Dynavector cartridges, old and new


For more than 40 years Dynavector has been producing very high quality moving coil cartridges in Japan. Sadly we don't have a dedicated Dynavector thread here on audiogon. It would be nice to collect info about some nice rare models in one topic. 


My first Dynavector was high output model, very attractive headshell integrated as one piece - Dynavector DV-30A was released in Japan 1 year before the Karat series and 4 years before the fabulous Karat Nova. The first high output Moving Coil Dynavector DV-30 series was the next generation of the Ultimo cartridges. The Ultimo’s were manufactured by Onlife Research Inc., which later became Dynavector. The 30-series was introduced in 1978 with 3 different models DV-30A & DV-30B (HOMC) and DV-30C (LOMC). Till the early 80s it was top of the line Dynavector models.... 

But then the KARAT was released with short Ruby and Diamond cantilevers (depends on the model). I've been looking for KARAT for a long time, i found the Dynavector KARAT 23RS special calibrated version with Micro Ridge stylus tip and prism Ruby cantilever. This particular model has been introduced in 1988 and claimed to be superior to the earlier generation of Karat carts. I'd like to seek more info about this rare cartridge, but very little info available online. Anyone can comment on Karat Ruby 23RS mkI (not mkII) ?  

I know some mebers are enjoing the more expensive Karat Nova series, XV-1, XX-2, Te Kaitora Rua etc 

Modern Dynavector site is: http://www.dynavector.com/ 

But the rare models can be found here
 

  
128x128chakster
Dear @lewm : ""  The motion of the stylus has to be transmitted to coils or magnets in order for transduction to occur. ""

Rigth and for that happens it needs that exist some kind of compliance for the stylus track LP grooves, normally through a cantilever that's the way till today.

Manufacturers and audiophiles use the cantileverless expression but not to really says is cantilever-less but to make some differentation to the normal cartridges design.

With no compliance for movements exist no recorded signal to transducer motor cartridge.

Obviously that the horizontal compliance is way critical but the vertical one has a role too. Normally the compliance figure in many cartridges designs is the same but in other cartridge designs the compliance values are different for horizontal motion than vertical one.

Compliance and cantilever length are very important in the quality cartridge performance but the cantilever shape and build material ti's too because we are talking here about vibrations/movements added by resonances developed down there that all are converted to music signal.

A shorter cantilever resonates and vibrates different from a longer one and not neccesarily better than the longer cantilever but cantilever build material makes always a difference because boron and diamond has different characteristics that has influence in what we listen.

There are several cartridges that outperforms the Karat 13D or the Ikeda REX 9 or the Decca's. A cartridge is the sum of its parts: overall design, part's quality, quality  excecution of design and cartridge voicing. At the end a cartridge is the exclusive success achieved by the own designer targets and how he looks MUSIC reproduction by his design and how he surrounded it in the audio systems he used to made the cartridge voicing.

R.


Raul, sure there are cartridges that outperform Karat 13D or even Decca Reference in certain environment but not necessarely in all high tech stereo systems. There are so many different combinations of TAs, TTs and cartridges that even good old Michael can´t tell the truth.

The most of us think that there must be technical ''reasons'' or

causes for cartridge different performance. But considering the fact

that (MC) ''technology'' is the same the reason why should be moved

to the designers/producers. To mention few: Ikeda , Takeda, J.Carr,

Van den Hul, Allaerts , Andreoli, Lukatschek (Benz), etc.

In this sense we should see designers as ''artist'' instead of

''technicians''.

The 13D was made for US market only, it was a special development of the 17D according to the interview with its designer (Tominari-San):

" At first when I tried short cantilevers I worked in sapphire or ruby and their resonance dictates a length of 2.5mm. But in Diamond, it is possible to use 1.7mm. We even made a very special product for the US high end market with a cantilever only 1.3mm long, and called the Karat 13D. It was our flagship model and sold nearly 60 pieces in America. The 17D was the first diamond cantilevered cartridge that we made, and the 13D was a very special development of it, using a special body and headshell arrangement. " - Dr. Tominari (Dynavector Systems)

Dyna cartridges such as XX1 (first) with Flux-Damper and later all Dynavectors cartridges "involves winding a wire around the front yoke of the cartridge. Experiments showed that movement of the coils was generating a voltage in the yoke which in turn effects the linearity of the magnetic flux. It is this that makes many poor movingcoil designs sound thin and irritating. By short circuiting the yoke we prevent this happening, which leads to a much smoother and more natural high frequency balance. The effect is quite noticeable, which is why we put a switch on the XX1, so that people could hear the effect." - Dr. Tominari (Dynavector Systems)

Speaking of the further development of the mighty Dynavectors such as XV1 and Te-Kaitora i would say that the long boron cantilever looks unprotected and extremely fragile. I would avoid using such cartridges for practical reason, but it’s just me.