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What accompanied this enhanced treble information was a greater sense of spaciousness. The DL103 is no slouch at staging and imaging but the Dynavector goes further and deeper by illuminating the stage where the Denon does not reach. Depth and layering of the various instrumental planes went quite a bit further with the Dynavector but it never lost the ability to paint a realistic view of the orchestra, something components too analytical can miss altogether by switching to a patchwork of images stuck together over an organic whole. The DV 20X-2 never played patchworks and pieces. Images were solid and three-dimensional but gently blended into each other as they would in a concert hall if you listened with your eyes closed. In my setup the Dv 20X-2 did not display the same level of superiority in the bass. It did sound deeper, tighter and slightly better controlled but resolution over the Denon was not a game changer. This could have been due to any number of reasons, loading at 50Ω instead of the 30Ω recommended by Dynavector; my mass-loaded table; my already lean and taut phono preamplifier; my choice of VTA favoring treble resolution over ultimate bass weight. I only know that I have since heard the 20X-2 denser and weightier in the bass in another system (but not necessarily with greater bass resolution, actually quite the opposite). The Zu Essence speakers in my system do not dig into the lowest octaves so the tight and fast bass of the 20X-2 served my purposes just fine by avoiding midrange colorations that always come with components voiced to deliver that artificial upper bass boost many mistake for true bass depth and impact. That said in systems capable of going deeper than mine it would not hurt to test the DV 20X-2 before final commitment is made just to insure that it can deliver the goods all the way down.

Was it then a complete and utter victory of the DV 20X-2 over the Denon? On classical music and smaller jazz ensembles pretty much so. Where tonal accuracy matters, flow and elegance are more important than raw grunt and in-your-face energy. Here the Dynavector was in a different league as it better be at four times the price. But on James Brown, the Gorillaz or the Beach Boys? Despite knowing now that the DL103's grunt and apparently greater dynamics are at least in part a voicing trick rather than complete reality, it would seem that my brain truly enjoys this trick on this type of music. Don't get the wrong impression. The Dynavector is not boring or flat. It can rock, swing and boogie just fine. The DL103 somehow seems to offer just a little more life however. If I were to caricature, I'd say the Dynavector is at its very best on music that we enjoy with the brain and heart while the DL103 shines with music for the gut. Again don't think the 20X-2 will only work on a very intellectualized enjoyment of music but that it will clearly outperform the DL103. On the other hand I’d pick the Denon on happy feet music but only by a small margin and for its ability to create relief where there is none which, let's be honest, is often the case with good ol’ Pop. The Dynavector is a more transparent and honest cartridge. It won't create relief where there is none but on very well recorded music regardless of style it’s quite spectacular. In my quest for a DL103 replacement the Dynavector 20X-2 in the end offered all I truly wanted. My usual vinyl fare comprises over 80% classical music or quality recordings of jazz and country. What the 20X-2 brought to my table easily trumped the little edge it ceded to the DL103 on dynamically limited pressings. The DV 20X-2 brings more openness to the midrange without grain or stress, tremendously greater treble extension and information and a little more control in the bass. It also stages deeper and images more precisely whilst delivering almost all the dynamic impact of the Denon. The 20X-2 is not a warm cartridge but I doubt anybody would describe it as cold or analytical as you'll read about some older Lyras now and then. Neither does it offer the rich density of the better MM options (maybe the high-output 20X-2 does) but it certainly delivers the best of MC resolution and tonal finesse with a huge helping of giddy up.

It's not the only option though. The best modifications of the DL103 and 103R deliver a similarly enticing blend of qualities for very similar cost but the one I tried did not agree with my Ortofon tone arm. That’s a good reminder to always buy a cartridge with a good return policy as you don't know what will work until you try it on your table with your tone arm. For me the Dynavector 20X-2 proved to be just the ticket though it does leave me with a strong itch to try the far pricier DV XX-2 and see just how good things can really get.

Dynavector already had an acclaimed winner in the entry-level 10X5 (no entry-level performance there!) and I can happily report that the 20X-2 is now part of that same exalted league, adding a lot of refinement, openness and resolution whilst remaining somewhat affordable. If that does not warrant a Blue Moon nothing will.

Dynavector website