Dynavector XV1s loading & phono

Dear David: +++++ " ) What sort of loading are you guys out there using with the XV1s and on what phono? Tube or solidstate? " +++++

I'm using 100 Ohms and just trying 75 Ohms, with both sounds great ( I have to hear more time with the 75 Ohms to stay sure about ), tube or SS?: it does not matters always that the Phonolinepreamp be accurate ( RIAA eq. ), high active gain and low noise/distortion.

+++++ " Is my deck/arm/PS combo the main cause of the poor sound from the vinyl? " +++++
I think that maybe your tonearm is not the best match for the XV-1 but maybe too the LP12 is not up to the task ( I can't be sure because the last LP12 that I heard was many years ago ).

+++++ " What stepup transformers would one recommmend to match with the M7 - there is obviously the Kondo SFz ... any other worthy contenders? " +++++

None, IMHO all the step up transformers ( it does not matters design or price ) make heavy degradation to the cartridge signal: please stay far away!!!!!

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear Bkonig: 480 Ohms ?, my God. I know very well Dartzeel unit ( good one ) and if you need 480 Ohms to achieve a good XV-1 performance IMHO you are in trouble elsewhere in your audio system.

Regards and enjoy the music.
raul.

Dear Thom: With all respect to you but IMHO you need to read these links about SUT's:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1130451054&openflup&5&4#5

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1138829438&openflup&41&4#41

What you are reading here are facts not a " simple opinion ".
You are not helping to the MUSIC sound reproduction supporting SUT's and the most critical issue is that you are not helping to any of us that are looking for the best quality sound reproduction in our audio systems. You are telling the people that already invest thousands of thousand ( big dollars ) in TT/tonearm and cartridges that put in hand of a terrible/patch SUT the delicate/beloved cartridge signal, incredible from a TT designer!!!!!!??????

Like I told you I respect your opinion but I must totally disagree. Thom you have to " work " with facts and you don't have any single one to support SUT's and you don't have it because does not exist. IMHO you use it because you need it and you need it because you make wrong choices about low output MC cartridges with tube Phonopreamp, but this subject can't mean it that a SUT is better that a well designed high gain Phonolinepreamp: absolutely not!!!!!!!

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear Jonathan: +++++ " To address your comments one by one, yes, distortions will be generated at the core of an SUT, but distortions are also being generated in any MM or MC cartridge (both in the signal core and in other places). " +++++

My point is that I don't have to tolerate additional SUT distortions if exist a better way to go. I don't want to add unnecessary distortions, I'm to mantain at the lower possible level all kind of distortions/noises coming from everywhere. I can't do nothing with the own cartridge distortions ( other than a precise set up ) but I can eliminate the SUT distortions that are really bad.

+++++ " In your recent posts you have noted a preference for cartridges that measure to be poorer than normal in terms of distortion... " +++++

Jonathan, you have to hear the MM Technics cartridge ( maybe you own? ) to understand why I appreciate so much its very high quality performance.

+++++ " Bandwidth of an SUT may not go down to DC, but I have a test transformer on my bench that measures dead-flat down to 10Hz, with a -3dB roll-off of 1Hz. The top end is dead-flat to at least 30kHz (the top-end response after that depends on the load). Far better than any loudspeaker, for sure. " +++++

The issue is not if is better than a speaker, the subject is that it is not enough bandwidth against an active design and the active design has a lot lot lower distortions than the SUT any one including this that you own.

+++++ " Mind you, normally and by preference, I also prefer to design with and use fully active amplification when it comes to phono equalizers. However, I know from first-hand experience that it is possible to design a stepup transformer that at least measures pretty well and sounds reasonable. " +++++

Finally we agree: your preference is through active amplification, this is all about and this is my subject: well designed high gain active amplification!!!!

+++++ " Let's not insist that audiophiles throw out their existing phono amplifiers just to satisfy a technical argument which doesn't appear to be on such solid foundations. " +++++

I can't understand you, first you told me that you prefer active amplification and here you told me that " there is no such solid foundations ".

I know that your first statement ( active amplification ) is what you prefer because I could not understand that a very well respected cartridge designer can " think " in favor of SUT's, certainly not because you and us ( customers ) want the best quality performance from those beloved cartridges.

The subject here it is not if you or any one ( including me ) has the " right " point of view, the subject is how any one could take out the best of a low output cartridge: through an active amplification or through a SUT. It is obvious for you and for me that it is through active amplification.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear Bkonig: Nice to hear about. The Manley is faraway from the quality Dartzeel performance. I already try 1K, 600, 300, 150 and 100 Ohms with my XV-1 and at least for my ears ( that certainly are not perfect ) I prefer 100-150. I have to tell you that 300 or 600 Ohms are not a huge differences but I can hear it.

Now, I have to accept that many times it is system dependent about. At the " end of the day " the subject is that you are satisfied with the quality performance at that load and that's what matters. Sorry to disturb you.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear Flyingred: +++++ " Raul please lay off your dogmatic opposition to step up transformers. We all know you have a vested (commercial) interest in your Essential design (which uses solid state for MC gain). " +++++

If you look to the links that I posted to Thom yo can read that the date of that SUT post was: 10-27-05 ., I'm talking about SUT's ( against its use ) by more than ten years from now ( a way very long very long time before the Essential ).



+++++ " I have heard Thom's system for something like 40 hours, and if the theoretical disadvantages of SUTs that you state are audible, they were not apparent in Thom's system. " +++++

I have heard too ( a month ago ), I reserve my opinion about for the moment.



+++++ " My view is that whatever phase anomalies are introduced by a SUT, they are orders of magnitude less than the phase havoc wreaked by the average speaker crossover. " +++++

Yes, I agree but that fact can't tell me that because of that I don't have to worry about other " small " and very critical distortions at the analog source chain: I have to and I do care about specially with the cartridge signal that goes through a phonolinepreamp, if I can I will try ( always ) to put at minimum all the distortions/noises at the source because after that we only could wait that that distortions/noises go higher. Maybe you can tolerate this but I absolutely NO!!!!!!

Yes, maybe I'm dogmatic about SUT's and the reason is because I take care and I care to achieve for me the best quality sound reproduction from analog/digital source and trying to put at minimum those terrible distortions/noises/frequency shift is one ( between others ) way to make it.

Flyingred, I respect your opinion but my advise ( till today ) to everyone is to stay away far away from SUT's. Now, I'm not the only one that thinks in this way: fortunately there are several designs that today don't use SUT's anymore, high gain active amplification in both sides: tube and SS designs and you and all of us have to be extremely happy that that " trend " design is already happening because is in favor of the MUSIC and in favor to improve the quality sound reproduction, good for that!!!!

I don't think that any music lover ( like you and me ) could be against that welcomed fact.

Regards and enjoy the music.

Raul.

Dear Thom: +++++ " we are making a connection, and this is what it's all about. " +++++

I agree with this because that's what I'm looking and that I already achieve but that I always will try to improve.

The difference between you/other people like you and me is that you are extremely tolerant ( distortions/noises/frequency shifts/etc ) with the sound reproduction and I don't.

When I attend to a classical concerto I'm very happy always and when some one ask me about the performance I speak of thw whole performance but I speak too of errors ( if were make it )in some small " stages " that I can't tolerate, unfortunately I can't do nothing about but I could make something about in the audio systems and certainly I do.

The difference too is that I prefer to be connected to the MUSIC with out distortion/noises and you prefer to stay connected with a lot of distortions and noises ( I hope this is not your dogma. ). The good news is that today you have several options to be connected ( enjoying it ) to the MUSIC with out those distortions and noises.

You know that I have a very high respect for you but this does not means that I can'T disagree with you and that I don't try to help any one that want/need help.

One question: two audio systems ( everything the same, not similar but the same and both extremely well set up. ) one with very low distortions/noises the other one with high distortions/noises: which one do you prefer? which one do you think has better quality sound reproduction? which one is truer to the recording? which one will be nearest to the live event?

Thom, nothing is perfect and different persons that looks for perfection could choose different approaches. I always looking for the perfect path to the MUSIC through my audio system and one way to be nearer to that path is lowering any kind of distortion/noise/frequency anomalies.

Maybe the time to come when you hear my system ( I already invited more than one time to do it and I make now again. Btw, everyone of you are welcome any time you can: seriously, it will be interesting for all of us ) you could understand my way of thinking.

Regards and enjoy the music.

Raul.