Dynavector DV 20X-L -- which MM will better it?

Al,

I had SoundSmith redo the regular, (non ruby) version, but it really doesn't matter because they replace the cantilever with a ruby one anyway. The F9 cartridge BODY is the same, just the stylus is different. You could send them either one of your styli.

I have owned all of the Grado wood body carts except for the Statement Statement and never warmed up to any of them. My problem was that they require a pretty long break-in period and I just could never get that far.

I've also got a Grado Reference Sonata and find it has some occasional problems tracking highly modulated inner grooves with my VPI JMW9 arm. Not a frequent problem, but it is annoying all the same. Admittedly, the Grado does have a very relaxed and beautiful sounding midrange. In contrast, the Garrot Optim FGS has a more linear character that doesn't make one aware of a particular frequency region standing out in comparison. It's upper midrange to treble is much more satisfactory to my ears, more linear and detailed. You're not going to think it's a top flight moving coil, but it sounds "right." Axel mentions siblilants as a problem, which was greatly helped in my set up with the addition of a small tweak. I ordered a sheet of part # vds-0040-e vibration damping sheet from smallparts.com and cut a pad to go between the cartridge body and headshell. I traced the outline of the headshell onto the pad, cut it out, & drilled mounting holes. It's a very thin .040" sheet that functions quite effectively to reduce vibrations in the cartridge body. Sibilants became much cleaner with every cartridge I've used it with.

Try the Ortofon 2M black

MoFi & Photon -- Thanks for the good comments and info!

I haven't noticed any tracking problems at all with my Reference Sonata. I have it mounted on a 1980's Magnepan Unitrac unipivot tonearm, on a SOTA Sapphire turntable, and I'm using the recommended tracking force, 1.5g iirc.

Axel -- I haven't noticed any problem with sibilants, although most of my listening with it so far has been to non-vocal classical music. It did seem to handle some of Dame Kiri rather well, I thought. It sounds like your system is more resolving/less forgiving/less soft in the upper midrange and treble than mine is, though.

I believe this cartridge has received a couple of TAS Editor's Choice selections. Stereophile reviewed it and/or its mono variant in Vol. 21 No. 6, Vol. 23 No. 4, and Vol. 28, No. 6. I don't have those reviews handy, but the October, 2008 (Vol. 31 No. 10) issue lists it as a Class C recommended component, and includes the following comments:

... Hints at what an expensive mc can do.... No cartridge reproduces a female voice better than this.... It may be difficult to rationalize spending much more for a cartridge.... Competes with all but the best of today's moving coils

Regards,
-- Al

Hi Al and All,
I think that review statement:
>>> ...Competes with all **but** the best of today's moving coils <<< sums it up for me so far.

Given some minor variations & preferences, all MMs mentioned this far seem ballpark with the DV 20X-L, being used as a point of reference.

As I mentioned, I KNOW the sound of the 20X-L. What I also know, is that it is easily bettered by some other MCs which I also know. And they are of course, ALL of them, more or quite a LOT more expensive.

I also mentioned that I still listen to CDs (on my 390S) and that is where it gets tricky.
Listening to some jolly good CD reproductions and then switching to the more 'flowing', more 'rolled off' more 'loosy goosy' yet musical MM reproduction is QUITE some jump in reproduction character.
My first reaction is: SOMETHING IS MISSING HERE! I have to admit, that sticking with it, it becomes -sort of- OK, after a while, but then PLEASE do not switch back to CD. It will get too confusing for me, due to that contrast in presentation.
Using a LO-MC (with SUT) practically ALWAYS trumps the CD reproduction and I can NOT EVER note that something is missing. Now even if I listen to an e.g. Kontra Punkt A (not the ruby cantilevered B) to mention yet another less pricy MC --- something is missing.
Now listening to an e.g. Dorian it can actually get just too much of a good thing --- so I guess I'm not exactly 'greedy' for detail?

All I care for is a sort of 'completeness' of harmonic detail, most important when e.g. listening to late romantic stuff like Ravel, Mahler, etc. Maybe it's an age thing?
I can only (noticeably on sine-wave tests) hear up to 11kHz, maybe 11,5kHZ. My younger friends go up to 15 or even 16kHz, has that some influence on noticing more missing detail? Might well be.

Somebody mentioned the newest Ortofon 2M --- but will it better an 20X-L going back to our point of reference? I would expect it be in the league of the Kontra Punkt A, correct me if I wrong.

Thank you for sharing,
Axel