Dynavector XV-1S impressions?

Ecka, I own both the XV1s and the Audio Note IO2v. Yes, your description of the sound is spot on. The Audio Note has a much deeper soundstage but not as wide as the XV1s. Comparing the AN and the XV, the XV is definitely a brighter and more detailed sounding cartridge. Both excel in different ways. The XV1s midrange and bass is no match to what the AN can do. Overall, the XV1s is a killer cartridge and so is the AN. Both sound different that's why I have them both hooked up for different presentation.

The XV1s needs 100 hrs to fully settle down but still, your description of both is still correct.

Dear Zarir: I agree with everyone about give more playing time, at least 50 hours. The XV-1 is more or less a " friendly " cartridge in its matching tonearm but certainly and IMHO is not friendly loaded at 47K, you can try it either at 100 or 200 Ohms that are your phono stage values and decide about. That forward sound that you are listening ( between other things ) comes from that very high load. After those 50 hours you need to check the VTA/VTF again.

You can try too the 60db gain position in your phono stage, unfortunately as you go for more gain your phono stage add several degradations to the cartridge signal, as a fact that phono stage performs way better at 45db.

I assume you are using the Basis Vector tonearm that it seems to me can work fine, maybe not the best match but a decent one.
In the other side and with this top cartridge quality level your phono stage can't accomplish or do real justice to that cartridge.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Hello Raul, Just curious why you would say the Sutherland PhD performs better at 45db, particularly with this Cartridge?

Just asking, but would any Phono Stage if it was set too low on the gain, then make a Cartridge sound lifeless, and dull, and then also, setting the gain too high per given Cartridge, would generally make the saound "hot", and "Raw"?

Since I too own the Sutherland PhD, I can comment, that even with the high gain boards, all the way up to 68db, it is a dead quiet phono stage itself, but of course, one may not need that amount of gain per given Cartridge.

What is the output, and interal impedance of the Dyna DRT XV-1S? I'm running 62db (high gain boards) with the XYX Airy 3X, which is .24mv, but would say the Airy 3 more closely compares with some other brands of Cartridge with an output of .33mv.Mark

IMHO, Raul is right on the money as far as the 47k loading is concerned. In my experience (and those of many other owners of this cartridge I know), the XV-1s needs to be loaded between 100-200 ohms to sound its best.

Any cartridge needs a few hours to perform better, but from my experience the last years none changes from black to white after that. The "character" of it is always the same, the interaction of frequencies will be better but when the soundstage is not deep it won't get deeper after that. It is limited in headroom but nice to look at.