ZYX UNIverse X-SB 0.24 sounding "too much"

By saying acquired does that mean its new or used. If new you know that it needs break in time. If used then you need to get into small adjustments mode until you find the sweet spot you are looking for. I track between 1.95 and 2. and in my case i like the dynamics of higher tracking force compared to the increased upper end of lower tracking force.
If that does not work for you then keep your XV1 and put Universe up on the gon it will go fast.
Happy days and enjoy the music
Mike

Many thanks for all your prompt inputs.

Sorry about not being clear in the first place. The load of 110 ohms or 125 ohms is the load that the cartridge sees. Putting the SUT on the phono will result in open load of 125 ohms. I load the SUT on the secondary with 200K to get around 110 ohms or there abouts.

I've heard many people load their SUT's under 10 ohms also, but going lower than 100 ohms, the sound starts closing up. I'll try doing right down, but I think it will sound horrible. Is there something I'm doing wrong? The Bent MU SUT's are the easiest to change loading ... how hard can it be? I don't know why my loading sits 10 times higher than others who use SUT's.

The UNIverse is used, and from what I know, has about 300 hours on it so I'm pretty sure it's burned in.

Could the "too much" that I'm hearing be the exposed weak links of my setup? The arm, the deck, the preamp, the amp, etc, etc?

I have both the ZYX Universe and the DV1s mounted on different arms on the same turntable and the sounds from both cartridges I find to be almost indistinguishable?
If you used the same equipment for your DV1s, I don't see how the Universe could be exposing any 'weak link' that the DV1s didn't?
It's hard to understand what you mean by 'too much'....especially on vocals, but as I have both cartridges delivering essentially the same sound, it may be that you had the DV1s set up marginally? It is a most dynamic cartridge and if anything.......could be called a little "too much' in comparison to the Universe?
I don't think there is anything wrong with the weights you used for both cartridges, but checking cartridge geometry, VTA and azimuth would be useful?

I think you are missing the point with primary loading on the SUT.

OK. I am TOTALLY confused with what's going on, and what's what.

Bent MU SUT's ... the posts for loading using different resistors, is that on the primary or the secondary? I think it's the secondary.

Load of phono stage is 50 Kohms. SUT's are 1:20. Hooked up with no additional loading, the cartridge sees 125 ohms. Yeah?

This setting sounded fantastic with the XV1s, but a tad bright and accentuated highs with the UNIverse.

Adding additional 200 Kohms resitors to the posts on the SUT's, the cartridge sees 100 ohms. Yeah?

This made the UNIverse sound better, not so dynamic and bright, but a tad too dulled down. Logic would mean that I needed somewhere in between 125 and 100 ohms for the UNIverse to sound optimum.

Seeing how people have loaded their UNIverse's way down below 10 ohms, and around 6.54 ohms, I gave it a shot and put a 3.9 Kohm resistor across the posts on the SUT's. This would mean that the cartrigde sees 9.04 ohms. Yeah? This sounds really really good. With a 2.7 Kohm resistor (6.4 ohms), it was a tad too closed in for my tastes.

How is it that the UNIverse is sounding so good wayy down at 9.04 ohms and also (potentially) between 100 and 125 ohms?

And also, is 100 ohms total on SUT's + phono the same as 100 ohms on an active gain phono?

Many thanks for everyone's advice.