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DV's MC Ref Cartridge - The Sun King
The sun casted away the mist as I sat in my listening chair on Sunday quietly admiring the sunlight that bounced off the newly installed golden anvil (DV's MC reference cartridge). It was one glorious moment. With all the pent-up anticipation, the hour that it took to set up the cartrige seems like an eternity.
The needle being the source of the entire music playback experience, it defines the limit of fidelity. Mediocracy is not an acceptable outcome (at least within the AudioExotics camp). The moment when I lowered the lever arm, I really don't know what to expect. But I am happy to announce both me and the DV's cart survived the ordeal and the wait is worth it.
To describe the sound of DV in terms of typical stereophiles' adjectives is bound to err on the path of distraction. If there is one word for it, it will be "fidelity". It is that rightfulness and ability to reproduce the music as part and parcel of the whole experience that define its achievement. While other alternatives claim their domains on frequency extension, dimensionality and transparency, I found DV already wakeboarding over them. It was immediately noticeably as the needle glided over the groove that something magical was happening. I was spinning Uchida's Mozart Piano Sonata KV333 and for the first time, I found a perfect alignment between the micro-weighting and micro-timing in perfect alignment. The first impression was the extra energies that were coming out from each passage of the note. And then it dawned on me that this energization is not a matter of amplification loudness but the actual rendition of Uchida's intentional phrasing of each individual notes and movement between them that I was experiencing. Without this magic, everything in the past were there but not quite at the right place. The ultimate fidelity is bringing home this musicality that is so often lost. I have been on the road since Sunday afternoon, but the sweetness of the experience still rings in my ears.
People likes to talk about wow factor on the forum and so I must. I would rank the Grandezza cartridge ahead of OR, FLOW or even the Zanden Transport + DAP. The Zanden phono is still high on my wow factor list and I think DV cartridge is an excellent match. May be it is the combined power of east and west that makes this magic moment possible.
The DV cart is the Sun King that has absolute domain and sovereignty over music reproduction. Its golden shell is it shining armour.
The needle being the source of the entire music playback experience, it defines the limit of fidelity. Mediocracy is not an acceptable outcome (at least within the AudioExotics camp). The moment when I lowered the lever arm, I really don't know what to expect. But I am happy to announce both me and the DV's cart survived the ordeal and the wait is worth it.
To describe the sound of DV in terms of typical stereophiles' adjectives is bound to err on the path of distraction. If there is one word for it, it will be "fidelity". It is that rightfulness and ability to reproduce the music as part and parcel of the whole experience that define its achievement. While other alternatives claim their domains on frequency extension, dimensionality and transparency, I found DV already wakeboarding over them. It was immediately noticeably as the needle glided over the groove that something magical was happening. I was spinning Uchida's Mozart Piano Sonata KV333 and for the first time, I found a perfect alignment between the micro-weighting and micro-timing in perfect alignment. The first impression was the extra energies that were coming out from each passage of the note. And then it dawned on me that this energization is not a matter of amplification loudness but the actual rendition of Uchida's intentional phrasing of each individual notes and movement between them that I was experiencing. Without this magic, everything in the past were there but not quite at the right place. The ultimate fidelity is bringing home this musicality that is so often lost. I have been on the road since Sunday afternoon, but the sweetness of the experience still rings in my ears.
People likes to talk about wow factor on the forum and so I must. I would rank the Grandezza cartridge ahead of OR, FLOW or even the Zanden Transport + DAP. The Zanden phono is still high on my wow factor list and I think DV cartridge is an excellent match. May be it is the combined power of east and west that makes this magic moment possible.
The DV cart is the Sun King that has absolute domain and sovereignty over music reproduction. Its golden shell is it shining armour.
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By the way, I enjoy your writing. Best wishes on the Tidal. PT is always right.
The strength of Da Vinci is definitely on string, but the strength of the strength is opera. Of all arms in my procession, only the grand reference arm can control the high frequency energy. It's work of art.
Marvel bro, I heard that you were sick last evening. I hope you get well soon.
Alecy...my experience when replacing the XV-1s by the DV cartridge into the DV arm was stunning. Don't want to jump to the conclusion too fast as I know you think carefully before taking each step and understand this is your professional instinct. However, pairing the DV arm and its cartridge is vital to strike the best balance between the 2 components both on the weight distribution and resonance factor in response to external and internal vibration. With the combo, i really feel it is a one piece of component instead of two from the synergy point of view. As I said, the reunion in my case was shocking eventhough I find XV-1S is already very very outstanding in its outright. As Voy said, go with your heart and I am sure you will find the destiny...happy to see you getting PD from Tidal and I really look forward to listening to it. Will bring along my Tidal phono and preamp to poison you...ha ha ha ha ..wha ha ha ha....
Marvel
Forget all the shits about tube versus solid state. It is a matter of execution, isn't it? When it comes to opera, the Da Vinci phono simply reigns. I was touched by the voice of von Stade.
Your advices are absoultely spot on and is rational in every sense. After experiencing the magic of the Sun King, the tonearm is but a natural consequence. The big question is the phono. With the Zanden, there is still a 1ohm matching differential and I can't imagine if the DV phono is in the chain, how much details will be beaming through. It is a hypotehtically intriguing but lethal proposition.
Meanwhile, I am just bracing myself for the PD's Tsunami.
You do need the Grand Reference arm, however.
No denial. I still remembered my first bottle of MRothschild and only then did I understand what defines a good wine.
AudioExotics is the spell of the blackhole. Once encounter, nothing can escape it.
Usually such design produces very natural tone color that defines the realism of the musical objects, not by frequency extension, not by virtual soundstaging, albeit they are all there in a total integrated package.
I agree it is highly toxical. It is not the Da Vinci that is toxical but the music playing through it that makes the experience unique.
Heard from PT that your new speakers will be installed on the coming weekend. Can I come along and witness the event?
Marvel