Dynavector XX-2A MC Phono Cartridge

This is what you might call a coming-back-around-full-circle trip review for me.
Fifteen years ago, I bought my first Dynavector cartridge, a DV 20X, that upon hearing it weave its magic in the grooves, I decided my new Well Tempered Labs Amadeus GTA needed to have. So I replaced my Koetsu Rosewood Signature, which was in need of replacing after serving me well for many years. That Dynavector did just about everything the Koetsu did equally well, and some things the Koetsu didn't, so it convinced me that it was the cartridge for me.
Zooming ahead 15 years down the road, I find myself back where my Dynavector journey started.
I still have my Amadeus turntable and happily proclaim that I probably will till the day I depart this crazy world.
Now there was a stop along the way in this journey...a detour, if you will, when my 20X was showing signs that it too was time to go. I discussed options with my friend and venerable hi-fi maven Charlie Schnyder—owner, proprietor, importer, audiophile, and, very importantly, high-end audio-hooey debunker/diffuser of Stereo Haven in Edwardsville, IL.
After much discussion, we decided I should try out the Well Tempered Kauri to see how that sounded in my setup. After spending some time auditioning it, I decided that, in my price range at the time, it was indeed a great fit for my taste and liking, so I went with it, loving the music that flowed through it.
All was good, and then as time rolled by, I heard that Dynavector had developed a new process of annealing the metal used in its XX-2A cartridge that was to be a game changer in what musically could be achieved in a phono cartridge.
So once again I started discussing this new cartridge with Charlie, and he thought it would definitely be worth my while to give it a listen. As I pondered doing this, good fortune shone upon me as AXPONA came around. So while there I got to hear the XX-2A, along with others from the Dynavector stable (and other cartridge manufacturers too).
Having brought with me several reference records of my own that I knew backward and forward to hear it played on, I truly liked what I heard, even more so than from cartridges costing three, four, and even five times the cost.
Now granted, there were of course other factors in play in listening to all those cartridges—different electronics, hotel rooms, crowds, etc.—but in hearing my records played through them, I knew I wanted to hear what it could do on my own setup.
So upon returning home from Schaumburg, I ordered one to give it a proper listening in my listening room.
Whenever I change cartridges, I am always so thankful for my Well Tempered Labs table. Bill Firebaugh's designs make it so easy to change and set up a cartridge. Not only does it sound amazing, but he's taken everything that's tedious about setting up and using a turntable and removed it, leaving only fun and enjoyment.
But I digress...
Once I got the cartridge installed, set up, and dialed in using my venerable Hi-Fi Test Record, I played a few records just to start the break-in process before settling down for some serious in-depth listening.
I want to preface things by saying my WTL Kauri cartridge made beautiful music in my vinyl-forward system, which consists, in addition to the table and its separate power supply, of a Purist Audio Silencer, Line Magnetic IA219, Lejonklou Entity phono stage, Linn Silver interconnects, JM Reynaud Cantabile Jubilee speakers, and HP1142 speaker cables. So you will never hear me say anything to the contrary.
Once I was ready to listen seriously, I opened my closet and donned my vintage Dynavector cap and began.
When I sit down to audition a piece of audio equipment, I usually run through several genres which include rock, electronic, blues, jazz, Americana, bluegrass, show tunes, classical, chamber, opera, easy listening, and the like. This assures me that I am going to hear how the XX-2A will perform within a good-sized spectrum of music.
After listening for several hours, I noticed the biggest difference was in the vocals. With my old cartridge, the vocals were center stage with wonderful texture and humanness. With the XX-2A, this was taken to a completely other level. The vocals now seemed to hang there in space, as if they were emanating from a singer in the room occupying that space and not coming from a set of speakers.
Something that I think helped in that illusion is the second most notable aspect: the noise floor. I didn't think it could drop any lower than it was, but dang, it was like finding a trap door in your basement that you didn't know was there, and when you opened it you discovered the basement was another ten feet deeper than you thought.
Another thing the XX-2A does exceptionally well (as do all the DV cartridges) is track like a veritable beast! While it tracked every album with aplomb, I purposely put an album on the table that had a half-inch warp in it, and the XX-2A took it totally in stride.
And the bestest part?...The XX-2A kept getting better! The more I played, the more it got its groove! (Pun intended.)
So yes, after much listening, I can say that while I thoroughly enjoyed my time with my previous cartridge, it was indeed good to come back home again where I belonged.
There is a reason it's rare to find a used DV cartridge on the market unless the owner is upgrading up the line. They are just THAT good, and the XX-2A is the son (or daughter) in the family that went to Juilliard.
There is zero doubt that Dynavector cartridges are in the top echelon of cartridges. If you've not heard one before and think your cartridge is doing everything it can for you (regardless of price), all I can say is you don't know what you're missing until you've heard it. What they can do for your analog enjoyment is almost alchemy, and the XX-2A is a perfect example.