Decca London Moving Iron/Positive Scan

About the Decca London Moving Iron/Positive Scan

The Decca London Reference cartridge is a premium moving iron phono cartridge that employs a unique 'positive scanning' design. Unlike traditional moving coil or moving magnet cartridges, it uses a lighter, thinner, magnetically active metal foil bearing the stylus, resulting in a very low moving mass and exceptional dynamic response. It has no conventional cantilever; instead, the stylus is attached to a flexible metallized plate that moves within a magnetic field to generate the signal. This design reduces dynamic compression and transient smearing common in cantilever-based cartridges. The cartridge outputs a high voltage of about 5mV, making it compatible with MM phono stages. It features a high-quality ultra-low-mass fine-line diamond stylus and is housed in a two-piece aluminum chassis for improved damping and shielding. The cartridge has four output pins and a vertical tracking force range of 1 to 2 grams. It is praised for its outstanding rhythm, pacing, and timing, delivering a musicality that many reviewers consider unmatched by other cartridges, even those costing more. However, its channel separation is somewhat less than typical moving coil or moving magnet designs due to its single large magnet design, which slightly affects soundstage width. The London Reference is