Dynavector DV505 and my way to this exotic tonearm

remdeck

Well-Known Member
Apr 10, 2018
71
100
138
Hey guys,

as my interest in audio startet in 1987, I read a lot of magazines (I still have them all, meters of Stereo, Audio, Stereoplay, Das Ohr, Hifi Exclusiv (Germany), Audio&Techniek, Homestudio, HVT (Netherlands), Hifi Choice, What Hifi (UK) and some The Absolute Sound (when I could get hold of them)
Sometimes in these magazines there where products that where awesome. For me one of them was the Dynavector DV505. I loved the looks and it had reference status back then.

I went to a lot of hifi shows from then till around 2003. I can't remember I ever saw one DV-505 in person. :D

The build of my Garrard 401 is documented here. I was using a Helius Aurora in 9" version which is a bit short for the Garrard. Also I didn't like the looks of it besides the 401. Still the Helius Design Aurora is a great tonearm, with great service from Geoffrey.

I was thinking about a SME 3012, Groovemaster etc. But then I saw a pic of the Dynavector and was smitten.

Here in Germany the arm comes up once in a while, but didn't have the luck to get hands on one. Till 2 weeks ago. There was a tonarm which was almost complete. Original headshell missing, template missing, but including the Dynavector Lift DV3a, an Orsonic AV1 headshell, an Audio Quest Red Dragon phono cable and a base for a Micro Seiki. But there was work to do: the original internal tonearmcable was broken and the seller tried to replace it and failed at the small arm.

Actually it is not that difficult to replace the cable. So I ordered Van Den Hul MCS 150m internal cable (all 4 internal cable should be max 0,6mm diameter to fit through the small holes). After thorough cleaning and trying to understand a tonearm I'd never seen before, I started working on it:

After pulling in a stronger cable (wiggle it a bit till it goes around the corner), I pulled the 4 MCS150 cables through the little hole at the front of the small arm. The SME connector needs to be removed for this, which is just one little screw. Make shure the connectors visible in second pic are max 6mm long, as longer ones will not fit. Soldering the very small van den Hul cables is easy. The isolaton melds at soldering the end. The cables are very rugged also.
2023-03-25 18.11.32.jpg 2023-03-28 15.53.32.jpg

In the long arm, go through the channel which is on the side of the turntable platter. Sometimes left and right channel are seperated in the 2 channels, but thats not necessary.
When removing the top 2-hole screw from the top of main arm (which is a pain in the @ without the right tools, as you can see at most arms, which are scratched), you can see the mainbearing through which the cables are going to the SME 5p connector in the base of the arm. No real problem here. Just route the armwire from the armchannel to the bearing hole.Solder it to the SME 5p connector.

2023-03-25 15.52.58.jpg

After making a new armboard for the tonearm it was quite easy to put the arm at the right distance to the spindle. I reproduced the template which was missing, which helps immensely with alignment of the arm and the cartridge. I will post details when I have made pics of the template.
2023-04-01 13.35.40.jpg

The Orsonic AV1 headshell was demolished by someone. The pins from the headshell to the cartridge were bent in a way that I was not able to restore them, so I soldered some MCS150 to these pins. Not looking good, but I think the black Orsonic doesn't look very good with my setup. We will find another solution once...
2023-04-01 17.33.24-1.jpg 2023-04-01 17.35.16-1.jpg 2023-04-01 17.35.35-1.jpg

2023-04-01 16.26.13.jpg

The Dynavector DV3a armlift also came with my purchase. The gear and the well were missing. I found out with help of someone in the "analogforum.de" that this gear measures 6mm diameter, 5mm stark, has 10 tooth and a well of 2mm. Found these in the internet and here is what it looks now, mounted on the "dummy arm" originally supplied;

2023-04-01 21.28.07-1.jpg
I need to install the lift on the arm, as it is quite unusual to handle the arm without lift, although in all this years I didn't use a lift at all... Maybe it is just getting used to it.

Now as the arm is installed I could listen to it.
This tonearm sounds so incredibly good, with very stable positioning, much enhanced spacial information, more detail and bass is much better defined. It is not as powerfull as the Aurora in the bass region. Also the realism of 3d is enhanced. At times it is quite breathtaking. Never heard cymbals this lifelike on my system. Macro dynamics are great as are micro dynamics and when the music gets fuller and fuller, it doens't get muddied up.
All I can say is that I am very happy!!

Remco
 
Last edited:

remdeck

Well-Known Member
Apr 10, 2018
71
100
138
I took a closer look at the horizontal bearing. I didn't understand how to open the bearing and got a description of the bearing from someone on the phone.

I was able to reduce a little bit of play that was noticable. It is really a tricky matter:

2023-04-07 15.06.18.jpg
^ Here is the horizontal bearing without the arm. Top on the left side, bottom on the right. It is best to desolder the cable at the DIN socket and pull it out. You have to turn the bearing until you can see the very small screw and you can then loosen this small slotted screw so that you can turn the bearing out, as this screw sits in a threaded sleeve, which is used to preload the two bearings. A ball bearing at the top, free laying (?) balls at the bottom.

Main bearing 1.jpg

Since I didn't press out the upper bearing, I just turned out the bearing axle:

2023-04-07 14.42.19.jpg
^ The bearing is hollow; the cables are fed through there.

The upper bearing has an inner diameter of 5mm, outer diameter 9mm. Thus, in the event of a defect, the Ezo MR95 bearing would be an option. I hope I'm right about that.
The lower bearing consists of a circle of balls. The lower cone on the bearing bushing rests on these balls. Unfortunately I couldn't see them well, but here's a photo:

2023-04-07 14.45.52.jpg

I don't know how to get the top bushing out. Do you have to pull it out with a special puller?

I screwed the bearing back in and tightened the bearing sleeve with the small screw. That's really quite difficult. You have to hold the bearing bush while turning and then fix the screw. Then try to see if it works correctly. Too loose=wobbly, too tight=noisy/unround running... It really needs a few tries before it sits properly.

The bearings run without grease or oil.

I'm actually just writing this to record it and maybe you can give someone with such an arm enough information to understand the arm better...

Remco
 
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Tomictime

Well-Known Member
May 30, 2020
7
3
70
62
Remco - Many, many thanks for your super precision post w photos. I also recently acquired a DV-505 ( in like new condition but sadly lacking the cueing…. )…

I am using the factory DIN to RCA and my preference for a Cardas / Nordost cable a friend built for me does not fit…..

I agree with your assessment of sonics, especially using a Lyra Delos.

Here are a couple of photos to enjoy !
my absolute best to you in music, for the love ?? of music.
Jim
 

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PeterKB

New Member
Feb 26, 2023
11
3
3
51
Hey guys,

as my interest in audio startet in 1987, I read a lot of magazines (I still have them all, meters of Stereo, Audio, Stereoplay, Das Ohr, Hifi Exclusiv (Germany), Audio&Techniek, Homestudio, HVT (Netherlands), Hifi Choice, What Hifi (UK) and some The Absolute Sound (when I could get hold of them)
Sometimes in these magazines there where products that where awesome. For me one of them was the Dynavector DV505. I loved the looks and it had reference status back then.

I went to a lot of hifi shows from then till around 2003. I can't remember I ever saw one DV-505 in person. :D

The build of my Garrard 401 is documented here. I was using a Helius Aurora in 9" version which is a bit short for the Garrard. Also I didn't like the looks of it besides the 401. Still the Helius Design Aurora is a great tonearm, with great service from Geoffrey.

I was thinking about a SME 3012, Groovemaster etc. But then I saw a pic of the Dynavector and was smitten.

Here in Germany the arm comes up once in a while, but didn't have the luck to get hands on one. Till 2 weeks ago. There was a tonarm which was almost complete. Original headshell missing, template missing, but including the Dynavector Lift DV3a, an Orsonic AV1 headshell, an Audio Quest Red Dragon phono cable and a base for a Micro Seiki. But there was work to do: the original internal tonearmcable was broken and the seller tried to replace it and failed at the small arm.

Actually it is not that difficult to replace the cable. So I ordered Van Den Hul MCS 150m internal cable (all 4 internal cable should be max 0,6mm diameter to fit through the small holes). After thorough cleaning and trying to understand a tonearm I'd never seen before, I started working on it:

After pulling in a stronger cable (wiggle it a bit till it goes around the corner), I pulled the 4 MCS150 cables through the little hole at the front of the small arm. The SME connector needs to be removed for this, which is just one little screw. Make shure the connectors visible in second pic are max 6mm long, as longer ones will not fit. Soldering the very small van den Hul cables is easy. The isolaton melds at soldering the end. The cables are very rugged also.
View attachment 106952 View attachment 106951

In the long arm, go through the channel which is on the side of the turntable platter. Sometimes left and right channel are seperated in the 2 channels, but thats not necessary.
When removing the top 2-hole screw from the top of main arm (which is a pain in the @ without the right tools, as you can see at most arms, which are scratched), you can see the mainbearing through which the cables are going to the SME 5p connector in the base of the arm. No real problem here. Just route the armwire from the armchannel to the bearing hole.Solder it to the SME 5p connector.

View attachment 106954

After making a new armboard for the tonearm it was quite easy to put the arm at the right distance to the spindle. I reproduced the template which was missing, which helps immensely with alignment of the arm and the cartridge. I will post details when I have made pics of the template.
View attachment 106965

The Orsonic AV1 headshell was demolished by someone. The pins from the headshell to the cartridge were bent in a way that I was not able to restore them, so I soldered some MCS150 to these pins. Not looking good, but I think the black Orsonic doesn't look very good with my setup. We will find another solution once...
View attachment 106957 View attachment 106958 View attachment 106959

View attachment 106961

The Dynavector DV3a armlift also came with my purchase. The gear and the well were missing. I found out with help of someone in the "analogforum.de" that this gear measures 6mm diameter, 5mm stark, has 10 tooth and a well of 2mm. Found these in the internet and here is what it looks now, mounted on the "dummy arm" originally supplied;

View attachment 106962
I need to install the lift on the arm, as it is quite unusual to handle the arm without lift, although in all this years I didn't use a lift at all... Maybe it is just getting used to it.

Now as the arm is installed I could listen to it.
This tonearm sounds so incredibly good, with very stable positioning, much enhanced spacial information, more detail and bass is much better defined. It is not as powerfull as the Aurora in the bass region. Also the realism of 3d is enhanced. At times it is quite breathtaking. Never heard cymbals this lifelike on my system. Macro dynamics are great as are micro dynamics and when the music gets fuller and fuller, it doens't get muddied up.
All I can say is that I am very happy!!

Remco

Thanks a lot for your review. Could you expand a bit more in-terms of how it sounds: could you compare with previous tonearms and potentially draw some conclusions? thank you!
 

Mister Pig

Well-Known Member
Oct 13, 2016
14
11
133
My second turntable is a Scheu Audio Das Laufwerk No 2. My second arm on it is a Dynavector DV505. The removable headshell allows me to run a wide range of cartridges on it. But if I use an ultra light magnesium alloy Denon headshell I can use an Ortofon MC2000 I have which is a somewhat unique cartridge.
IMG20230205124756.jpg
 

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