Dynavector XV-1s vs. Transfiguration Temper w

Greg, I own a 2500 Signature and I've owned a Dynavector XV-1s mounted on it. I also have a friend who has a 2200 Signature with a Transfiguration Orpheus mounted on it. I would generally agree with what Ptmconsulting has posted. The Dynavector is more dynamic, powerful and transparent, while the Transfiguration is warmer and more musical. Which one would work best for you would depend on the rest of your system. If your system needs some warmth, go for the Transfiguration. If your system needs a shot in the arm, the Dynavector would work best.

Sorry, I haven't heard the Temper w, so I can't add anything there.

I agree with Downunder. Slow, dull and anemic may describe the listener, but certainly not a properly functioning XV-1s.

I've owned a Lyra Helikon and it is the fastest, most transparent cartridge I've ever heard. It sounded a bit lean in my system though. The Dynavector had more dynamics and power by comparison and was a bit fuller. Certainly not as full or warm as the Orpheus though.

Again, which will sound best will depend a lot on the rest of your system. My speakers are a tad warm, so the warmth of the Orpheus would be too much warmth in my system. The Orpheus sounded very good in my friends system, but his speakers are more transparent than mine. It's all about system balance.

I'm just kind of baffled how people can find something slow & anemic, since these two words derive from opposite directions in my experiences. Things that some refer to as slow in a negative manner, another would refer to as warm or musical in a positive manner. Things that one would refer to as anemic in a negative manner, another would refer to as transparent or neutral in a positive manner.
How one could use two negative words to describe the two polar opposites of sound is quite baffling.

The key to most systems is synergy, trying to find the right balance for a certain listener between warmth and musicality camp and the detail and transparency camps. That is why certain things sound better in certain systems. Try using a warm(slow) cartridge in a system with warm amplification and speakers and you will fall asleep. Try to run a transparent (anemic) cartridge in a system with transparent amps and speakers and you will be grinding your teeth.

That being said, from what I've heard, the Dynavector XV-1s is on the transparent/neutral/anemic side of the fence, therefore, it cannot also be "slow'. Slow may better describe a cartridge on the warmer side of the fence such as a Koetsu, Benz, Transfiguration, etc. ZYX and Lyra would be on the anemic side of the fence with the Dynavector, IMHO. I actually think that Lyra is the fastest most transparent cartridges that I've heard, and yes, some would call them anemic, but not slow.

That's my $0.02. I just can't understand how something can sound fast and slow at the same time, but whatever.

Interesting and intelligent post Nsgarch, thank you. I've tried quite a few high end cartridges in my system/room, and while I do like some better than others, I've yet to hear one that sounds slow, dull AND anemic. Perhaps some feel the need to exacerbate, which they feel will make their experience more powerful. It doesn't, it just makes a poster come off as more of a novice. My guess is, if you feel a expensive, popular cartridge sounds THAT bad, you probably don't know how to set it up correctly OR you bought a damaged item. I'm certainly not a XV-1S owner who is just defending his cartridge. I did own one for a couple of months and found it to be a very good cartridge. No, not as good as a ZYX UNIverse, but very good in it's own right. I eventually sold it and moved on.

As I stated earlier, I have never heard the TTW, so I cannot comment. I have heard the Orpheus in my friend's system. It sounded very nice in his system, but his system tends to be more transparent and analytical than my system. I was afraid the Orpheus may have been a bit too warm for my system, based on what I heard in his system and Orpheus reviews.

Anyway, I found your comments on the noise floor very interesting, as I have never had this experience with a cartridge. Sure, some have been quieter than others, but I have not had a "AHA" moment with the noise floor with a cartridge. That said, I have had a couple of "AHA" moments regarding the noise floor in the analog front end. However, my two "AHA" moments involving noise floor came from a Basis turntable and a Walker Audio phono preamp, not from a cartridge. Again though, I haven't had the pleasure of listening to a TTW. :)