DynaVector DV505 is it worth the hassle?

The Dynavector 505 is not more complicated (in my opinion) to set up than other high quality tonearms. I owned a 505 some years back and had no issues with it other than it's unusual appearance and massive overall weight. The overall weight could be a problem for some "sprung" turntables.

The biggest problem with the Dynavector is the short (vertical axis) tonearm which is especially sensitive to VTA and record warp due to it's ultra short length. The plus side of the Dynavector is the high mass arm for the horizontal plane, which provides very robust bass with most cartridges I've paired with it.

Your SME is a good arm and the Dynavector is a good arm. I suspect cartridge matching, tonearm cable and other variables could cause a person to vote for one or the other based on their own preferences.

If you want to move way beyond either of these arms you would have to buy a newer design such as the SME 312S or the Triplanar. Again, just my opinion.

odd... Albertporter... in your first paragraph you find the arm with no issues other than its appearance and weight...in the second paragraph you chastise it for its ultra sensitivity to VTA and record warp.

Dear Eriksdad,

I have the 507 MK II and assuming that the 505 has the geometry and adjustment features as the 507, I can tell you that this arm is very easy to set up and adjust. It has adjustments for vertical tracking force (VTF), azimuth, vertical tracking angle (VTA) and anti-skating. Unlike some other arms, these settings stay for a long time.

The Dynavector tonearm has seen various upgrades throughout the years, so I'm not sure how the older versions compare to the new one.

The arm looks complex because every setting has its own dial. These dials stick out from the main arm structure. This is what makes setting this arm a breeze.

This is a link to where you can download the instructions for the 505 and other Dynavector products.

http://www.dynavector.com/pdf/pdf.html

Regards,

iSanchez,