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99.40.0.14
Have a Dynavector XX2 MkII (about 1oo hours) with a missing cantilever!Dynavector offers a complete rebuild with new warranty for about 1k. Soundsmith can do the rebuild as well, I don't know the cost, perhaps and hoping less than 1k, but the question is......can Soundsmith make it an even better sounding cartridge than it already is?
Abe's not too long ago post re broken cantilevers prompted me to look at mine....cantilever missing. Don't know how it happened and everyone in the house denies being around it. Finally over it and ready to rebuild.
Thanks for the input on which way to go with the rebuild.
Mvj
Follow Ups:
The stock canti on the XX-2 is a solid boron one, with a line contact stylus.
While the character of the cart may differ, very slightly, IMO from the stock boron/line contact, SS's Ruby canti is no slouch.. and the line contact stylus is terrific. Peter says it's quite ensitive to azimuth adjustment.. but honestly, it's not THAT finicky. One you get azimuth pretty much nailed, to me, on my woody 103R, no software variations really knock it off it's game.
You ay notice it more with the OCC wired coils and whatever finer resolution the XX-2 system brings to the game.
But to save $750? A no brainer.. the new cart will still be a force to be reckoned with.. I have little doubt of that.
If your rig is REALLY voiced with it stock (not sure if you ever ran it with the stock tip), MAYBE you'll want to make a couple of very sall tweaks.. but I doubt it.
I know we flatter Peter tirelessly round here.. but that mid level retip is a screaming good deal. Serious quality, perfomance and craftsmanship im my exp.. with two cartridges.
Good luck and post your choice and subsequent findings!
Marc
I'm wondering what you (or Peter) mean when you say a cartridge is sensitive to azimuth? And, how do you adjust azimuth under those conditions?
The reason I'm confused is because the way I adjust azimuth is by minimizing crosstalk such as with a Fozgometer or with Feickert's Adjust Plus software. Stylus geometry has absolutely no bearing on a cartridge's sensitivity to azimuth when adjusted by electrical measurement. All cartridges have essentially the same sensitivity even if they have a conical stylus. This is because the Fozgometer method adjusts the internal generator to the groove, not the stylus.
Anyway, how do you guys adjust azimuth and what do you mean by azimuth sensitivity?
Thanks,
John Elison
I will change your speaker's cones from paper to polypropylene it's not a big deal really if your system is voiced around paper , you just make a couple of adjustments and voila:)
--
for what it's worth, here is my $.02 as a current Dyna XX2 Mk2 user and former user of a SoundSmith retipped Shelter 90x:
I used the top of the line stylus that Peter offers. I found that it is a very finicky beast where Azimuth and other mounting parameters are concerned (and in fairness to Peter he says so himself on his website). So if ease of setup is a consideration, I think you are better off taking Dynavector up on its retip offer. You might want to ask Mike Pranka, the dynavector rep, if your unit will be retipped or if it will be exchanged for another unit. I don't recall what Dyna does.)
Then he could opt for the $250 retip which is less sensitive to azimuth adjustments.
Ed
We don't shush around here!
Life is analog...digital is just samples thereof
Here's what I wrote in another thread when someone presumed that I was saying that a SoundSmith rebuilt XX-2 MkII sounded like a stock Dyna XX-2:
"I have a buddy who is a former Dynavector dealer has heard my rebuilt XX-2 and he didn't note any major difference between my rebuilt ones and other stock XX-2s he has seen. Though sure a direct A/B would likely reveal some differences (especially since the SS rebuild uses a ruby and not boron cantilever), based on my friend's impresssions I still feel confident that my cart has the predominant Dyna character. And I'd wager good money that it sounds better than a 20X2L or 17D3, which are closer in price to what I paid."
I did the $250 rebuild (thinking that I would have something to look forward to with the $350 rebuild down the road). So not his top of the line Optimized Contour Nude Contact Line Diamond. What I have sounds fabulous, but I don't have other carts in its league to compare it to.
$650 or $750 is a pretty large savings, and being a man on a budget, that's what I would recommend. Especially since you can get a new XX-2 MkII from 2juki on eBay for $1230 shipped.
But I would also second the advice that you give Peter at SoundSmith a call. He is fabulous to work with. There is a wait for these rebuilds, but SS is upfront about it and otherwise has fabulous service.
If you want a Dynavector XX-2 as if you bought it new, then I'd recommend having Dynavector do the retipping.
If you just want a great cart and don't much care for the "Dynavector Sound" then Soundsmith may give you what you are after (but that does beg the question as to why you bought the body sans cantilever ... )
So, if it were me, I'd get it clear in my mind what my goal was, and then the answer is obvious.
"Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad"
One thing to consider is the type of stylus you had in the XX-2. Was it a microridge/microline or shabata design? The top stylus by Peter appears to be an advanced design, perhaps a variation a a Fritz Geiger or maybe a Namiki variant. What ever it is is it's darn good. Coupled with a ruby cant for responsiveness and resonance control makes for a bargin at his price.
One thing I noticed with the cart I had retipped is significantly lower record noise than my Denon 103R and Grado Sonata. The stylus requires accurate VTA and azimuth if you are going to get its best but the rewards are great.
Good luck on your decision.
JRags
"Always Searching for Perfection"
i would contact soundsmith either by phone or email and discuss the merits of the various options for that particular cart. at any rate, i would probably at least try the soundsmith approach.
...regards...tr
For SS's retipping include the cantilever and stylus. In other words the $350 job includes a ruby cantilever, optimized LC stylus and retipping service.
Before you celebrate I would ask them what your cartridge specifically needs.
Ed
We don't shush around here!
Life is analog...digital is just samples thereof
Hello.
Roscoeiii here has experience with a Soundsmith re-tipped XX-2 MKII. Maybe he could give more insight. I have an XX-2 MKII as well, but no experience with the Soundsmith re-tip on this one.
However, with that said, I do have experience with the 20XL factory and Soundsmith ruby retip. Side-by-side comparison of these shows the re-tip to be my preference between the two. I really do not think there's an appreciable difference here. If there is, I cannot tell; at least not enough to make me go, 'Ah, this one is sooooo much better...wow'.
Unfortunate that the cantilever is missing. Then you could just have Peter put a new line contact on it (the $350 or so option), rather than go with the whole new cantilever/diamond combo. My guess is that many here would say you no longer have an XX-2 — instead, something else different completely. I don't know about this, personally. While that may be technically accurate, I cannot help but think that everything else is in fact an XX-2. My experience with the 20XL makes me think it can be improved; it's just there's camps who would say, 'an improvement on what?' It's now no longer a Dynavector, so it cannot be compared. Semantics aside and all that, money is always an object. You could save $650 the Soundsmith route, but then you have a different cart...albeit a really outstanding sounding cart methinks.
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