Dynavector XV1s Break-In ?

Well a good friend has a XVS on his system and it certainly not as you describe. 100 hours is the normal break in. Was it fitted by a dealer?

Have you adjusted your phono stage to match your new cartridge?

PB - I thought that but I think all the Dynas have the same setting?

Thanks for the feed back.  Phono is loaded to 800ohms.  Tried other settings but 400 to 800 the best.    The phono stage was very happy with the XX2  - which has almost the same output/impedance.

453Ω I think is the rated superline plug, I’d guess you have something else though so the loading my optimise at a different value. Do you have the heavy counterweight? This was always used with the Aro and the XVs. Experiment with tracking force and VTA, a business card can be marked at the current pillar height to get you back to a previous setting, you are just lightly nipping up the locking screw I take it.

A sKale is an alternative to the heavy counterweight but is a bitch to adjust.

The locking screw was my first thought too...

Along with more run in time ...40hrs would be the bare minimum to my mind.. with improvement from there

Also ..check a few tracking weighs ...gong  a little heavier in small increments...not trying to teach you to suck eggs..but tracking weight on an aro is quite hard to get right..it must be measured at record high only

You measure at the height you can in the knowledge that it’s not what the force is at record height, use your ears to tell you what’s right and the numbers so you can return. There is some interaction with VTA too.

40 hours is a bit early but it should be past terrible by then.

Check the bearing pillar for smoothness - if it feels gritty when you turn the top part then there are tiny bubbles in the silicon which need to be worked out until smooth.  Make sure the jewelled cup is clean. When you set the pillar height, do not over tighten the grub screw.  Just nipped so the pillar can't move is fine.  Check the pivot point is clean and not blunted. Check that the wires within the housing aren't fouling anywhere. IIRC you will definitely need the heavy counterweight on the Aro for the XV1S.  Adjust for Azimuth, VTA, VTF and bias. 

Thank you all for these good suggestions.  To respond to comments in no particular order:

I am using the Aro heavy counter weight ( 140g).

Phono stage is not a superline (K&K Phono, built by Kevin Carter).  But loading is almost identical to the XX2 , as is the XV!s impedance , so I can't image it's a phono preamp issue ( but possible, I will re-check).   

Grub screw on Aro pillar is lightly tightened.  I also made sure there were no burrs on the pillar from prior grub screw settings, but I will check this again.

Richard, good thought on air in the Aro pillar.  I checked and it seems as smooth as normal.  I inspected the Aro pilar bearing with a pocket microscope ( $15 on Amazon and it works great!).  The cup portion is clean.  There are little spider cracks in the pillar cup under a microscope, but I assume that just inherent in the material?

Richard ( or anyone) do you have any tips as to how to check that the pivot point of the Aro is not damaged, blunted? It's very hard to see and very difficult to reach.  Does it, for example, unscrew for inspection? 

I have tried tracking weights btw 2.2 g and down to the point where it mistracks ( 1.7g). I have tried some different VTA settings as well as bias and azmuth.

BTW - the rest of the system is 252/250/ATC SCM 19

Thxs again all.  The forum is a wonderful resource.  

Regarding the pivot point, it is quite hard to see as it's recessed so far inside the arm body.  Unfortunately I don't think it's a user-serviceable part, but if you're unsure as to its condition you could always ask Naim if it could be inspected. 

The correct loading is definitely 453R for all of the MC Dynavectors. I use that with the XX2 Mk 2.

Might be worth trying a lift and resetting in place of the pivot on the pillar bearing just to make sure there are no air pockets and the like. Correctly set up though any of these cartridges on the Aro should sound phenomenal from the off.

We should mention the point that it just could be a faulty cartridge!!!

It's not entirely unknown ...is it possible to sub your previous cart back in for a record or two on the settings you are using now and try it..

I've had the XV1, the XV1S and now the XV1T ... all sounded fab out of the box (on LP12 / Aro / Superline (453R) and latterly Urika) ... so if everything else is as it should be then you may well have a faulty cartridge

Unfortunately I had to trade in the XX2 cartridge for XV1s so I have nothing to compare it to. 

I am going to try to check everything over again tonight ( I'm at work at present).  Perhaps the head shell screws need adjustment. 

Question for the fourm : would a worn Circus bearing or a failing AC motor or bad belt present this way ( i.e. - no dynamics) ?  My next step is for the LP12 to be serviced and inspected.  My dealer is a long way away so this is not a straight forward thing to do... which is why I have not done this as a first step.

Chris

Chris, I think it may well be time to get your dealer involved.  Look at all the possibilities but...  A duff cart is always one of those possibilities...

Can't help thinking something else has changed here. My own dealer-fitted DV MC (less stratospheric) was good from the outset and just got better.

Hope it works out.

I made the same transition from XX2 to XVS a few years back, on an Aro deck.

Something is off here. The XVS is polar opposite of what you have described in your post. Sounds like you know your way around your deck so that is probably not the issue here. I suspect you may have a duff cartridge- contact the dealer would be my recommendation. Good luck..its a great cartridge when performing as it should

ATB,

Mark

I agree something is off.  I have an Ekos SE rather than an Aro on my LP12 but both XV1Ss I’ve had sounded fabulous out of the box.  I tried an XX2 at home for a week first, but when Phil March put the XV1S on it was a no-brainer, immediately and clearly superior.  It took me just 2 years to wear out the first one - as the tip wore there was increasing distortion from the bottom of the groove, but the new XV1S immediately sounded brilliant, and has remained so, improving slightly after the first 100 hours.  It sounds as if it’s either a faulty cartridge or a problem elsewhere in your LP12/ phonostage.

Bartman posted:

Phil March

Lege!!

Bartman posted:

I agree something is off.  I have an Ekos SE rather than an Aro on my LP12 but both XV1Ss I’ve had sounded fabulous out of the box.  I tried an XX2 at home for a week first, but when Phil March put the XV1S on it was a no-brainer, immediately and clearly superior.  It took me just 2 years to wear out the first one - as the tip wore there was increasing distortion from the bottom of the groove, but the new XV1S immediately sounded brilliant, and has remained so, improving slightly after the first 100 hours.  It sounds as if it’s either a faulty cartridge or a problem elsewhere in your LP12/ phonostage.

Hope you don’t mind me asking why you did not replace the tip. I hope my Rega Aphelion last more than two years. So far I have played about 750 LPs. I use a RCM. Rega charge about half the new price for a replacement tip. It quite complex work dismantling and rebuilding the cartridge.

Phil

The advice I got for re-tipping was mixed, whereas exchanging for a new gave me a no risk alternative and DV offered a rebate on the old one, not much, but enough.  The first one lasted about 2500 hrs I reckon (I also use a RCM but not every LP has been wet cleaned).  I bought a network player at the same time to stream music while I worked.  Not as good in terms of SQ, but convenience and reduced cartridge wear a factor.

Bartman posted:

The advice I got for re-tipping was mixed, whereas exchanging for a new gave me a no risk alternative and DV offered a rebate on the old one, not much, but enough.  The first one lasted about 2500 hrs I reckon (I also use a RCM but not every LP has been wet cleaned).  I bought a network player at the same time to stream music while I worked.  Not as good in terms of SQ, but convenience and reduced cartridge wear a factor.

Thanks Bartman. Did you have the stylus examined under a microscope to check for wear? When the vinyl dust coats the stylus it needs to be removed. Some also say that a good jeweller’s magnifying glass is ok for checks. I hope mine lasts longer!

Phil

All checked and clean. Diamonds don’t last for ever, afterall!