Cartridges and phono settings

[jccox]

Hello!

I don't have a Dynavector XV-1s so can't claim to know what will definitely work best, but here's how I'd start out:

The user manual describes it as a low-output moving coil cartridge, so set the Cartridge Type to MC.  The output voltage is 0.3 mV at 1 kHz, 5 cm/sec so I'd try setting the maximum output level to 500 μVRMS.  The recommended load is "more than 30 ohms" so 100 should be reasonable.  There's no suggested capacitance loading so I'd probably pick something in the middle of the range - perhaps 300 pF.

Think of those as starting points for experimentation: you'll probably be able to "tune" the sound of the cartridge a bit by adjusting the R/C loading (as noted in this post on Audiogon, for example).  If you have the cartridge set up "just so" with an existing phono preamp, perhaps you can use the loading values closest to what that uses.  Also, it's better to err on the generous side for the maximum output level -- that is, use higher rather than lower values -- to avoid the possibility of clipping.

In the Advanced settings, I'd suggest enabling the Auto Wi-Fi Standby option: that disables the wi-fi interface in the Devialet when the phono input is selected.  If the wi-fi interface is enabled you might otherwise hear a very quiet periodic "tick" in one channel.  The RIAA curve and sampling rate are a matter of taste, but the consensus seems to be that the defaults (1976 RIAA curve and 96 kHz sampling) are preferred.

Hope that helps, apologies in advance if I'm in grandmother/eggs territory, and please update the thread to let everyone know what you find works best.

Ian

Thanks very much, Ian. I like what I am hearing so far with these settings. I'll experiment some over the next few weeks and see how it goes. I appreciate your suggestions!

Chris