ZYX Airy 3x/SB vs. Dynavector XV-1 or 1s

Ca2284,Firstly--A xv-1s is quite a heavy cartridge,and would probably be a better match for an arm like the Phantom,Schroeder,Dynavector's own(excellent)507 mk 2,and some other contenders.The 2.2 may work with it,but it is really not ideal with cartridges like this,or the more massive Koetsus,IMO.

As to your NOW experimenting with adding an additional drop of fluid,I'd like to emphasize (strongly)that you work in tiny,as in pinheads at a time,of the damping fluid.This is SO critical,you won't believe it.You want to shoot for a very detailed sound,yet not a damped sound.There should NOT be any brightness with a high performance cartridge like the ZYX,that you have.Adding drops at a time is WAY too much to properly voice the arm/cart. interface.

Best of luck!

Sirspeedy,

Thanks for the heads up on the cartridge weight compatibility with the 2.2, and tips on the damping fluid tweak.

This sounds like a long term endeavor worth the time of any true audio afficianado.

How many hours do you have on the ZYX?

Break-in is crucial with this cart.

I have about 150 hours on the ZYX. It has pretty much stabilized at about the 100 - 120 hour point.

Typically the Zyx Airy 3x SB takes nearly 300 hours to break in. I noticed a real improvement between 200 and 300 hours.

Brightness was never an issue in my setup though, so I'm not sure if the additional time will alleviate this issue.