Reviewing cartridges is a peculiar thing. After all, there are many variables that can influence the final result to a greater or lesser extent. It is, after all, a mechanical-electrical platform, and you’re dealing with countless compromises that depend on earlier hardware choices. Guarantees about how a specific cartridge will sound in a different combination of turntable, tonearm, and phono stage than mine are hardly possible to give.
Still, cartridge reviews are eagerly read, I know from conversations with readers. For the simple reason that it's often already very difficult to audition cartridges at dealers, let alone to try them at home. So when the opportunity presented itself to test the new XX-2A cartridge from Dynavector, my “Yes, please!” came with just as much eagerness. Not only because I find it insanely fun to review cartridges, but also because it would be a new encounter with an old love. It’s, at the time of publication, almost exactly 12 years ago that I bought my Dynavector 20X2-L cartridge.
Old Love Doesn’t Rust – a few confessions beforehand...
Not long after, with the help of a few analog experts, I restored a Thorens TD125mk1 that I had bought a few years earlier on impulse during the legendary 'Analog Days' as a fixer-upper from Henk Niemeijer (still missed...) of Audio Selectief in Sneek. Coincidentally, Ed Verkerk of Latham Audio, one of the experts I just mentioned, was also present at that event. Ed saw the Thorens and said: “Hey, that’s one of mine!”, meaning he had sold it a long time ago when he worked as a salesperson in a hi-fi store. He recognized it by the subchassis he had painted black and the thick rubber Acoustic Research mat he always placed on it instead of the less dampening Thorens mat. Through Ed, I got introduced to a top cartridge from Dynavector at the end of 2012, the stunning Te Kaitora Rua, mounted in the arm of the Well Tempered Versalex turntable I had at home for review at the time.
That experience was of such a high musical level that I decided to buy the most expensive Dynavector cartridge that fit within my bread-writer’s budget. That became the 20X2-L. I played with it for a while with great pleasure, until I got the chance to buy a Holistic Audio cartridge from former colleague Kilian Bakker. That cartridge offered a completely different experience than the Dynavector, and although I was genuinely happy with it, the sweet memory of the colorful and somewhat distinguished sound of the Dynavector lingered for a long time. Not least because of the enthusiastic stories I kept hearing from the friend I had sold it to. Some hi-fi components stay with you longer than others...
Dynavector: A Brief History
Dynavector was founded in 1978 by Dr. Noboru Tominari, a mechanical engineer and professor at two leading Japanese universities. His knowledge and expertise brought Dynavector several firsts. For example, they pioneered research into the damping of (unwanted) vibrations, coils with extremely thin copper wire and high output, and cantilevers made of gemstone (ruby and diamond). Additionally, Dr. Tominari came up with a few clever, patented improvements to the magnet systems of MC cartridges. For instance, the Flux Damper, a choke coil around the front yoke that counteracts the distortion of the magnetic flux caused by the vibration of the cantilever and the coil.
This Flux Damper stabilizes the magnetic flux in the air gap of the cartridge's 'motor', resulting in more natural playback. In addition, Dynavector uses 'Softened Magnetism'. The very powerful (samarium/cobalt and neodymium) magnets normally used in MC cartridges have high internal magnetic resistance, which causes fluctuations in the density of the magnetic flux. That negatively affects sound quality.
By attaching a yoke of very high-permeability metal to the magnet—a metal that is easily magnetized—the magnetic resistance is reduced, and these fluctuations are suppressed, once again improving sound quality.
Dynavector XX-2A: Technology
For the new XX-2A, Dynavector introduced two interesting additions to the magnet system. One familiar and one new. The familiar one is Alnico. This is a unique and highly regarded magnet material in audiophile circles that combines powerful magnetic flux with very low internal magnetic resistance. That is beneficial because, in combination with Softened Magnetism, it significantly reduces distortion perceived as sharpness. The other (and actually the real) novelty is a process called Special Magnetic Annealing.
Dynavector has greatly refined this process, and this is what the 'A' in the model number refers to. In this process, the front and rear yokes and the pole piece (made of the previously mentioned high-permeability material to center the magnetic field around the coils) are 'tempered' in such a way after being formed that the crystal structure of the metal returns to its original shape. This results in extremely even magnetic saturation, and the front and rear yokes and pole piece become fully permeated with magnetism. This also reduces distortion.
The XX-2A cartridge has a 6-millimeter solid boron cantilever, with a Path Finder line contact stylus at the end. This stylus has a very fine line profile with a radius of 7 x 30 microns and, as far as I can tell, is made exclusively for Dynavector by manufacturer Ogura. It is a very small stylus that traces deeply in the groove and can pick up a lot of detail. A projected lifespan is not given, but that makes little sense anyway, as it depends heavily on many factors over which Dynavector has no control. Think of the accuracy of the setup, the use of the correct tracking force, and playing dirty or damaged records. When the stylus wears out, Dynavector offers a trade-in service, where you return your worn-out cartridge and receive an attractive discount on a new cartridge of the same value. For the more expensive models (including the XX-2A), Dynavector also offers a rebuild service, where for an even more attractive price, the existing body is fitted with a completely new ‘motor’, i.e., complete stylus suspension including the damper, and the magnet system.
According to Dynavector, the channel balance of the XX-2A at 1kHz is within 1 dB, which is quite impressive, and the channel separation is a very respectable 30 dB. The output voltage at a speed of 5cm/s is 0.28mV, which is quite usable with a quiet phono stage with a gain of around 60 dB. The internal resistance is 6 ohms and Dynavector recommends a load resistance of >30 ohms, which is a surprising deviation from the 'internal resistance x 10' rule of thumb.
The compliance (flexibility of the stylus suspension) given is 10mm/N, but the sparse manual does not state whether this is at 10Hz or 100Hz. So table fetishists looking for the ideal arm resonance between 8 and 11Hz will be somewhat disappointed, because if the given compliance—as is common with most Japanese cartridge makers—is at 100Hz, there is unfortunately no formula to extrapolate the compliance to 10Hz. The recommended tracking force (1.8 - 2.2 grams) and its own weight of 8.9 grams indicate, however, that this cartridge will perform excellently in almost any modern light to medium-mass tonearm. The frequency range is between 20 and 20,000Hz (+1 dB), which is also a bit remarkable because many manufacturers especially like to specify a broader frequency range in the high frequencies. That range is rarely achieved in practice, and I think it's to Dynavector's credit that they provide a more realistic picture here of what the listener can expect.
Installation and Adjustment
Using the Feickert Protractor NG, the Dynavector XX-2A was mounted according to the Stevenson geometry—preferred by Technics—in a ‘regular’ Technics headshell and placed in the arm of my Technics SL-1300G. Not only because I happened to have it on hand, but also because Dynavector explicitly recommends mounting the XX-2A in a lightweight headshell. And the excellently built and beautifully rigid Technics headshell weighs barely 8 grams. I put ‘regular’ in quotation marks because in analogophile circles there is sometimes a bit of condescension towards the tonearms and headshells that Technics mounts on their direct-drive turntables. Cartridges costing at most a few hundred euros—but that’s really it, that kind of nonsense. That should be put to rest in my opinion, because it’s completely unjustified. Maybe a heavily used second-hand SL-1200mk2 has developed a certain (and audible) play in the arm bearings after many years of intense use, but with my fairly new and respectfully handled SL-1300G, after setting the correct VTA and anti-skating by ear, I repeatedly sat with my chin on my chest listening to music.
Initially, the (for a change, properly broken-in) XX-2A had to prove its qualities via a Chord Company Epic X RCA interconnect connected to the sublime Grimm Audio PW1 phono stage, which I was allowed to keep for an extra week especially for the Dynavector review. After that, it was the turn of my own PrimaLuna EVO100 Tube Phono Preamplifier. Both phono stages were connected to my PrimaLuna EVO400 Integrated Amplifier via an AudioQuest Water interconnect; all other cables and power supply were also from AudioQuest. The speakers were my trusted Kharma Ceramique prototypes.
Listening to the Dynavector XX-2A
The first album I played was one that has recently been taken from the record cabinet more often when I’m working with analog gear: Ophio by Der Wilde Jagd (Bureau B – BB407). The beautifully recorded mix of folky krautrock and electronics was reproduced with a transparency I rarely hear in my listening room. Not that it’s a struggle with the cartridges I usually use (I alternate between an Audio-Technica AT33PTG/II MC, a Sumiko Amethyst MM, and a Denon DL-103 MC), but the refinement and detail of the XX-2A were downright stunning, while there wasn’t a trace of harshness to be found.
I felt as though nothing stood between me and the music, that the sound was colorful, dynamic, and spacious—but above all blissfully effortless as it flowed from the speakers directly into my ears, with nothing in the playback standing out or distracting from the artistic message. That’s what I mean by transparency. By the way, the Grimm PW1 was set to a load resistance of 50 ohms and a gain of 57 dB.
Then a nicely recorded album from Dutch soil: The Stream by Opera Alaska (Excelsior Recordings – EXCEL 96603). This artsy electronic pop music with a solid edge and a lovely 1980s sauce is well produced and sounded (still through the Grimm PW1) dynamic and warm, where in the quieter passages it stood out how incredibly little unwanted artifacts the Dynavector XX-2A picks up.
Groove noise? What’s that? Static clicks and small specks of dust or scratches? No problem! The extremely fine Path Finder stylus at the end of the cantilever found its path with great confidence and coherence, and due to the enormous focus on the music, it reminded me more of high-quality Hi-Res streaming than of record playback. I’m not a fan of comparing analog to digital—it’s apples and oranges to me—but here the same thing happened that I appreciated so much when CDs first appeared: no more distractions from things unrelated to the music. Only this time, on vinyl. The idea that “you just have noise and clicks with LPs” was always hard for me to accept.
As a highly sensitive person, groove noise, clicks, and scratches are difficult to endure. Keeping exactly that issue in mind, I assembled the cartridge arsenal I just listed. The Audio-Technica and the Sumiko have a delightfully colorful sound, detailed but not bright, and quite quiet in the groove. The Denon also produces little groove fuss and adds an irresistible joy of playing, but the Dynavector XX-2A really operated on a different, much higher level in all these aspects.
To see whether the XX-2A could rock a bit, I hooked it up to the PrimaLuna Tube Phono with a load resistance of 50 ohms and a gain of 60 dB, and put the fat-sounding spacerock album Mount Adhaphera by Arcane Allies (Echodelick Records – ECHODELICK 124) on the SL-1300G’s mat. I had already figured out that this album has a production that makes it possible (or rather, requires it) to turn the volume way up—and so I did. Well, that refinement and depth that the XX-2A previously showed were still there, but were now pushed a bit into the background.
Behind the elegance and musical precision that the Dynavector had shown so far, a total party animal turned out to be hiding. No audiophile ladida; beer and bar snacks, dammit! A transformation I had hoped for, but which in the past I had sometimes found certain audiophile cartridges struggled with. Then it just wasn’t quite convincing enough to let their hair down and do a “YOLO, let’s go!” dance on the pool table. I even spontaneously craved some complementary alternative smokeables. I wouldn’t equip a drive-in disco with it—it's just too fragile and expensive for that—but it can definitely throw a “proper party.”
Time to wrap up and think about the final verdict and score, but not before I mention one more record. Last year, Joep Beving and Maarten Vos released their beautiful album Vision of Contentment on the Leiter label by Nils Frahm, who also handled the production (Leiter – LTR043). This wide and warm-sounding album is breathtakingly beautiful and contains truly subterranean bass at times, which the XX-2A picked up from the groove with enormous authority. It’s quite a contemplative album, with many soft passages that can easily be ruined by unwanted mechanical noise. However, the XX-2A traces so deeply into the groove (which is of course relative, with an actual depth of between 25 and 50 µm) that it became a completely immersive musical experience.
Conclusion
Dynavector has musically moved me several times in the past with their cartridges, and they haven’t been idle with further refinements. What an unbelievably beautiful, refined, and above all musical cartridge. I know I’m not allowed to use that last term from a valued colleague and friend “from Grunn”, but if a cartridge lets you rediscover a heap of albums, imposes no limitations on the type of music you play (that spacerock party, remember...), and makes you say out loud several times per side to your partner that it sounds truly amazing – then I find “euphonic” far too tame a word.
Although the difference is justifiable due to the upgrades, it costs €600 more than the regular XX2 mkII. The XX-2A thus enters a price class that is somewhat harder to reach for many people, and you definitely need an audio system at an equivalent performance level, including a high-quality phono stage. But my experiences were so positive that I seriously considered putting my entire arsenal of cartridges on Marktplaats (Dutch Craigslist) and asking for an invoice for the Dynavector. However, I still need my little fleet of groove-sleuths for future phono stage reviews and as reference material for other cartridges. So for now it will remain a dream, but otherwise, I’d know. So, yeeh – another analog 5-star review...
Dynavector XX-2A low output MC cartridge
€2,299 | lathamaudio.nl
Rating: 5 / 5
