Few other pickup series are as popular as the 20 series from Dynavector. This is by no means simply because this cartridge family is so attainably priced – it has also won over music lovers all over the world with its sound quality. Now a new member has joined the family: the DV-20X2A.
When the editors announced the new Dynavector 20X2A to me, I was genuinely delighted. This was partly because I’ve recently been given some very expensive products to review whose prices far exceeded my personal budget. Getting to review a component that I can actually afford is a nice change of pace. The other reason is the special relationship I have with Dynavector’s “twenties”. The low-output version of the venerable DV-20X – still with a closed-bottom housing and no thread for mounting – was my first very own moving coil (MC) system, which I had painstakingly saved up for at the time. I can’t tell you how many hours of relaxing and stimulating music enjoyment I owe to this pickup.
This explains why scarcely thirty minutes had passed between me receiving the new DV-20X2A and the cartridge being up-and-running in my setup. I already had Chi Ayado’s To You, one of my records from the “poison cabinet”, standing at the ready next to my turntables. This one’s anything but easy listening. For one, because the raspy voice of the Japanese singer and pianist isn’t for everyone, and also because she’s really pushing her soprano voice, making its reproduction a challenge for any pickup. What can I say: Fresh out of the box, this system gave a thrilling, precise, nuanced and dynamic presentation the likes of which I typically only hear from cartridges from much higher price ranges, after they’ve been broken in. So astonishing was the impression that I literally couldn’t believe my ears. Too great was the suspicion that my enthusiasm may have run away with me. I was reassured by the fact that Dr. Christian Feickert, who organizes Dynavector sales in Germany together with Herbert Schleicher from SWS-audio, relayed the exact same impression to me.
But before I get completely carried away with my enthusiasm, first things first: Dynavector’s DV-20X2A is not the successor to the DV-20X2, which remains available. Rather, it is an addition to the portfolio of the Tokyo-based manufacturer that exclusively offers pickups based on the moving coil principle. In the company’s own hierarchy, it sits comfortably between the DV-20X2 and the DV-XX2 MkII. As an A version of the latter has also recently become available, the question of what the “A” in the name is all about arises.
From the outside, not much has changed compared to the DV-20X2. Obviously, it uses the same open-bottomed aluminum alloy housing. While the standard version comes in a dignified matt black, the DV-20X2A is dressed in elegant lead gray. The overall construction is identical for both and follows the classic design principle for MCs: at the top of the generator sits a magnet made of a neodymium-boron alloy, whose magnetic field is guided to the coil as loss-free as possible via a yoke at the front and a pole piece at the rear. It is precisely these three components that the Japanese have taken and subjected to a treatment called “annealing”, which could explain the “A” in the model name. In this process, workpieces are carefully heated above the annealing point, held there for a defined time and slowly cooled down again. This causes the atoms to arrange themselves in the respective workpiece such that any pre-existing defects in the crystal lattice are “repaired”, so to speak. The procedure is said to facilitate a more even flow of the magnetic field to the coils. Since the process consumes a lot of energy and time, it is naturally also rather costly, which explains the higher purchase price for the A version of the DV-20X2. The introduction of this innovation in pickup construction falls neatly in line with Dynavector’s in-house philosophy, which has always aimed to eliminate any disturbing influences from the magnetic circuit as far as possible. For the same reason, the DV-20X2A naturally also features Dynavector’s patented achievements such as “Softened Magnetism” and “Flux Damper”, which also aim to homogenize the magnetic flux.
The option of choosing between a low-output or a high-output version (output voltage 0.3 mV or 2.8 mV) has been retained. Common to both is the strikingly short and conically shaped cantilever made of hardened aluminum, carrying a micro-ridge cut diamond at the tip. The low-output version provided to me is a low-impedance MC with an internal resistance of six ohms that should be terminated with an input resistance of more than 30 ohms on the phono preamplifier side. At 9.2 grams, the weight of the DV-20X2A isn’t going to be an issue for any tonearm I know of. The compliance of 12 µm/mN indicates an optimum effective mass of between 10 and 20 grams (medium to heavy). This reveals another secret of the success of Dynavector’s 20 series: the DV-20X2A can be used in any standard tonearm and with any low-noise phono input without any problems. Thanks to the mounting threads, a housing with straight edges and clearly marked contact pins for connection to the tonearm, mounting is no particular challenge either. However, the “sharp” micro-ridge cut does require some care during adjustment.
The necessary patience is well-rewarded: not only – as mentioned at the beginning – are critical female voices reproduced extremely cleanly, but the DV-20X2A’s imaging also benefits from careful adjustment. This is particularly beneficial for lovers of classical music. Especially if you want to enjoy symphonic warhorses like those by Anton Bruckner in all their glory. Here’s an anecdote: my neighbor came by during the review period to inspect my Bruckner collection. He himself is a great admirer of the Austrian composer and usually only accepts GĂĽnter Wand’s interpretations. At least he was willing to tolerate my recording of Otto Klemperer’s Seventh Symphony with the Philharmonia Orchestra (EMI). He looked skeptical at first when I put on an LP, but the self-confessed SACD fan was then pleasantly surprised that classical music could sound so good on the supposedly outdated stylus sound system. The DV-20X2A played a large part in this. The spatial representation of the orchestra was generous as well as detailed, so we could effortlessly localize the individual instrument groups at any given time and follow their melody lines. The presentation also shone thanks to the hallmark strength of Dynavector: a lively playing style that never slips into nervousness. The DV-20X2A also succeeded effortlessly in differentiating between the timbres of various related instruments. Overall, the reproduction was completely committed to the music and proved to be so captivating that my neighbor and I listened to other Bruckner symphonies on LP late into the night, discussing the various differences in the interpretations and completely losing track of the time.
I could extend the list of musical experiences indefinitely. But the editor-in-chief is already champing at the bit, persistently demanding my report. So unfortunately I have to pack up this wonderful pickup and send it back to the office. I have no doubt that the Dynavector 20X2A, just like its ancestor, will provide many hours of great music enjoyment, and not just for me. The new “A-Class” has therefore more than earned a big recommendation.
Accompanying Equipment
Turntables: Technics SL-1200 MK2, Linn Sondek LP12 (Majik) | Tonearms: Linn Ittok LV II/2, SME 3009-R | Headshells: Audio-Technica AT-LH15/OCC, Audio-Technica MS-8, Ortofon LH-6000, Technics | Cartridges: Denon DL-103, Linn Adikt, Ortofon Concorde R, Ortofon Jubilee | Phono preamplifier: Lehmannaudio Decade | Network tuner: Onkyo NS-6170 | Integrated amplifier: Naim NAIT 2 | Preamplifier: Bryston BPS-25MC | Power amplifier: Linn LK100 | Headphones: Sony MDR-1 RNC | Passive speakers: Naim Credo | Active speakers: Neumann KH 310 A | Cables: Sommer Cable
Moving Coil Cartridge Dynavector 20X2A
Concept: Moving-Coil (MC) cartridge | Special features: Magnetic circuit with annealed pole piece, front and rear yoke, flux damper, softened magnetism, low- and high-output versions available | Cantilever: hardened aluminum | Stylus cut: micro ridge | Compliance: 12 µm/mN (10 Hz) | Recommended tracking force: 18-22 mN | Recommended effective tonearm mass: medium to heavy (10-20 g) | Output voltage: Low Output 0.3 mV, High Output 2.8 mV (1 kHz, 5 cm/s) | Internal impedance: Low Output 5 Ω, High Output 150 Ω | Recommended termination impedances: Low Output > 30 Ω, High Output > 1000 Ω | Weight: 9.2 g | Warranty period: 2 years | Price: around 1200 € (replacement: 1030 €)
SWS-audio
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