Dynavector XV-1S impressions?


I have been a long time user of the audio note Io cartridge and recently purchased the Dynavector. I would be interested in others experience as I find this cartridge to be quite forward sounding i.e. the mid and high frequencies tend to be a bit brighter. It is very detailed and musical but the soundstage is not as deep as my Audionote.
Are my experiences similair to other users or is it my setup that is causing this impression.

Thanks
ecka

Showing 1 response by thom_at_galibier_design

I'm running a new production XV-1s with very few hours on it.

Of the seven XV-1s that have passed through my system (the other 6 were produced at least a year ago), this new sample is a bit less nervous than the other 6 - even during break-in.

It may well be that this is an anomaly, but Dyna's quality control and sample to sample consistency is one of their hallmarks, so I doubt this to be the case.

For example, every one of the XV-1s' I've run in my system has had an optimum tracking force within a .03 grams range. I suspect that there's more variance in my cartridge scale than in the cartridges.

Yes, load the XV-1s anywhere from 35 to perhaps 150 ohms. The DCR (coil resistance is 6 ohms (http://www.dynavector.com/products/cart/e_xv1s.html). In my systems, I've been in the 100 range.

Hi Mark - the 25 rule is a reasonable starting point. I tend to find 18-20 works in my system, but the key thing here is to think in terms of doublings and halvings as your dialing this in, so 25 is as good of a starting point as 18 is.

Cheers,
Thom @ Galibier