We are all ears .....
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.
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.
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- 132 posts total
@nandric the advantages of KARAT is that with 100Khz resonance of the cantilever there is no need to use rubber as a damping medium as it used in conventional design. In the KARAT, rubber is used only for seating the cantilever on the pole piece. SONY cartridges you’re talking about are notorius for suspension/damper problems, so the design is competely different. P.S. Check my image of KARAT 17DS MR and tell me if you can see any glue. This is the 23RS MR Ruby version: https://scontent-arn2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/36226177_2287496551268499_2734494721178075136_n.jpg?_n... |
Dear chakster, It is not my intetion to get involved in disputes about ''either or'' questions. Your Karat 17DS has clearly glued stylus in the cantilever. The reason is simple. The combo is not made from one piece of diamond. By one piece diamond the stylus need to be grinded and polished ''in'' the cantilever , so to speak. The so called ''rubber ring'' behind the coils has ''suspension'' as function. This function is called compliance. One of the so called parametres by arm/cart combinations. I have no idea about resonances in this connetion. Those can be tamed with resistor networks. Reduction of the ''moving mass'' should not be exaggerated. I own Ikeda 9 CII which is without cantilever. So only the stylus moves . However my Allaerts MC 2 sounds better. |
It's obvious that Dyna's "Micro Reach" nude diamond goes throught the whole Diamond cantilever for superb rigidity, not just glued on top. So there is no amount of glue visible even under my macro lens, must be minimum. This generation of Micro Reach stylus has low mass and the cartridges have relatively high compliance for an MC, about 30cu @ 10Hz Tominari-San explained in the interview: "I get my gemstone cantilevers from Namiki, and the first time I asked them about constructing one they couldn’t understand what I wanted such a large stylus for! But I was convinced that you should use as short and stiff a cantilever as possible. This was quite widely recognised but no one believed that the technology existed to create such a short gemstone cantilever. They thought it was impossible but I dared to try it. It was a very unusual solution at that time. In order to achieve it we had to develop a parallel technique that enabled us to wind incredibly fine wire for the coil. Our wires are only 11 microns in diameter. Every other cartridge uses at least 20 microns." I believe he was the FIRST designed who asked NAMIKI to produce gemstone cantilever for him. |
Dear chakster, Your ''argument'' remind me about our secretary of social affairs who stated the following: ''there are no homo's in our socialist society. But if there are they are in such small numbers that is not worth mentioning''. So your Dyna has an cantilever in which no stylus is glued but '' if'' then with very small amount of glue. The cantilevers ''as short and stiff as possible'' wil also not do. As I already mentioned my Ikeda 9CII has no cantilever whatever while my Allaerts MC 2 has (boron) cantilever of ''ordinary'' length + Gyger 2 (aka Van den Hul) stylus. Despite of this ''huge disadvantage'' this is my best cart. |
- 132 posts total