New cart for under 1K

I had the Dyna 20x2 low output on my Classic 3, and went to the XX2 Mk II and the difference was pronounced, dynamic range, bass emphasis was enhanced, if you can swing it the XX2 MK II continually impresses me. I absolutely really like it for 70s rock. It also seems to me extraordinarily quiet in the grooves with that micro line stylus. Also set up seems less critical than some other cartridges I have owned. My son has the Ortofon Black on the VPI traveler and that is also one heck of a cartridge. If I were looking for a MM cartridge in the $600 range I would put it on my short list. It is really good. If you want MC and can handle the 0.28 MV output of the XX2 MKII my recommendation would be try and swing it, instead of the 20x2.

Jperry, Roscoeiii, Jmcgrogan2, Jmcgrogan2,

Thank you for providing your input, your advice is incredibly insightful and helpful in making this decision.

To clarify, my speakers are JM Focal 936 Elektra's and IMO they are on the bright side and sibilance is an issue on many of the vinyl recordings I own. I'm also finding that separation can be skewed resulting in music simply not being all that engaging. I believe the issues are threefold since I have built my system over many years based on good deals and not matching the components:

1. My amp is a McIntosh 7205 connected to a McIntosh C32 preamp. The preamp definitely needs to be replaced but I'd like to retain tone controls as well as a passive output so I can have the best of both worlds with 2-channel vinyl and 5.1 channel movies for that rare occasion. The McIntosh C2300 has it all and is tube which is the direction I'd like to go in (open to suggestions here as well).

2. I picked up my speakers brand new for 1/2 price 7 years ago when my old JBL L100T's baffles finally blew out. It was a poor decision, but filled a need and when a dealer calls you up and says I've got a pair of 6K speakers for 3K because of a scratch on the back on one, it's hard to resist.

3. At this point in time, my budget is around 1K which directly points at a new cartridge. The speakers and amp combo are more than likely going to run around 8K and I think replacing the speakers after the cartridge is a must (I can sell my Focal's for around 2K so that offsets some of the cost).

Long story short, I am 100% positive that the new speakers I choose will be on the warm side, I am staying away form titanium tweeters no matter what. I really like the sound of Harbeth's as well as Dynaudio's (also open to suggestions here).

I listen to Indie rock, classic rock, jazz, bluegrass and some chamber music. The only music I don't listen to is pop, rap, and very very little classical. I realize how difficult it is to match a system based on the fact that I listen to a wide variety of music.

The bottom line: I would like to pick up a cart for around 1K that does well in the areas of the music I listen to. It doesn't have to be perfect, just better. And the main immediate goal is to control the brightness and sibilance but also keeping mind that within the next year I'll be replacing the speakers and probably the pre-amp. This simply may not be possible, but I'd like to think I can get close or at least improve my current situation. I am leaning towards the XX-2 from what I've read and from the incredible feedback I've received here.

Thanks again guys, this is truly a remarkable repository for research and advice from folks involved in a hobby that really bites back when you make a poor decision since everything is expensive!

Regards,

David

David, as much as I am enjoying my Dynavector XX-2 mk II cartridge, I don't think that it will help to hide your JM speakers brightness. The Dynavector itself is not bright, but it is not rolled off either, if used with bright gear, the brightness will come shining through. I have long been a fan of soft dome speakers, Dynaudio, Verity, ProAc, etc. I learned to avoid metal dome tweeters over 20 years ago.

If I were you, I would change speakers first. If you cannot change speakers, I would advise against getting a Dynavector cartridge. To control brightness, you would be better off with a Transfiguration, Koetsu, or wood-bodied Benz cartridge, IMHO.

I do not know which Harbeth speaker you are considering, but if you sell your Focals for $2,000 and spend another $1,000 you can buy a used pair of Harbeth compact 7 es3, or Proac 2.5 for even less.

"The Focal's are very accurate and tend to be bright in the highs. Brightness is what I am trying to avoid. I've found the highs to be too harsh for my liking, especially with vocals."

I see why you're immediately targeting the cartridge given your budget, but look at what Jperry said above as you could potentially fix the real source of the problem with little/no additional net $$$ outlay. I think you're making a big mistake trying to fix this through the cartridge. By definition you'll have to buy something that's rolled off in the highs, and since you're planning on upgrading your speakers in a year you'll very likely be shopping for another cartridge again in a year (at additional expense). Plus, I don't see anything else in your system that points to brightness -- quite the contrary (including the Grado) -- although I didn't catch what you're using for cables/interconnects that may also be contributing here.

Sounds like you arrived at this issue by buying on price and expedience rather than focusing primarily on sound and, just as importantly, system synergy. Time to stop that. Don't polish the turd here -- SOLVE THE PROBLEM and be done with it. You may well find with the right speakers you may not feel the need to upgrade anything else, at least for a while. Something from Joseph Audio (there's a nice pair of RM25XLs for sale right now that wouldn't cost much more than what you could sell your Focals for),PMC (nice pair of twenty.23s up for sale too), or Nola are a few that jump to mind that are probably more refined in the frequency range causing your problem. At least find a way to audition something like these in your system before throwing money at other components.

Really sorry if I'm sounding preachy here, but this strikes me as a situation where taking the quick, easy bandaid approach would be a mistake when there are options to do it right the first time. Best of luck, and please keep us posted on whatever you decide.