DV20x2 H/L?

[lovejoy]

Hi all,
I've been pondering my next cartridge move for some time now. I bought my Well Tempered Versalex just over a year ago and fitted my existing Ortofon 2M Bronze to it whilst I figured out what its eventual replacement would be. The Bronze was a great cart for the money, but I always felt it rather clinical on the Versalex, so I've been keen to move on for a bit. A very kind soul at my local Audio T loaned me a Dynavector DV20x2 over the weekend and I am so impressed by just how thoroughly musical it is and how well it rejects surface noise, seemingly digging about twice as deep into the grooves as the Bronze did that I'm happy to end my quest there and pull the trigger on a new DV20x2. I have just the one question - I see that there are high and low output versions. I've borrowed the high output version which is working great on the MM input on my phono stage (Dynavector P300 inside the L300 pre-amp). It makes sense to me to go ahead and order the low output version as the phono stage will accomodate it and having a bit of a read around this sounds like the right move, but does anyone have experience of the H vs the L version and would I be doing the right thing in ordering the L over the H?

[Oldpinkman]

Never tried the H. The L is SOOOO lovely. It does seem to go through a funny patch at about 100 hours. Grit your teeth - you are soon out the other side - when it is back to form (many say better, although quite how they go about checking that...) :cool:

[Gazjam]

Dynavectors rool.

[Desmo]

Another vote for the L - as long as your phono stage can handle it. It looks like the P300 should be just fine, though I've never heard that combination.

[lovejoy]

Thanks all. I think it's going to be the L then. The 100 hours funny patch is bizarre, but thanks for the warning. I won't get too distressed if I notice it. I'm not sure how many hours are on the one I've loaned. Apparently not many at all, barely out of single figures which means there's more to come!! I've been pulling records off the shelf over the weekend that I've never played through all the way before. It's addictive stuff this!

[Parkie37]

Thanks all. I think it's going to be the L then. The 100 hours funny patch is bizarre, but thanks for the warning. I won't get too distressed if I notice it. I'm not sure how many hours are on the one I've loaned. Apparently not many at all, barely out of single figures which means there's more to come!! I've been pulling records off the shelf over the weekend that I've never played through all the way before. It's addictive stuff this!

Good choice. The L is what I have been using for the last year. I have really enjoyed it. I find that surface noise isn't bothersome unless it's a terribly noisy record. My dealer feels that the L is a substantial step up from the H and recommends that to anyone who has the required gain.

[lovejoy]

Good choice. The L is what I have been using for the last year. I have really enjoyed it. I find that surface noise isn't bothersome unless it's a terribly noisy record. My dealer feels that the L is a substantial step up from the H and recommends that to anyone who has the required gain.

Fantastic news. Well, I've gone ahead and ordered the L, but I've been very kindly told to keep their demo H until my L arrives. Still massively enjoying the H so it'll be very interesting to note the differences when I fit the new one.

Yes, the incredible lack of surface noise is one of the things that really struck me about this cartridge, certainly compared with the 2M Bronze. It just sounds as if the stylus must be sat deeper in the groove.

[lovejoy]

Well I collected my new 20X2L last week, it's fitted and currently running in nicely. It's not yet sounding quite as open and engaging as the one I loaned but I'm expecting it to need a good few more hours on the clock before it does.

One thing that has struck me though. Switching my P300 phono stage over to MC from MM has introduced a bit of hiss. I've had the jumpers configured on the P300 between 'phono enhancer' mode which I found a little clinical overall, and then took it out of phono enhancer mode and set it up for 30ohm loading (which is the minimum recommended in the cartridge manual) and set the phono stage gain to 63dB (there is a 66dB setting too but I would guess this would make it more noisy). That sounds better, but I still get this hiss - It's not intrusive when music is playing but between tracks and with nothing playing it is noticeable. Pulling out the phono cables from the turntable makes no difference so this does seem like phono stage noise which seems a little odd for a phono stage that is so highly regarded. Never having put an MC through it before, is this something I should be expecting and have to put up with, or should I be going through all of the other settings to get the noise level down?

[Virkon]

You liked the high why didn't you stick with it? I love mine and therefore have never been tempted to try the low it's a different cartridge.

[lovejoy]

Well, that's the point, it isn't a different cartridge - It's the same cartridge with fewer windings on the coil and from all the reviews I read, the L was recommended over the H for anyone with a good enough phono stage to take it. Considering the cartridge is going into the best phono stage that Dynavector produce, it seemed a no brainer to order the L and as I say, the same general traits I loved about the H are all there (and I've still a lot of running in to do) so I think this is more a phono stage than a cartridge question.

[Ali Tait]

More gain = more noise. Other way is a SUT into MM, you may find that less hissy.