“Brand New” Dynavector 20XH 2.8mV High Output MC Phono cartridge, with SoundSmith’s $350 Ruby"Single Crystal" and Nude "Optimized Contour" Contact Line Diamond. Asking $700 This cartridge was purchased several years ago and mounted on a VPI turntable with JMW arm, The sadly, short story is, that an accidental bump during the initial set-up of the unipivot arm crashed the cantilever into to platter. Obviously not a “warrantable” claim, but the dealer did sell me a replacement at the re-tip price and let me keep the new, but "cantilever challenged" cartridge. I sold the table, arm and cartridge, but the DV20XH cartridge performed to all of its hype.
I finally dug out the new-in-the-box, but broken cantilever, cartridge and sent it off to SoundSmith for their top-of-the-line re-tip. You can get this cartridge for $700, less than the $850 for the current model. This DV20XH will likely perform far better than the DV20X2, more like a high output 17D3 Karat Diamond, ($1150), if there were such a cartridge available. For more than 30 years Dynavector have established an enviable reputation for producing affordable high quality moving coil cartridges. High output models that are designed to work with MM inputs negate the necessity for equipment change or the use of setup devices required for low output cartridges. The stunning performance of the Dynavector high output moving coil cartridges can be attributed to the exclusively Dynavector designed coil winding machine capable of utilizing extremely fine coil wire providing a high output to mass ratio. DV-20X has a solid aluminum alloy body similar to the XX-2.
The cantilever
was a 6mm length of hard aluminum pipe with a Micro-Ridge stylus. I had SoundSmith install a "RUBY "Single Crystal" cantilever which holds a Nude "Optimized Contour" Contact Line Diamond. This diamond shape closely resembles the actual cutting stylus that is used to create the master record, resulting in a near perfect tracing of the record groove walls. The Contact Line Diamond has three times the contact area in the vertical direction of the groove wall, thus lowering the "force per unit area" on both the diamond as well as the record groove, resulting in lower record and diamond wear. This combination creates an ultra low mass system, capable of the finest reproduction from your cherished vinyl. This upgrade can be done to almost any cartridge and stylus assembly, and again, often allows reduction of tracking force." This is the same cantilever and stylus that SoundSmith uses on their $4500 Susurro cartidge. The magnetic flux damping and softened magnetism along with powerful neodymium magnets gives the 20XH a healthy 2.8 mV output - suitable for most MM inputs. It ensures for the optimum end result.
Specifications:- Type: High Output MC Cartridge with Flux Damper and Softened Magnetism.
Output voltage: 2.8mV (at 1KHz, 5cm/sec.)
Frequency response: 20-20,000Hz Channel Separation: 25 dB (at 1KHz) Channel balance: 1.0dB (at 1KHz)
Compliance: 12 x 10-6 cm/dyne
Impedance: R=150 ohms/ 5 ohms
Stylus: Nude "Optimized Contour" Contact Line Diamond
Cantilever: RUBY "Single Crystal" cantilever
Tracking force: 1.8 - 2.2 grams (SoundSmith recommends 2.0 grams)
Recommended load impedance: >1000 ohms / 30 ohms I am located in the SF East Bay Area.
