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Moving coil cartridge

hello all,

It has been on my mind for the past 3 years. " I wonder if I should try out a moving coil cartridge" Well it seems that this itching is driving me crazy to the point of OCD'ing 24/7. I own a modest set up, nothing too fancy, a Marantz-Clear Audio TT15SE equipped with the wooden Virtuoso MM cartridge. I have to admit I love the rich and warmness that the Virtuoso provides and have other MM's such as the Orofon 2M black but prefer the Virtuoso because of the aforementioned attributes and its almost silent like operation. I digress, I must quench my thirst and put the MC debate to rest once and for all.

A local dealer in my area seems to like the Dynavector brand. They range from $650.00 to over 5K. I of course cannot afford much above $1,500 so I figured the new 20x2 HL and 17D3 would be a good starting point. One, does anyone know if this a good fit for the TT15SE? I ask this because the Ortofon 2M black which sounds great on my old Ariston rig, sounds very average on the Marantz. Two, of the 2 Dynavectors mentioned, the 17D3 being the more expensive units, would I be better of trying the lower end 20x2 unit first? From what I have read the 2 have totally different sonics and soundstage characteristics so i am not sure if the more expensive unit (ie 17D3) would be the right choice.
Any other suggestions for MC cartridges?
All feedback would be aprreciated.

Thanks
vinylmad814
ldvalve
21 posts
 
i'm with peter on this.later you can upgrade your 103 in one of the wooden body and you will be happier than ever for under $500.
keep the extra cash for something's else .
good luck
dconsmack
43 posts
 
Get the Dynavector 17D3. It's the only MC I know of that doesn't have that lame "audiophile" treble boost. It's sounds grey compared to a lot of other moving coils, but that's because it's accurate. I highly highly recommend using the Stevenson geometry alignment and setting it at 2.1g VTF with equal anti-skate. It's a great cart for tracking and a true representation on what's in the grooves. I've been at this a long time now and a non neutral cart is the culprit of getting consistently good sound from your phono set up. If you like colored sound, do it with your amps and speakers. Otherwise, a colored cart will make some records sound amazing, and some like dog sh1t. Most MC have exaggerated treble; I'm talking up to +7dB after 10kHz. But, ignore all this if you like "detail"'and "air" over what the mastering engineer heard when cutting the record. :-)
roscoeiii's avatar
roscoeiii
1,155 posts
 
The OP seems to be responding positively to the bass of the 20X2 (not sure if it is high or low output). My understanding is that the 20X2 and XX2 have better bass than the 17D3, so if bass is important, the 17D3 may not be the best choice. This is not from direct experience, but I have read this in multiple reviews and forum comments, and the desire for excellent bass is what led me to go with the XX-2 over the 17D3.
vinylmad814 OP
62 posts
 
I think i am in agreement with DConsmack that at times you here an LP that sounds great than the next Lp which should sound good, sounds like what he stated "dogsh1t". As far as understanding each cartridges strengths and weaknesses is one thing and trying to find a perfect balance is very difficult especially if you really don't know until you actually are able to utilize the units on your own system or hear them somewhere and do a straight comparison. I have to admit I do not like over detailed sound as I find that in many instances,you have an over abundance of highs, and will hear a very shrilly sound characteristic that in my opinion is like fingers on a chalkboard. I have just heard this on a system utilizing Burmester equipment with a pair of the Monolothic Wilson Speakers. I will tell you that I was not at all impressed with the sound at all. We are talking about a 100k+ system. He was utilizing a LYRA MC and when he switched back to the other tonearm on his rig that was utilizing a less expensive 20 X2, it was Music to My EARS so to speak. I am still curious about th 17D3 and perhaps others in the pricerange such as the Benz Micro Glider S or the model up the Benze Micro Wood S. Hmm..will have to go back to my local guy and see if he can set up a Benz Micro. Thanks for the input fellow Vinylites : ) If you have anything more to add, please do so!!!!
dconsmack
43 posts
 
The Dynavector 17D3's bass response tests dead flat in a frequency sweep test from 1,000Hz-20Hz on the Ultimate Analogue Test LP through an EAR 324 phono stage (loaded at the 40 ohm internal step up transformer) through an Apogee Duet A/D converter.
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