Cartridge upgrade, something warmer


I love my Dynavector 20XL on a Rega P5 but its a little thin at times. Lots detail and depth but cool. This is matched with a Dynavector P75 all Arcam FJM electronics. Benz Glider, Ortofon Bronze or ????
Maybe I should try a phono preamp first. All suggestions welcome
fourgirls

Showing 1 response by mingles

The problem isn't the cartridge. I've heard the DV-20X many times and it's anything but thin. It must be something else. My gut agrees with others to consider a tube based phono stage, but Sounds_real_audio may be on to something. Your thinness might be an artifact of the table. There's no way to know for sure until you try different things. What are you using for a mat? That's a cheap place to start. If you're still using the stock mat, check out these suggestions:

Recommended turntable mat for Rega P2
any good mat for a rega p9?
Anyone tried Herbie's mat on a Rega planar ?

I'm a skeptic when it comes to mats, but the stock material is made of felt which means it's inherently slippery. A slippery mat isn't going to hold the record in place. It's just resting on it. If high-end table makers are using heavy platters to prevent rotational deviation, the Rega mat isn't helping matters.

If a new mat isn't your cup of tea, try a phono stage. It will be easier to upgrade than a table. I don't know your budget, but here are some low cost tube-based suggestions:

Jolida JD-9A
Bottlehead Seduction and Cinemag SUTs at 1:18

There are plenty of other phono stages to choose from, but these stand out as a great bang for the buck.

Best of luck, Mark