Dynavector DV507-II on Technics SL-1210

[MartinT]

My SL-1210 So Far (Prequel to the DV507-II)

I thought I'd write up where my 1210 stands so far for the interest of others and also to ensure that I don't myself forget once the deck acquires its new arm. I hardly need any encouragement, I love listening to it and must admit that CDs have taken rather a back seat recently.

My record playing subsystem comprises:

• Technics SL-1210
• TimeStep PSU
• Motor dynamics mod
• Strobe off mod
• Mike New bearing
• Isonoe feet
• Internal plastic tray removed
• Jelco SA-250ST arm with heavy 750D counterweight
• Neglex arm cable
• Audiophile (Herbies) mat
• Bruil record weight
• Audio Technica AT33PTG cartridge
• Bob's Devices CineMag step-up transformer (set for 24dB gain)
• Mark Grant G1000HD 0.5m interconnect SUT to phono pre
• Whest PS.30R phono preamp (set for 50dB gain, 47k load)

Listening to a fresh copy of Hotel California on 180g vinyl just now, I hear the deck's tremendous ability to start and stop, shockingly, revealing the very dark spaces in the music with a sense almost of vertigo. The all-important midrange is detailed, highly focused within the soundstage and reveals tonal and textural detail that elude CD. Frequency range is wide with extended, tight and very satisfying bass weight while the treble is sweet and detailed without any harshness or forwardness. Hiss is low due mainly to the very good noise performance of the Whest, while surface noise is remarkably suppressed, something I have noticed that SUTs excel at.

The balance of virtues is very finely poised with no one element of performance (frequency balance, detail, dynamics, soundstage) overwhelming any of the others. Perhaps I have lucked into some very good combinations here, but I'd like to think that I've been down enough dead ends (Michell TecnoArm, Grade Prestige Gold, PS Audio GCPH, SDS Isoplatmat) to have learned more about how to get everything working well together.

There is tremendous synergy going on here: I would cite the AT/Jelco/CineMags as one obvious partnership, and the Powerplant Premier/TimeStep/Motor Dynamics mod as another. Interestingly, when Hugo (Shuggie) and I tried out the Paul Hynes PSU in place of the TimeStep, we struggled to hear any change at all. I think this has a lot to do with the latter partnership optimising drive to the motor. I do think that Dave of Sound Hi-Fi has underplayed the motor dynamics mod and that this is an important upgrade.

Meanwhile the Mike New bearing and Herbies mat both contribute significantly to detail, tightness, neutrality and providing a transparent backdrop to the proceedings.

Another partnership that works well is the Solid Tech/Isonoe pairing that gives a very high level of isolation to the proceedings, letting the deck float impervious to even quite high levels of vibration when giving the volume control a prod.

This player provides insight from vinyl as I've never had in my system before. It doesn't just slightly improve over the Roksan Xerxes/SME IV/AT OC9/EAR 834P that I used to own, it performs on a different plane altogether.

I have to hope that the DV will play on the strengths of these synergies without breaking anything. We shall see.

[twelvebears]

Hi Martin.

Thanks for the post, it gives me a 'to do' list for my own Techie which has some but not all of your mods.

I think the next thing for me to consider is the Isone feet as an alternative to the squidge sorbothane ones and probably a dedicated phono stage rather that the (admittedly quite good) built-in MM/MC stage in my MF M3.

[chris@panteg]

Excellent Martin ' superbly written and informative as always ! the motor dynamics mod has got me thinking .

Either i go down to Dartmouth or send the deck to Dave ? or maybe B&B with the Wifey she will love it down there im sure .

All the best for tomorrow

[Dave Cawley]

The motor dynamics mod suits some and not others. But it is an option and quite clearly we have looked at the whole turntable and its holistics. No one else has done this.

Dartmouth receives over 1 million tourists a year, in the winter we are a sleepy town of just 5,000 people with a river running through it.

There are many art galleries and expensive ladies cloths shops. I run a tourism web site here www.Dartmouth.tv



Regards

Dave

[twelvebears]

Dartmouth is indeed lovely, but it is also the wing-mirror death capital of the world.

Mine are still fine but I saw a very expensive looking Range Rover one explode on a wall in spectacular style when I was there over Easter. Oh how I laughed.

Top tip: If you have a big car and can't drive, don't visit Dartmouth or go on foot. :-)

[Dave Cawley]

There are many roads where a Mercedes S Class even with the rear view mirrors wound in, simply will not go through. I know, I tried it!

Best to use Mayors Avenue Car Park in the winter or the Park-and-Ride in the summer.

Regards

Dave

[The Vinyl Adventure]

The advantage of traveling by train... Even if it is now running 34 mins late!

[Dave Cawley]

Hi Hamish

Which station are you arriving at and when?

Regards

Dave

[The Vinyl Adventure]

Martins waiting at totnes for me now, il be there in about 10 mins

[Snoopdog]

The motor dynamics mod suits some and not others. But it is an option and quite clearly we have looked at the whole turntable and its holistics. No one else has done this.

Dartmouth receives over 1 million tourists a year, in the winter we are a sleepy town of just 5,000 people with a river running through it.

There are many art galleries and expensive ladies cloths shops. I run a tourism web site here www.Dartmouth.tv



Regards

Dave

Dave

I'm a bit worried that you know about "expensive ladies clothes shops"