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Dynavector XV1s loading & phono

Hi.

For those of you that have owned the XV1s, just curious as to what phono stage you are using with yours (or have used) and what loading you are putting on it to make it sound great!

I have got a XV1s at the moment, but with the Cary PH301mkII tube phono stage, have never got it to sound great. I was using the XV1s on LP12/Valhalla/Ittok II/rignmat anniversary. The default loading for MC on the Cary is 680 ohms. I modified it to make it about 150 ohms which did make a substatial improvment, however, sound was still very dull, undynamic, muffled, very unexciting.

I have heard the TeKaitorua (next model down) on a Oracle/smeIv setup going thorough a very modest solidstage phono/integrated setup and that gave extraordinary results! Likewise with the Lyra Titan, used through a solid stage Lyra Connosieur phono stage was absolutely amazing. Some people have replaced their Titan's with the XV1s! I don't think I'm hearing anything close to what the XV1s is capable of at all.

I think it is something with my front end analogue setup as my CD playback sounds spectacular, WAY better than the XV1s/Cary combo in every way. Since I have blamed the Cary for the poor match with the XV1s, I have since replaced the unit with the Kondo M7 phono - but as this is just a standard phono stage, I have had to revert back to my very modest MM Linn K18II cartridge. The Linn/Kondo setup is better than the XV1s/Cary in every respect - probably equal to that of CD playback in my system. To use the XV1s with the M7, will require step up transformers.

Question is:
1) What sort of loading are you guys out there using with the XV1s and on what phono? Tube or solidstate?
2) Is my deck/arm/PS combo the main cause of the poor sound from the vinyl?
3) What stepup transformers would one recommmend to match with the M7 - there is obviously the Kondo SFz ... any other worthy contenders?

Thanks a lot for all you guys help.

Regards
David
linnmaster

Showing 1 response by dougdeacon

dougdeacon
3,338 posts
 
Any comments about Antiskate force and what to set that to? To me, the last time I put the XV1s on the LP12, with the antiskate dialed up max, was still pulling into the record center hard. Or is this a sign that the cart is not set up properly. I have the cardas sweep frequency record if that can help get things better.
Maximum antiskate? Aha! We may well have found part of your problem. Excess antiskate sounds exactly like excess VTF - dull, boring, slow and muddy.

I'm not sure what you mean that the arm, "was still pulling into the center hard", unless you're using a blank (ungrooved) record to set AS. If so, I'd suggest you forget that method immediately, since it bears no relation to actual playing conditions.

The Cardas record will not help with AS. Nor is any other test record needed, and the ones that claim to help with AS tend to do more harm than good.

To set AS, start with it as close to "zero" as the arm allows. Now optimize VTF, so that you have a nice balance between speed/finesse and heft/weight, as discussed above. Now put on a very dynamic LP and listen for R channel mistracking/fuzziness. Increase AS in tiny increments until the R channel plays cleanly. That's all you need. Any more will overpressure the cantilever/suspension, and that dulls the sound.

Good luck,
Doug
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