Dynavector DV 10XA-L moving coil cartridge
It’s amazing to reflect that the very first DV 10X cartridge from Dynavector was introduced almost 50 years ago, in 1978. It was their first cartridge and it caused a sensation at the time as it was the world’s first ever high-output moving coil cartridge.
Dynavector’s use of ultra-thin wire allowed more coils to be wound on to the armature at the end of the cantilever, resulting in an output voltage high enough to be fed straight into a moving magnet input, promising the sonic advantages of a moving coil without the need for a separate head amp or transformer. I used one myself back in the day, mounted in a Formula IV unipivot arm on a Thorens TD124 turntable feeding into a Sugden A48 Class A amplifier, and very good it was too.
This year sees the introduction of the latest iteration of the 10X line, the brand new DV 10XA, which is available in both high- (DV 10XA-H) and low-output (DV 10XA-L) formats (2.8mV and 0.5mV respectively). Price is £649 for either version. It is the low-output version that I am reviewing here.
The original 10X has undergone a number of refinements and improvements. The 10XA follows on from the 10X5 MkII, that was introduced in 2018 and which continues in production until next year at a reduced price of £549. The 10XA incorporates the company’s newly developed magnetic circuit featuring ‘special magnetic annealing’ technology. We first saw this in the XX-2A and 20X-2A cartridges introduced last year.
Ninja know-how
The annealing process uses a combination of heating and cooling to help reverse the microscopic crystalline damage that occurs during the manufacturing of the pure iron components and restore permeability to its original state. The opposite of ‘quenching’, which is used to strengthen metal, annealing makes the metal softer, in a bid to combine both hardness and flexibility. This was the process used to make samurai swords. It is achieved by gradually cooling the metal after heating, as opposed to the rapid cooling that occurs during quenching. Dynavector’s magnetic annealing process, which requires precise control of the gas in the furnace, is said to improve permeability and coercive force, which in turn improves the performance of the magnetic circuit.
Also shared with the XX-2A and 20X-2A are Dynavector’s flux damper and softened magnetism technologies. Dynavector found that there was magnetic interference caused by the vibrations of the cantilever and coil within the air gap and so they fitted a damper to eliminate flux fluctuations that can adversely affect sound quality.
‘Softened magnetism’ refers to their solution to the problems associated with the use of highly powerful rare-earth magnets to increase output voltage. They have attached a highly permeable material to the magnet to reduce the large fluctuations in magnetic flux density that can be caused by their extremely high magnetic resistance, which they say can add harshness to the sound. While the DV-10XA has the signature red plastic body we associate with the line. Internally the generator is rigidly mounted to the solid aluminium head block, with holes pre-tapped for the mounting bolts.
Verve and virtuosity
To listen to the DV-10XA, I mounted it in a Sorane SA1.2 tonearm fitted to a Michell Gyro SE turntable. I had only the low-output L version on test, so I hooked it up to a Gold Note PH-10 phono stage and a Sugden A21 amp driving Russell K Red120 speakers.
With its output of 0.5mV I set the gain on the PH-10 at 68dB and, as per Dynavector’s recommendations, set the input impedance to 100 ohms and the tracking force, after a little experimentation within the suggested 1.8-2.2g range, to 1.9g. These proved the ideal settings in this particular set up.
On hand to help me get the 10XA into a market context, I had a very well-respected rival selling for just over £500 mounted in another identical headshell for comparison. The DV-10XA would need to be better than this if it is to merit my recommendation…
I kicked off listening with the superb We’re in This Love Together album from Chris Walker – his tribute to the late, great Al Jarreau with an all-star line-up of musicians. Playing the title track, I was impressed from the outset at the openness and expressiveness of Walker’s vocals and the solidity and focus of the piano, while the deep, powerful bass line was well controlled and agile. Gerald Albright’s great sax contribution was open and eloquent, with the 10XA letting me listen easily into the skill and subtleties of his playing. On the rival cartridge, the bass line was a rather overblown and the balance warmer, and I felt the Dynavector was the more musically satisfying.
One of my favourite recent album purchases is Stream from pianist/composer Fergus McCreadie, and it was the track Sun Pillars that I played next. This proved fascinating, as when playing the rival cartridge, I thought the tonality and voicing of his piano was a bit off, and lo and behold when swapping to the 10XA it sounded more as I am used to hearing it, and more like it sounded this year at Ronnie Scott’s. The rival was too warm and woolly, the 10XA was incisive, conveying the top end attack of notes as well as the body and weight of the lower registers. Percussion was more detailed and delicate on the 10XA, which also conveyed the twists and turns of the superb double bass line more convincingly. The staccato rhythm of the track came across well on the 10XA and the skill, verve and virtuosity of McCreadie shone through, as did the many delicate touches from drummer Stephen Henderson.
I have always been a big fan of female vocalist Linda Ronstadt, so next I played her excellent cover of Warren Zevon’s Poor Poor Pitiful Me. Instantly that syndrum-style drum intro had more bite, attack and body on the 10XA and her voice was cleaner, more emotive and did not shout as much as on the comparison cartridge. The bass line too was tighter, electric guitars more detailed and cleaner and the whole track had an energy and momentum on the 10XA that its rival lacked. It kept all of the instrumental strands of the track together and conveyed Ronstadt’s incredible vocal power and range, not to mention its beguiling sensuality.
Finally I played another recent vinyl acquisition, namely guitarist Julian Lage’s Speak to Me. On the track Omission, I felt the 10XA conveyed more inner detail of his playing and let me listen into the subtleties and nuances of his style. Tom and snare drum strikes too were more dynamic, and the bass line was more agile and purposeful, with the 10XA differentiating the sounds of the electric and acoustic basses really well.
Then there were three
The DV 10XA now makes the third Dynavector cartridge I have reviewed in the past two years, all featuring their new annealing process and all impressing me with their capabilities.
The 10XA is beautifully made and finished and has a clean, open, dynamic sound with the resolving power to allow you to listen into and appreciate the nuances and flourishes that set good musicians apart from the crowd. It also conveys the rhythmic momentum and energy of the music well and gets your foot tapping along to the beat. It took everything I threw at it in its stride and this tends to suggest that Dynavector’s painstaking attention to how metallurgy affects the sound of a cartridge has paid off in spades – in not just the 10XA, but also the DV 20X-2A and XX-2A I reviewed last year.
I recommend the DV 10XA wholeheartedly. It offers excellent performance and value for money, and if you have an amplifier that only has a moving magnet phono input, opting for the high-output version at the same price will save you the additional cost of a step-up transformer or phono stage.