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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. 
 

  
128x128chakster
chakster's avatar
chakster OP
6,144 posts
 
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.     


nandric's avatar
nandric
4,086 posts
 

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.

lewm
13,182 posts
 
My statement was hyperbole for sure. But sometimes, some folks sound as though the very rarity of the cartridge, in terms of its structure, is cause for excitement. I agree one has to listen to each cartridge, case by case. It’s almost a separate hobby unto itself. I’m really not that into it, even though I confess to owning more cartridges now, of all types, than I ever thought possible or sensible. But I tend to leave cartridges up and running for months and months, if I like them, while the others rot in a drawer. Having four working turntables does help me to at least audition a variety of the ones I own.
Nandric, How can a cartridge have "no cantilever"?  Can you show a diagram or drawing?  The motion of the stylus has to be transmitted to coils or magnets in order for transduction to occur.  The structural element that connects the two is to my mind a "cantilever".  The closest to no cantilever I know about would be the new Audio Technica ART1000, where the coils are just aft of the stylus tip. Has anyone here heard that one?
chakster's avatar
chakster OP
6,144 posts
 
@nandric well, the conventional glued stylus looks like your recent re-tip with a drop of glue around the tip, so you can check and compare to Dyna. I'm not trying to say Dynavector is better than others, but Dynavector has its own originality in many aspects of design. To like it or not is a matter of taste, personal preferences and system. That's it. 
dover
2,251 posts
 
The closest to no cantilever I know about would be the new Audio Technica ART1000, where the coils are just aft of the stylus tip. Has anyone here heard that one?
On the contrary - the Art 1000 has quite a long cantilever.
http://www.the-ear.net/review-hardware/audio-technica-art1000-moving-coil-cartridge
What you fail to comprehend is that the coils are mounted at the end of the cantilever where the stylus is located, but there is still a long cantilever slewing around whilst tracking the groove. By locating the coils at the end of the cantilever any flex in the cantilever will be magnified to a greater degree than say the more rigid Decca/Ikeda system.

With the Decca and Ikeda there are cantilevers.
In the case of the Decca it is a vertical cantilever with little compliance in the vertical plane.
In the case of the Ikeda from the 90’s the cantilever is a vertical inverted hoop. Contrary to what some have published in this thread there is some compliance in the vertical plane and much more in the horizontal plane. The hoop flexes side to side.
http://illusionofsound.blogspot.com/2013/10/cartridgetransducer.html

I have owned several of both the Decca and Ikeda cartridges, and still use the Ikeda and Dynavector Karat Nova 13D which I also own. I have used these in a multitude of tonearms over the years.

In my experience tonearms and phono stages play a significant role in how these individual cartridges perform and sound. Shortcomings elsewhere in the system are ruthlessly exposed by any of these cartridges. So whilst we can pontificate on the various merits on each design ultimately they can only be described in the context of the environment in which they are placed. Comparing these cartridges in the same arm is irrelevant, you have to try them in multiple arms to ensure a good assessment of each cartridges merit within each individual system.
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