Is 57db gain enough for Dynavector XX-2?

I just found out the XX-2 is available in a .5 output from VPI. So now I need to find some comparison of the XX-2 and Celebration.

Great question bobby23, I don't think that too little would damage anything it just wouldn't have enough signal to play loud enough to enjoy, I could be wrong here.

Sorry to hijack the this thread but on the otherside of the question, can too much gain from a high output cart damage the pre-amp or is only too little gain that causes the damage?

I can't comment on the Benz, but as an XX-2 user, I can tell you that it is a very quiet tracker. On a nimble arm, it can deal with some pretty messed up vinyl. That damn end of record distortion still pops up every once in a while though.

Thanks Raul, thats a very positive note from "The Cartridge Man" great system by the way.

I like the looks of this cartridge but am concerned about detial retrieval as it doesn't use the popular Line Contact stylus. Also it isn't as low a compliance as the Dynavector, but it may not be that critical between 10 and 12 dyne.

I listened to the Benz LP Ebony for a bit and although it was really smooth I didn't find it tracked all that well. I think it still needed some tlc in setup. My Benz gold on ET tonearm tracked better but was a bit more aggressive sounding. BIG difference in dollar.

Thanks

Dear Alun: Like I always say in this forum: the Sumiko Celebration is the " century bargain cartridge ", hands down your other options and many top cartridges out there.

Why don't tell us before that the Celebration was one of your options?. Great one.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Thanks for chimming in with your responses. I completely forgot about tube rush however I think it's really quiet now.
I mentioned in another post that I am also looking into the Sumiko Celebration as an alternative althought it has more compliance than the Dyna, for my ET tonearm. The Sumiko sounds user friendly and preamp friendly as well, however I'm not sure how the two would compare.
I am very partial to one dealer here in town and my options are:
Benz
Sumiko
Dynavector
The Dyna, caused me to think twice as some of the reviews suggest that it is extremely quiet and tracks well, hopefully relieving the "end of record distortion" that occasionaly nips me in the butt with my current Benz Gold.
If anyone can offer a comparison of the two cartridges please jump in.
Many thanks

Dear Alun: I agree with Jeff and I think that will be ok with the XX-2. No big problem for your Sonic Frontiers.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

You guys can argue about about how much gain one needs or whether Alun needs another fono stage all you want. I stand by my statement--what really matters is how much noise the system has now, and whether Alun can still love the sound of his system with 2.4dB more noise. Only Alun can answer that question and probably only by using that Dynavector in his system for a while.
.

Wow, I'm glad I asked. I am using a Monolithic passive/active linestage driving my Audio Research D250mkII into Proac 3.8's.
The ARC is input sens. of .8v and is increadibly easy to drive. I cannot put my phono direct into ARC without it being too loud. There are two variable resistors on the back of the amp which allow me to "turn up or down" the input signal. With these wide open I currently have more than enough gain. A loss of 3db however could be substantial.
Just curious, Creativepart, did you listen to the new Monolithic phono before going to the Acoustech?

Sorry to disagree with the others, but I use a Denon DL103D with a slightly lower .24mV output. I've used a Monolithic PS-1 with 53 db of gain and that worked pretty well. Good enough to not have any real problems with noise or volume.

And, now I use that cartridge with an Acoustech PH-1 with 60 db of gain and it works GREAT.

So, I would say that you should be fine with 57 db of gain. It may not be 100% optimal, but certainly 95%. I'd say you won't have any noticable problems at all.

As with much of this stuff, it's try it to know for sure. But with my experience I'd say you'll be just fine.

Paul Green

.25mV is wayyyyy to low for 57db of gain. You won't even hear much at full blast on the volume control.

Your gonna need another phonostage.

The rated output of the Dynavector is 0.23mV, which is 2.4dB less than 0.4mV. That's how much louder the noise will be with the Dynavector. That's a relatively small amount IMO, but you may be more sensitive to tube-rush noise than I am.

You won't be taxing your preamp, but you may be taxing your tolerance for noise. Only you can judge.
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