Installing a Dynavector 10x5 on a P3...What do I need?

Be careful. Any ferrous metal brought near the cartridge will be sucked into it with the force of the sun :-O! If that doesn't screw-up the tiny coil wires or the cantilever, you'll be lucky. Taking the cover off just exposes those parts to such a misadventure. I'd not bother. It does look cool though ;-).

What you'll find is that it won't transform it into this:

but it will make it look more like it. You'd need a special "spanner", not a screwdriver and would have to make one and also have nerves of steel.

A better solution is to use the trick the Japanese audiophiles use. Put a drop of super glue on each corner of the rear of the cover where it mates with the cartridge body. What all of this does is simply to prevent the cover from moving and resonating. It's not likely to make much difference but one works as well as the other as far as the practice goes. I'd opt for the safer route.

-Bill

 

this really is a brilliant thread. I just want to thank all concerned.

I'm buying a P3 soon and will be pairing it up with this cart. This thread has been a wealth of information. great stuff.

 

I tried to denude my first Dynavector 10x5, and was successful in removing the protective shell with no problem.
But then I decided to reinstall the two screws that hold the protective shell back into the screw holes of the cartridge, and what Bill mentioned is precisely what happened.
The magnetic force instantly sucked the head of the screw driver to the side of the cartridge. Undaunted, I tried again to reinstall the screws and the second time a screw was immediately sucked into the magnet.
At this point I thought the best thing to do was abandon the re-installation
of the screws and remounted the cartridge to the tonearm, but it was to late the damage had already been done.
What had been a very fantastic sounding cartridge, even on my very old turntable, was now a cartridge that produced a very loud audible hum and only played one channel.
I reinstalled the protective shell and still had the same problem.
The result of this experience, a totally useless cartridge, I loved the cartridge
so much that I ordered another one from Music Direct, and am now enjoying a fully clothed listening experience.

woody

[I
And don't go mistaking Paradise
For that home across the road.[/I]

 

I'm very sorry about your experience with re-installing the small screws. I guess the plastic body provided adequate protection as you removed the screws, but nothing was there to protect as you re-approached with the screwdriver.

Your loss shall not go wholly in vain, as all future self-denuders will now benefit from you sharing this.

One burning question -- what tool was necessary for you to use in order to grip the screws? I don't have a 10x5 anymore and the curiosity is killing me. I hear it is not a simple philips head.

Hukk

 

I'm sorry I actually used a small pair of needle nose pliers. Since I attempted this back in Oct. I have tried to forget the details, I should have stated that the end of the needle nose was sucked into the magnet not the head of the screw driver.
The screws were not difficult to remove with the needle nose pliers, but the difficultly was in reinstalling them. Trying to hold them in place and get the screw back in the holes was impossible, without the force of the magnet sucking them in.
This was one of the most harrowing and costly screw-ups I have ever made
and I wish now I would have had a professional attempt it rather than myself.

woody

"And don't go mistaking Paradise
For that home across the road."

 

Actually I don't agree with this suggestion, especially on Dynavector carts.

The reason is that often the cantilever is not 100% true. There is sometimes a very slight angle to it.

To explain, if you flip the cartridge on its back and look at it from the rear end, the cantilever may look like it's pointing a little left, or right.

The toothpick method assumes that the cantilever is 100% straight.

There is nothing wrong with a slightly bent cantilever -- most of my Dynas have been this way.

But when you align your cart, you need to use the lines that appear on most protractors, to carefully ensure that the cantilever is exactly parallel to them. You may need to twist the cartridge slightly to achieve this.

Hukk

 

How do you determine the cantilever is parallel to the lines on the protractor (how do you see underneath the cartridge body to do this)? The best I can do is align the outside edge of the cartridge to the lines while looking down from above.

 

I crouch down in front of the cartridge and look at the cantiliver front-on against the parallel lines on either side of it.

Hukk

 

Yep, with magnification for us old guys. Then just hope they glued the diamond on straight....

 

Hi all. I finally got my P3/Dyna 10X5 home yesterday and I'm loving it. It's the first decent TT I've ever had and it's an absolute joy to be hearing what's coming out of my speakers. Thanks for everyone's tips in this thread.


Now i have one issue. I'm getting a rather quiet yet still noticeable high pitch whistling-vibrato kind of sound as soon as the stylus makes contact. It's got me baffled.
Here's 15 seconds of the beginning of play - I've boosted it somewhat, don't worry it doesn't clip...:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/ofi7gl

oh yeah: P3-24 > Cambridge 640p (MM setting) > Sherwood RD6405

I'd be most grateful for any help

 

Wow. Sounds like a nice system. I've heard great things around here about that Cambridge 640 preamp.

I'm afraid I can't help you with the whistling sound though. Since I haven't heard anything like that with my P3/10x5 combo, I wouldn't know where to begin. Hopefully somebody will chime in with some useful info.

Congratulations on your new analog setup.

 

thanks Ian. I owe you, Hukk, Bill, & Doug B all a beer for your invaluable advice!!

 

bumpity. still with the whirley-whistling sound...

 

That is rather interesting...
It almost sounds like it's picking up a signal/interference from somewhere. Are all of your wires on tight ? Could it be some sort of grounding thing ? I've never heard such a thing before.

Second thought: How did you set your tracking weight ? Do you have a stylus force gauge ? If so, do me a favor and adjust the weight a TAD in either direction. That probably won't do jack squat, but I'm curious.

Has it been doing this since day one ? If so, I'd call the guys who sold you the cart, and ask them what they make of this. Perhaps it's something they'd be familiar with.

Would it be appropriate to start a separate thread for this, I wonder ?

doug

Edit: It also sounds like perhaps the stylus is picking up motor noise ? Is that even possible ? If so, I'd hate to think that you have a bum motor. Put a 45 on the deck, and change the belt accordingly, I'd be curious to know if the pitch of that sound changes.

Edit #2: And clean that damned LP for heavens sake !!!!

 

As for the wires on the cart, I wouldn't know if they're on tight as I didn't install it myself. I guess that's a possibility. I've adjusted the tracking either way, no luck.
Yes it has been doing this from the start. I'll give it abit more time, see if anyone had any ideas, if not I'll get in touch with Jonathan from Dynavector Aus.

I doubt it very much that it's motor noise. I've changed the belt speed and done a comparison, the pitch of the noise is exactly the same.

I raised the db about 6 for that mp3, which is why your hearing a much exaggerated surface noise

 

I thought I'd try switching to the MC option on my phono stage and lo and behold....... the noise has gone!!

interesting. so it seems that even though you can use a MM phono with this cart it still should be used with a MC stage for peak performance.

 

Well crud. I had visions of a 10x5 in my future in order to avoid an MC phono stage. Is anyone one else having any trouble with that cart with an MM stage?

 

it's sounding MUCH better this way. it was also making a squeak on contact when placing down or lifting up the stylus/arm, this has stopped too.

why would you be avoiding an MC phono stage? price?

 

Price and ignorance. I haven't a clue how to match a MC cart and phono stage. I have this fear that a good, cheap one will start at a grand and spiral upward. I hoe to purchase a Rogue Cronus and that has an MM stage that's supposed to be not so bad.

 

The Cambridge 640p does both MC & MM - it's very reasonably priced. I got it for $220 and that's here in Melbourne..... everything's cheaper from the US.


*EDIT: there you go, Bill has them for $170, can't go wrong at that price

 

Will a 640p do justice to the 10x5?

 

absolutely. I'm listening to it now

 

You absolutely do *not* need a MC stage to enjoy the Dyna 10x5.

Enjoy!

Hukk

 

I'm using the MM stage built into my McIntosh MX-110 with no problems. Perhaps Coldacre got a funky 640?

 

Interesting conclusion CA. So it was the output afterall.... I was sort of on track, in a way. Now this makes me wonder about how the MM stage on my Outlaw Audio RR 2150 would behave with the Dyna. Surely, a different phono stage (dedicated) would behave differently in your setup CA. At least, that's what logic would dictate at this point.

Glad you found the needle in the haystack. Good job buddy.

Doug