Graham Phantom DV XV-1s setup question

Interesting points you make about the VTF continually changing and dependent on the record as they are not all cut the same. That logic explains what I hear, you either continually adjust or you accept a compromise on some.

Exactly.

BTW, I second Jazdoc's recommendation of the Mint if you don't already have one. Major improvement on my rig too, well worth the cost.

Regarding A/S I compared the minimum with the weight and no weight and preferred the sound with no A/S slightly more dynamic.

Exactly, again!

One problem with all A/S mechanisms is that they apply a force via a different vector than the skating force they purport to counteract.

Skating forces pull inward on the STYLUS and CANTILEVER. Anti-skating devices pull outward on the TONEARM. What mediates this imbalance of forces? The only compliant connection between them, i.e., the suspension inside the cartridge.

So, all A/S devices press the cantilever laterally against the elastic suspension (just as VTF does vertically). What happens when you pressure a vibrating rod against an elastic polymer? You dampen the vibrations, reduce their amplitudes and slur their transients. Sonic result: reduced dynamics, blurred transients and smothered HFs.

Skating forces exist, so some A/S may be required by some cartridges for clean tracking. But the less you can get away with the greater the dynamics and the faster the transients. Now all you need is downstream equipment good enough to reproduce these without distortion. It seems like you have that.

Doug, interesting I wonder if I can take this idea further and state that the game with the XV-1s is to minimize pressure on the cantilever to maximize the vibration rather than the efficiency of the tracking the needle. In other words the cartridge will track perfectly say within 1.80 and 2.00grams (depending on the TT) and the fine tuning objective is to maximize vibration. The XV-1s is an amazing tracker, not sure why, but I noticed it immediately when I first installed it.

BTW, I ordered a MintLP last week :-)

Agreed, and it's not just the XV-1S. This has been my experience with other high end LOMCs (Lyra Olympos, ZYX Atmos, ZYX Universe). For any particular LP on any particular day, optimal sonics are obtained by applying the least downforce and side force consistent with clean tracking.

One could imagine an MC built such that the downforce required to center the coils in the magnetic fields differed significantly from the downforce required for clean tracking. In such a case, optimizing sonic performance would be impossible. One would have to compromise between maximizing cantilever freedom or maximizing coil/field centering. That would be frustrating, as one optimizes speed, micro-dynamics and HF response whilst the other optimizes amplitudes and ensures the most accurate reproduction of waveforms. I suspect that many unbalanced sounding cartridges suffer from this ultimately insoluble flaw.

Good job ordering a Mint!

Great thread, lots of useful info.

Question for anyone.

I was having my table set-up last night, I have the same table, arm and cart as mentioned above, the person doing the set-up mentioned while listening that I don't have enough gain with my current phono which is; VAC Sig. MK2a pre w/phono 64 db of gain

How much gain is the norm when using the Dynavetor XV-1s cart

Set-up;

TW-Acustic Raven One
Graham Phantom MK2
VAC Sig. MK2a pre w/phono

I also have a Audia Flight phono to compare which he said shouls work, we did not hook-it up as of yet because it got rather late. I was really hoping the VAC would work.

Thoughts, sugestions

Dev,

First, do your line stage, amp and speakers produce acceptable SPL's and dynamics with line level sources at a reasonable gain setting on the line stage (i.e., somewhere between 10 and 2 o'clock)?

If so, then the phono stage gain you need for any cartridge can be calculated using the KAB Preamp Gain Calculator . Plugging in the 0.3mv output of an XV-1S indicates that 61db of phono gain would be suitable. Your VAC's 64db should be more than adequate.

Further, I've heard the VAC Renaissance (62db MC gain) in my system with both XV-1S and ZYX UNIverse (similar output). The gain was ample and the VAC was among the two or three best phono stages I've heard after my Doshi Alaap. It's a fine unit and an excellent match with that cartridge.

The VAC website indicates that phono gain is selectable (and also that the inputs labelled phono may optionally be just another set of line inputs). Make sure that you actually have a phono stage installed, ;-), and also that you're on the MC (64db) setting and not the MM (44db). I don't know where the switch is, check the manual.

Assuming everything's adjusted right, what did your setup guy hear that made him want more gain? From the information you posted it seems unlikely.