Dynavector DV-20X

By Matthew Masters

August 2006

Dynavector DV-20Xh high output moving coil phono cartridge. $799

Dynavector's DV-20X is available in both high (as reviewed) and low output versions

On the off chance that you ever find yourself in Sweden, be very cautious if anyone offers you surströmming, a sort of fermented, pickled herring. To say it’s an acquired taste would be an understatement of the gravest nature. Foul smelling and with a very strong flavour, surströmming is actually banned from most airlines because, they claim, the tins are an explosive hazard. But you never know, you may like it. Some people do.

In its own way, Dynavector is a company well used to customers with, shall we say, specialised tastes. Exotic moving coil cartridges and inertia-controlled tonearms don’t appeal to everyone.

Some bread for the table

The DV-20X is second entrée in Dynavector’s cartridge range. At around $799 it will still be a bit rich for many people’s taste, but at least it’s available in a high output version so there’s no need for a dedicated moving coil stage (a low output version is also available).

A light hors d’oeuvre

The cartridge itself is a lovely piece of work. The body is milled from a chunk of solid aluminium, making it a bit on the weighty side at 8.6g. Although most tonearms should be fine, the standard counterweight on my Project RPM6 isn’t quite heavy enough to cope.

At the business end is an aluminium cantilever carrying a nude elliptical diamond. No exotic metals and fancy profiles here, but the DV-20X seems none the worse for it. Indeed, these may contribute to the remarkable lack of surface noise picked up by the Dynavector.

Time to clear the palate

Mounting the cartridge was straightforward. With flat, parallel sides it’s easy to align and, for me at least, it required no VTA adjustment.

My initial impressions, unfortunately, weren’t all that good. The first few discs I span sounding stodgy and lacking excitement. Was the Dynavector more of a doughnut than a meringue, I wondered?

Fortunately, a quick check of the ingredients revealed that I’d over-egged things a little – the tracking weight was too high. Dialling it back to the recommended 2g whipped some lightness into the mix.

The main courses

Lightness and a sweet top end is what moving coil cartridges are supposed to be all about. But the Dynavector offers a rather different flavour. Something altogether more meaty.

Playing Jean Michel Jarré’s Oxygene revealed a smooth, detailed and nicely butch sound. Strong bass and lower mid-range performance strengthening what can be a slightly weedy and thin sounding album.

This had me thinking. What’s the most irritating album in my collection? Coldplay’s Rush of Blood to the Head actually became quite pleasant when sprinkled with the Dynavector seasoning. The usual scratchy whine of The Scientist becoming an entirely different strain of melancholy.

Sticking with melancholy for a moment, the Dynavector revealed the darker side to Nick Drake’s otherwise sweetly romantic tones on Northern Lights from his Bryter Later album. It was as if the youthful brightness in his voice had been dimmed by some external force.

From meat to sweet

The Dynavector’s beefy presentation came to the fore with classical records. The harpsichord is not an instrument known for either darkness or any excess of guts. But with the Smithsonian Institute’s recording of Bach’s French Concerto (BWV831), that’s exactly what was delivered. The overall effect was life-like and very subtle, something rarely found with any harpsichord recordings.

At the other end of the orchestration scale, the Dynavector did a luscious job with Thomas Beecham’s idiosyncratically huge Royal Philharmonic production of Handel’s Messiah. There really are too many flavours in the mix, but the Dynavector picks each one out with devastating accuracy. Although ultimate detail probably isn’t the DV-20’s strongest point, it does prevent what can easily become a curdled mess. The whole performance is warm, lush and sweet. The complete antithesis of sharp tasting modern classical arrangements.

The aftertaste

With its $799 price tag, the Dynavector DV-20X is remarkable value for money, the astonishing sophistication of its performance sees to that. Its warm and sweet flavour gives the Dynavector a relaxing and immediately engaging sound that really is incredibly easy to live with. But somehow, for me, it was also missing something. I like my music with a bit more aggression, a little, well, sharper. The Dynavector is a little too sweet for my taste. But then I do like surströmming.

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