it is monted in one of my lenco l75 a good combo

9/10 by sombrero 1