Dynavector - XV Ultima, 0.32mV Low Output MC Alnico Cartridge

Compromise elimination in pursuit of The Ultimate XV

The XV Ultima is Dynavector's flagship model that further advances Dynavector's proprietary Special Annealing Technology while challenging the limits of MC cartridges.

Research-grade ultra-high-purity iron responds to magnetic flux with minimum distortion. Ultra-fine coil on a precision cross-cut armature brings moving mass to its absolute minimum.

There is a deeper silence between the acoustic space and notes revealing music with an ease and clearer sense of reality. The XV Ultima is an MC cartridge for listeners who pursue the ideal sound.

The XV series is an accumulation of engineering excellence and refinement. The XV Ultima is the ultimate expression of Dynavector's XV cartridge series and the direct successor to the XV–1t. It retains the design that has defined the line since the original DRT XV–1 (1999) and XV–1s: eight Alnico magnets providing a stable magnetic field, a V-shaped front yolk that holds the magnets and makes the new cartridge easier to handle, a square-shaped aperture in the yolk, a four–part magnetic equalizer to capture the magnetic field accurately, and Dynavector's patented Flux Damping, which counters flux fluctuation during playback to stabilize the magnetic field and reduce distortion in the generated signal. The body is Urushi-lacquer over precision-machined, heat-treated bamboo, selected for its acoustic properties and the stability it provides to the magnetic assembly.

The Ultima is further defined by two distinctive elements. The coil bobbin is manufactured from research lab-grade ultra-high-purity iron, maximizing purity for low distortion and ideal response to magnetic changes. The bobbin is then precision-cut into a cross-shaped armature and wound with ultra-fine pure copper wire. Both the cross shape and the fine winding reduce the cartridge's moving mass for accurate tracking and faithful reproduction of fine groove detail.

The latest improvement in the Ultima is the application of Dynavector's Special Annealing Process to the front and back yolks, the magnetic equalizer, and all eight magnets. The process addresses the crystal-structure distortion caused by machining, which reduces magnetic permeability and cannot be fully reversed by conventional annealing. Calibrated to each component and drawing on the tradition of Japanese sword-smithing, it restores pure iron to its full magnetic potential.

The XV series has long been known for natural timbre, stable imaging, and an unforced sense of presence. The Ultima takes these qualities to their fullest expression, with exceptional resolution, smooth extension at the frequency extremes, and a deeply layered sound stage - instruments and voices are clearly placed, and rendered with warmth and precision.


Features of XV Prima phono cartridge

• Special Annealing for pure iron and ALNICO magnets - Restoring What Machining Takes Away

First realized in the Dynavector 20X2A, the Special Annealing Process now reaches the XV Series, bringing the full potential of the magnetic circuit to Dynavector's flagship for the first time.

Developed in collaboration with specialists in advanced magnetic materials, the Special Annealing Process addresses a problem that conventional magnetic annealing cannot fully solve. Processing and machining, distort the crystal structure of metal at the atomic level, reducing magnetic permeability. A generic annealing process cannot fully reverse this.

Dynavector's process requires fine tuning and adjustments in temperature, atmosphere, duration, and both heating and cooling rates for each component. A technique passed down through the tradition of Japanese sword-smithing and now applied to the pursuit of perfect sound.

In the XV Ultima, this discipline goes further than ever before. Not only the yokes and the equalizer, but the eight ALNICO magnets themselves have also be treated with Dynavector's Special Annealing. This pushes the ALNICOs potential to its limit. No other Dynavector cartridge has been built this way.

The result is pure iron and magnet restored to its full magnetic potential, delivering unrivalled resolution, smooth wide-range expression and an expansive sound field.

• Cross Armature & Ultra fine Coil - Lighter Mass. Truer Sound.

In pursuit of true sound retrieval, attention turned to the moving assembly itself. Every gram between stylus and signal is a compromise — mass that must be accelerated, decelerated, and controlled at frequencies the ear is most sensitive to. The material is also very important.

The coil bobbin is made from research-grade ultra-high-purity iron, far exceeding the purity of conventional magnetic materials. This exceptional material responds to minute magnetic changes with outstanding linearity and minimal distortion in the signal.

The bobbin is then precision-cut into a cross-armature shape, removing unnecessary material while preserving the rigidity required for precise coil alignment.

The coil wire is re-evaluated with the same discipline. Ultra-fine pure copper wire, thinner than a human hair, is selected to reduce moving mass to an absolute minimum.

The lower the moving mass, the more faithfully the stylus follows groove modulations. The result is exceptional low-level resolution, silence between notes, and a soundstage that combines delicacy with physical presence.

• Hybrid Structure with Bamboo Composite - Power with finesse

Cartridge performance is influenced not only by the magnetic circuit and vibration system, but also by the behavior of the structure itself. Rather than relying on a single material, the XV Ultima combines precision-machined aluminum with specially treated laminated bamboo selected for its balance of rigidity, low mass and natural damping behavior. The bamboo composite is engineered for dimensional stability and precision machining, providing a stable foundation for the magnetic assembly while helping control unwanted resonance.

The surface is finished with a coating inspired by traditional Japanese Urushi finishes, further enhancing rigidity and damping performance. The result is a hybrid structure that combines mechanical stability with a natural and unforced musical presentation.

• "V" Topology with 8 Magnets - Shorter Magnetic Path. Better Sound

Every cartridge design faces the same contradiction: expose the magnetic circuit for sound quality, or enclose it for usability. Without compromise, the XV series resolves this by redesigning the form itself.

The inverted V-body exposes the magnetic circuit and wiring completely, eliminating the energy retention and resonance that enclosures can introduce. Yet the structure provides a secure, natural grip, inspiring confidence where most nude cartridges demand caution.

The same refusal to compromise extends to the magnetic circuit itself. In a conventional MC cartridge, magnetic flux travels through a yoke to reach the generating coil. Every millimeter of that journey introduces loss and distortion. The XV shortens the journey to its absolute minimum.

Eight ALNICO magnets make this possible. Four form the main circuit through the V-shaped front yoke. Four more sit directly adjacent to the armature, one for each coil, delivering flux via the shortest possible path.

ALNICO was chosen deliberately. Where rare earth magnets generate a powerful but harder field, ALNICO produces one of exceptional smoothness and linearity. The result is naturalness of tone, delicacy in the upper frequencies and a musical coherence that high-energy magnets rarely achieve.

• Square Aperture & Equalizer - Isolated Flux. Real Channel Separation

In a conventional magnetic circuit, the flux pathways for each coil interfere with one another. The XV takes this problem seriously and goes a a step further, redesigning small details that would ensure proper isolation between the pathways.

The opening (aperture) in the front yoke was redesigned into a square shape with slits at the corners to match the square armature precisely, and the equalizing piece was divided into four sections, creating an independent magnetic pathway for each coil. Each one operates in its own clean channel, free from the cross-interference that compromises conventional designs.

The result is true channel separation, lower distortion, and a level of resolution that the original circuit could not achieve.

• Flux Damper - Precision from Before the Signal

Moving Coils are based on the magnetic field. Dynavector's founding principle is simple: precision must begin at the source.

During early cartridge development, engineers identified microscopic fluctuations in magnetic flux within the circuit. Even the smallest deviation in flux density changes the magnetic field acting in the air gap. This manifests directly as distortion in the output signal.

The flux damper cancels the distortion at the root by winding a shorted wire around the front yoke. The flux damper, produces counter flux that neutralizes the fluctuations and holds the magnetic field stable. In the case for the XV series two flux dampers are wound on each side of the yoke to stabilize the two circuits generated by the eight magnets.

The result is what defines the Dynavector sound, a clean, natural signal that is free from distortion which causes harshness and coloration.

Specifications:

Type: Low output moving coil cartridge with multi Alnico magnets and the Flux damper
Output Voltage: 0.32 mV (at 1KHz, 5cm/sec.)
Channel Separation: 30 dB (at 1KHz)
Channel balance: 1.0 dB (at 1KHz)
Frequency response: 20 - 20,000 Hz(±1dB)
Compliance: 10 mm/N
Tracking force: 1.8 - 2.2 g
Impedance: 24 ohms
Recommended load impedance: > 75 ohms
Cantilever: 6mm length 0.3 mm dia. solid boron with a special armaturer
Stylus tip: PF Line contact shape
Stylus radius: 7 x 30 micron
Cartridge Height: 21 mm
Weight: 12.0 g