DaVa Mono 1mm setup on Durand Tosca. Also have Miyajima Infinity Mono 1mm on another Tosca on same TT for comparison. DaVa Reference is on FR66s
great thanks please let us know which mono you prefer.
DaVa Mono 1mm setup on Durand Tosca. Also have Miyajima Infinity Mono 1mm on another Tosca on same TT for comparison. DaVa Reference is on FR66s
DaVa Mono (DVM) has barely a few hours but Darius said it should take less time to settle compared to the Ref Stereo, whilst my Miyajima Infinity Mono (MIM) has been well seasoned. Some initial impressions from listening to these four great sounding mono records with both DVM and MIM...
DVM is very musical, fast and dynamic, with lots of details for a mono cart. Instruments are solidly defined and vocals are clearly punctuated and nuanced. MIM is also a great cart - very focused mid-range, warm presentation and very alluring for vocals.
In Somethin' Else (Autumn Leaves), Miles (trumpet) and Adderley (sax) are front and centre throughout and other instruments are more in the background with the MIM, whereas with DVM, the piano, drums and double bass each come to the fore and play a role in creating a very balanced, harmonious music. My son, who did not know anything about these two cartridges, but has a good ear for music, said the double bass and drums were more pronounced with the DVM.
Milstein's violin strings resonate with life in the Kreisler first track with DVM - lovely texture and tone - highs and lows nicely extended, helping me to appreciate Milstein's rendition of this famous encore.
For vocals - I chose Sinatra's "In the wee small hours of the morning", and Simone's "Mood Indigo".
Frank was wonderful with both mono cartridges. He was singing close up and personal with the MIM with all other instruments backing him up with the MIM. With the DVM, just as good, but somehow I heard him singing some words with more intent - like, "when your lonely heart has learned its LESSON", the last word came cross more emphatically.
Nina is one of my favourite female artists. She sings with so much feeling, and with Mood Indigo her voice is voluptuous, the instrumentals play second fiddle with both carts, although with DVM the double bass sounds more defined and when she sings the words "Mood Indigo", there is a little more attitude.
Both carts are mounted on a Durand Tosca and plugged into my EMT JPA 66 Mk3, but DVM is via Kondo KSL-SFz SUT and MIM is via Phasemation T2000 SUT. The SUTs no doubt contribute to some of the differences i hear. I am happy that I have both great carts in my arsenal to choose from depending on my mood and choice of record.
I listened to Sinatra and Milstein with the DaVa Ref Stereo cart (phono switched to mono) and I would say it's very good, and if you didn't compare to the DaVa Mono, you would have no complaints. Same musicality and tone, but the mono delivers just a little bit more of everything - more vibrato in Frank's vocals, and a little more woodiness and texture in Milstein's violin.
Actually, i never commented a single pivoted mono did not do better marginally than stereo. I said with vyger RS and some other carts you don’t need mono, unless you are getting another arm for it. You just won’t be able to switch to mono and stereo back and forth and justify it even if there is a delta, for that arm. And you won’t require it sonically either.This one goes out to Kedar … Pretty much as expected then , as others and I have been commenting as such !
Well …Thats not quite what you said in our comms … but close enough not to agitate my hangover over the margin of discrepancy .Actually, i never commented a single pivoted mono did not do better marginally than stereo. I said with vyger RS and some other carts you don’t need mono, unless you are getting another arm for it. You just won’t be able to switch to mono and stereo back and forth and justify it even if there is a delta, for that arm. And you won’t require it sonically either.
I absolutely concur with you that VYGER / Red Sparrow is most excellent with pretty much the majority of post 1958 > mono pressings cut with a stereo profile lathe, and that for many audiophiles Perhaps not worth the FaF of running a true mono cartridge .
I think that I shall take our mutual friends considered opinion on this one … Ta! , Let me know when you get round to hearing a DaVa monoLet me know when you get round to hearing it.
I switch back and forth between the mono carts and stereo carts all the time; including the ones @cmchan has, the Estero Gold, AT-2022, and DaVa Ref.
agree that with these top moving coil stereo carts that my 2 Miyajima Labs mono Infinitiy's, the 1.0mil and 0.7mil versions, those stereo carts got quite close or even presented trade-offs favoring the stereo carts. so I sold the Miyajima's and upgraded to the Sumile Mono which moved the mono experience past those stereo alternatives. it achieved the neighborhood of those stereo carts in refinement that the Infinitiy's could not, yet also has presentation and believability advantages. more realism and separation, slightly better bass, slightly greater dynamics. a more intimate experience. the stereo carts gloss over some of the subtlety. very nuanced improvements musically important.
makes my mono listening more special. as always, not all mono pressings favor the mono carts, but most do. my early 50's wide groove monos 100% do. maybe the Red Sparrow on the VYGER is better on monos? could be.
don't own the DaVa Ref mono so can't comment, but would expect it to likely be a slight step up over the Sumile mono.
just my 2 cents.
right now using the NVS/Durand Telos wood arm wand into the dart pre for my phono with the Sumile mono. will mount it on my new Glanz arm on the Esoteric T1 and then use the EMIA SUT/phono when the arm board arrives for the Glanz next month. my Koetsu Azule stereo will then go back on the Telos.
That may be my tonearm Leifcongratulations! glad to hear
I met Eugene at ETF where I got him on the list and he brought an arm for me to take home and test
I have used it for a couple of weeks, but am now back to IT407, while waiting for another gunmetal armboard out for drilling 32mm hole.
what I can say so far is that this arm is VERY good.....really clean and fullbodied
can also be adjusted in all possible ways to balance the "system"
to be continued
View attachment 122727
this DaVa video is playing the DGG original source.
for those who want to hear other Dava videos they can just keep following this chain of threads back.
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