Dynavector XV-1S tracking force issue

I have been running my XV-1s at 2.174g. I found the sound in my system to be lean toward the brittle side at anything below 2.1g and above 2.3g think and ill-defined bass. I tried the weight up to 2.5-2.7g and just didn't get any sonic benefit. For what it's worth, I asked Mike at Toffco (importer of dyna carts) and he clearly stated that he wouldn't recommend the higher tracking force weights for causing issues with the suspension over the long haul. He said it was a common question based on HP quotes and he called Dyna in Japan and this was the answer he received.

It may be ok to run with VTF set a bit high for the first 100 hours or so to help breakin the cart. I agree with Philb7777 and I would not run my XV-1s above what Dyna recommends. I prefer to run mine around 1.85 because I find the dynamics much better in my system with that VTF. Any thing below that and the bass loses punch, above about 1.9 I find the bass to become exaggerated in my system. YMMV. I also use no AS at all, but I am using a Triplanar so it doesn't surprise me that our ranges are a little different by a few tenths of a gram.

I have enjoyed my xv-1s for several years. Hope you get as much enjoyment from this cart as I have.

I run mine around 1.95g and it sounds best there on a dynavector 507 arm.

Dear Audioblazer: This is an " old " subject. My comments as an owner of that cartridge are:

IMHO and with respect HP is totally wrong as he is with his rule to set load impedance on every LOMC cartridge on 47K value, it seems to me that this person has very low knowledge with the cartridge subject.

In the other side this is what Dynavector Technical Director email me on the VTF subject:

De: Webmaster [mailto:info@dynavector.co.jp]
>Enviado el: Martes, 30 de Agosto de 2005 07:25 p.m.
>Para: Ra ? Iruegas
>Asunto: Re: XV-1

Dear Raul,
>
>Thank you for your using DV products.
>
>DV cartridges can secure sufficient performance when using
>recommended tracking force motioned on the manual. It is true that
>Higher tracking force can improve the tracking performance at the
>high amplitude track of the record but too higher tracking force
>might cause the problem with frequency response as upper side of the
>damper rubber is compressed by the coil bobbin and downside of the
>damper rubber is detach from the coil bobbin.
>
>Tracking ability of the XV-1s is slightly changed by room
>temperature. It means that when you use the cartridge in cold room,
>you should increase tracking force a little than the XV-1s
>recommended tracking force of 2.0g, when you use cartridge in hot
>room you should decrease tracking force.
>
>Hopefully it could be helpful to you.
>
>
>Best regards,
>
>Masaaki Sasa
>Sales and Technical director
>Dynavector Systems Ltd.

I use mine inside Dynavector limits and performs great. Yes, I try it up out of that VTF limit with a sound degradation.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

I used to have XV-1s and was tracking it at 2.1g. The sound was great. I also tried HP's recommended 2.5g, 2.6g, and 2.7g. I didn't hear any sonic benefit. But the cartridge almost bottomed out at 2.7g. The bottom part of the cartridge almost touched the record. It looked ugly. I think 2.0 or 2.1 works great.