Preamp settings for Dynavector Karat 17D3

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ecosse_011172

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I am strongly considering the purchase a Dynavector Karat 17D3 cartridge to replace my sadly defunct Ortofon Kontrapunkt B.
I will have to send my Tom Evans Microgroove+ pre-amp back to the factory to have the gain and load altered, the gain is simple enough as the cart outputs 0.3mv, however the specification says "Recommended load
resistance > 100 ohms". My amp is currently set to 100 ohms but this can be up to 500 ohms, in increments of 100. What would be best?

Any other advice regarding this cartridge?

My TT is an Origin Live Aurora with Origin Live Silver Arm.

Thanks
 
Just a thought. Why not get a s/h Kontrapunkt B? I think it's such a great cartridge, the Karat wont compete - there was one for sale on Hi Fi for sale recently for just over £200 - they do crop up every so often :-)
 
Been there and done that combo, I just kept at 100ohms, but if you want to speak to Tom, he's very helpful and even answers his own phone.
 
larkrise said:
Just a thought. Why not get a s/h Kontrapunkt B? I think it's such a great cartridge, the Karat wont compete - there was one for sale on Hi Fi for sale recently for just over £200 - they do crop up every so often :-)
Click to expand...
The dynavector is only 250 quid brand new and is strongly recommended by Origin Live, I'd like to give another cart a try and would strongly prefer to buy new. Kontrapunkt Bs can't be found for much less than 400 quid these days which is more than i really can afford at the moment.
 
can the old one be retipped or have a new canti abutted by expert stylus.
 
Shome mishtake shurely?

The 10x5 MM is c. £250 the DV173 is closer to £600 squid (or we'd all have them)
 
I have the 17D2, sadly broken now. It is an excellent sounding cartridge. With the right table/arm, and phonostage, the sound of this cartridge will deliver more detail and there-ness than any CD player or SACD player for that matter. Excellent choice. But be aware that the very short cantilever requires that the records be very clean or surface noise will be evident. Also as I've learned to my chagrin, the darn thing is very delicate. I am so impressed with the KARAT though, that I want to get one again. BTW, did you say the 17D3 is only 250 nicker in GB? I'm here in the US and the price for the 17D3 is $900.00. If its only 250 quid in the UK I will buy my replacement there.
 
O'Shag said:
I have the 17D2, sadly broken now. It is an excellent sounding cartridge. With the right table/arm, and phonostage, the sound of this cartridge will deliver more detail and there-ness than any CD player or SACD player for that matter. Excellent choice. But be aware that the very short cantilever requires that the records be very clean or surface noise will be evident. Also as I've learned to my chagrin, the darn thing is very delicate. I am so impressed with the KARAT though, that I want to get one again. BTW, did you say the 17D3 is only 250 nicker in GB? I'm here in the US and the price for the 17D3 is $900.00. If its only 250 quid in the UK I will buy my replacement there.
Click to expand...

Sadly, I believe ecosse_011172 was mistaken about the price. I bought one here in the UK on Monday - £595...

I'm using it with a Dynavector P-75 phono which allows it to be set up in current amplification mode. The phono becomes noisier and right now I'm having a spot of trouble with a very light hum which I hope to sort. But the results with the cartridge in this mode are well worth a little extra noise - which I have been told evaporates as soon as a signal is present anyway - and I can't say I'm aware of it when it's playing.

The dealer suggested his preference for setting weight at the bottom of the range - 1.8; I found he was right insofar as most instruments and voices are more lifelike and have more of the actual tonal qualities present but I also found a trade off in things like strings, which depending upon recording, could have a little too much glare for comfort. So I've set mine at 1.9 using a Shure balance and it's in an RB300.

I have some running in to do though...
 
I know about the short cantilever /crap magnet depending on which way you look at it...

before you know it, its bobbing along on a ball of wool - shortly before it makes a dive with my humble charity shop offerings!

Great cartridges though. Damn... I miss mine.
 
SMEagol said:
I know about the short cantilever /crap magnet depending on which way you look at it...

before you know it, its bobbing along on a ball of wool - shortly before it makes a dive with my humble charity shop offerings!

Great cartridges though. Damn... I miss mine.
Click to expand...

Well, since mine was a 'forced' purchase, insofar as I had to bring it forward acquisition following demise of previous 1042, the Corky household rule is now that when wine is drunk, CDs are played... :rolleyes:

However, anyone had any experience of having one of these retipped? Just in case :eek:
 
in my dim (very) and distant past...

I think the Cartridge Man does them for about £180

something about a ruby or a sapphire cantilever from memory thats meant to top the original! Jinkies!

He'll talk at length... think he's called Leonard - nice bloke.
 
SMEagol said:
in my dim (very) and distant past...

I think the Cartridge Man does them for about £180

something about a ruby or a sapphire cantilever from memory thats meant to top the original! Jinkies!

He'll talk at length... think he's called Leonard - nice bloke.
Click to expand...

Thanks SMEagol :)
I'll maybe make an enquiry - £180 seems pretty reasonable given that I think I was looking at £120 for replacement stylus for the 1042...
I'll pop that one away in my cluttered head in the hope that I don't need it until the tip's worn out the proper way :D
 
Cheers Corky and SMEagol (very clever on the name btw). Thought that 250 quid was a little too good to be true. Yes, a ball of wool is a very accurate description, especially true for me as I don't yet have a record cleaning machine. I did have mine running at a slightly higher tracking force. I have a Musical Fidelity M1 TT and a SME M2 tonearm, and I found that the 17D2 works very well with this combination.

When one starts on the bevy, then an MM such as a Stanton or Pickering is called for. If the TT only supports one arm then another more robust and less expensive table is useful. I used to have a Mission 775SM table with an Alphason HR100S and a Stanton 881s cartridge. Sounded excellent, and was a good deal more robust than my current setup - the 775SM, although plain and rather ugly, is definitely one heck of a table. I wish I had never sold it. I did keep the best part of the rig though - I still have the Alphason HR100S.

My preamp phonostage is the MFA MC Reference, a killer.
 
O'Shag said:
I have a Musical Fidelity M1 TT and a SME M2 tonearm, and I found that the 17D2 works very well with this combination.
Click to expand...

I had the exact same combo, but don't like to talk about it.
Debt can be an awful thing - needs must when the devil drives and all that.... I'll be back to my former powers in no time...
If ever there was a good economic barometer for myself, I'd say its hifi. Just wish I could hold on to all the stuff I've flogged over the years thats paid for stupid stuff like overdrafts....
 
Pure_Carbon said:
Talk to the Expert Stylus Co in Ashtead , Surrey.
01372 276604 Peter Hodgson.
He's rebuilding a Koetsu Rosewood for me now and can rebuild/repair most cartridges.
Click to expand...

It would be great if I could repair it instead of getting a new one. I'll have to look into it. thanks for the advise;)
 

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