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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
audiofeil
4,011 posts
 
Thank you sirdweeby.
linnmaster OP
45 posts
 
Hi all:

Dougdeacon: Yes, I was meaning that the arm was pulling hard towards the record centre - this was when I was using the blank portion on the Cardas sweep record to set the antiskate. I thought that was what this portion was for. No? And that you're supposed to adjust the antiskate so that the stylus no longer moves in towrds the centre of the playing record? I'll take your advise and not go with that with regards to setting antiskate force. Will it work with a not very dynamic LP? I have mostly vocal and acoustic stuff.

Larryi: Thanks for the additional tips. I'll give it a go tonight with my current LINN K18mkII. I have really never known how to get that antiskate value right. All the people I have asked locally at the shops give me "well it's basically the same as your VTF". Oh, and does it matter where you play on the record? On the edge, close to the centre, or in the middle? You mention "When both tracks are about even when it comes to mistracking, the stylus force has been balanced between the two channels". I thought that when it's balanced, you'd get no antitrack in either channel? Isn't that what we are trying to eliminate - the antitrack?

Thanks heaps,
David
linnmaster OP
45 posts
 
antitrack ... supposed to be mistrack
larryi
1,972 posts
 
Linnmaster,

With the test records I have, my cartridge, a Lyra Titan, cannot track the highest levels of modulation without some distortion. The channel that distorts first, is the one that is getting shortchanged on lateral force. With this method, I get to about the same place as I do just listening to music the way Doug Deacon suggests. It is just that this method is easier, quicker and one does not develop the same anxiety over trying to hear differences in setting (usually the harder one tries, the less one is able to hear).

I suppose the ideal antiskating bias will change over different diameters of the record, but, there is no way to set the bias for all conditions. In the ballpark is good enough. The people at VPI do not think bias setting is important enough to add extra mechanism that can vibrate and add a different form of vibration and so they left antiskating mechanisms off of their arm.
thom_mackris's avatar
thom_mackris
680 posts
 
Hi David,

Firstly, a big thank-you to Doug for your eloquent description of the process. I have to put a link on my website to this post as well as Larryi's follow-up. They're real keepers and deserve to be easily referenced.

Currently, all of my setup tips are on my Triplanar setup page. It wasn't my intent to discriminate in favor of Triplanars in this fashion, but rather something that evolved as I was supporting some customers' Triplanar questions.

The problem with setting anti-skate on a blank track is that the record grooves are responsible for generating skating force.

It's a vector algebra problem, but basically, the combination of the headshell offset angle on a pivoting tonearm, in conjunction with the overhang, drags the stylus forward and toward the record spindle as the platter rotates.

So, the drag of the record grooves, the recording level (size of the grooves - peak to peak), shape and polish of the diamond all contribute to the skating force.

Cheers,
Thom @ Galibier
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