Changing from an XV1-S

I have VPI Classic/XV-1s combo for almost a year now. I think the combination improved significantly with addition of peripheral ring clamp, upgrade Valhalla wire. Currently my Classic is at my dealler as I decided to add SDS. I tried plugging my Classic into a true-online double conversion computer UPS unit and it improved the performance quite significantly but the unit is too noisy so I am getting SDS instead. I think that would be cheaper and easy way to improve the system if you have not already done so.
If you have to change cartridge, I would also consider My Sonic. I heard it in the same system as XV-1s and tonally it sounded similar to XV-1s but better in just about everyway. I also got a hold of Air Tight recently but have not had much time to to experiment with it yet.

Hi Downunder / DCarrol / All ...

As a manufacturer/dealer, it's inappropriate to lend advice on arm/turntable selection in this forum. Anyone who is interersted knows they can contact me and/or Audiofeil for private consultations.

Let's just say that for the combined price of an A-90 and the resale value of the DCarrrol's turntable and tonearm, a fairly significant upgrade is possible.

I understand the thirst for a change in flavors, but my point is, that DCarrol has never really heard his Dynavector.

Over the years, I've shifted my approach to answering questions like this by attempting to focus on what the customer is really after. In the early days, I would have leaped to answer the question the way many have done in this thread. I meant well (as does everyone in this thread), but I forgot to step back and look at the big picture.

When someone asks me about a new cartridge, the first question I ask is "what's wrong with what you're currently hearing?". From there, we have a basis for understanding the system interactions and how best to achieve the customer goals - both in the short term as well as the long terrm.

Audiogon is a great forum, but one of the traps many individuals fall into is buying component after component, in a shotgun approach. I find more individuals who are already thinking of their exit strategy for a component they have yet to purchase.

I'm not encouraging financial irresponsiblilty. Quite the opposite. Buying the right component the first time (even at full retail) saves you money and time over the alternative - buying at a discount, over and over, and over again.

It's the only way we dealers can justify our existence.

Cheers,
Thom @ Galibier

Hi all

well so many differing view points.

Macdadtexas...
No hum at all but that could be to do with siting the turntable correctly. I make sure that the arm/cartridge sees no power supply or magnetic field. I used a Benz Glider for about 4 months again with no problems.
What phono stage are you using and what gain setting?
I use 65dB/ 100ohms on a Whest PS.30RDT SE. No hum or hiss or anything that shouldn't be there.

Not interested in the Soundsmith Moving Iron stuff. I just can't get into it...

The XV1-S is very good but I heard with my own ears improvements with the Ortofon Cadenza Black. I doubt very much the A90 will not work in the Classic - of course it will work BUT I also know I don't need to spend a trillion $ or £ to get the best out of the A90. I have had about 10 guys all say - get the A90. One user is a Linn LP12/Ekos user.... now what do you say about that?

The XV1-S is very good but is old technology now. There are definitley cartridges out there that are cheaper and better. The A90 is about $1000 cheaper than the XV1-S... nuff said.

I will eventually change the Classic but for now I love the BIG sound.

Despite having never heard either cart, I am still inclined to agree with Thom Mackris and Audiofeil. I'd be shocked if you are getting enough out of your arm to make the difference profound. If it IS profound, the difference can probably attributed to setup.

As to 'old', I hate to say it but most of the 'technology' in your vinyl playback system is 'old technology', including your tonearm (and when you set up your tonearm using B/L alignment, that's even older).

It is not so much the 'technology' as the 'implementation and execution'. Ask Downunder... His table/arm is 30yrs old. One of the other carts he very much likes is an MM cart which is 25yrs old, but that version of the cart is the result of 9yrs of revisions of a 34-year old design. But it is all implemented extremely well.

XV-1s is old technology. Well, ok. 99% of the population think this whole vinyl thing is old technology. ;-)

I can sympathize a bit with Dcarol. It can be near impossible to have the opportunity to hear several of the great cartridges listed on this thread, and even harder to hear them in one's own system. So people resort to taking opinion polls and spending their money based on the results of which component garners the most votes.

Dcarol, you must pay hell trying to keep up with the constant improvements in solid state gear and speakers. And, if you do the same with digital I don't know how you have time to listen to LPs. IMO, others here have only scratched the surface of what I would suggest you need to do to better hear music.

Well, you are asking for opinions. :-)