Dynavector XV-1s vrs Transfiguration Proteus

Ditto

IMO, the dynavector XV-1s is ANYTHING but analytical.

I have not heard the Transfiguration.

I have heard the XV-1s at length in my setup just not lately, and at a friends place on his Dynavector 507mkII. I wonder since it is no longer the new kid on the block that it doesn't get as mush respect.

How good is the Transfiguration tracking and ability to sound quiet in the groove.

The Dynavector is the finest cartridge I have ever heard period, including the Transfiguration, it does everything right . I have mine loaded at 200 ohms and tracking at 2.5 grams in a stock VPI 9 inch arm on a Super Scoutmaster, phono amps are either a John Curl phono section of my Audible Illusions Modulas 3B, or my Allnic 1500 run into a Lamm LL2 Deluxe pre. The only cart that comes close in my opinion is the original Shelter 901, which I have mounted in another arm wand.

If the new Proteus is anything like the Orpheus L (a cartridge I own), it should be quite good at delivering low groove noise and tracking should be quite good (on par with very good tracking cartridges like the Lyras).

Both seem to be quite low in output, so matching with good high gain phonostage (and perhaps a Step Up Transformer) will be critical.

The sound of top Dynavectors and Transfiguration cartridges do not sound radically different to me. Neither is at any kind of extreme in terms of tonal balance, analytical quality, etc. (e.g., not a Clearaudio vs. Koetsu kind of deal).