The Dynavector DV507-II Pickup Arm

The Dynavector DV507-II pickup arm is a pivoted, high effective mass arm with some unique design features. The design dates back to the mid-1970s as the DV-501 where the bi-axis concept first saw the light of day. Now in 507 Mk. II form, it is claimed to be much easier to install and set up as it is a single pillar design with cable entry at the bottom of the pillar and shorter overall length, making for wider turntable compatibility.

The vertical pivot is around the rear pillar, as with all conventional pivoted arms. However, the horizontal pivot is way up front, creating a short stub-arm and giving it the ‘bi-axis’ moniker. The main arm is a rectangular section beam of immense strength, giving it a rather industrial look. This beam is balanced on its ball race by the large rear counterweight. However, this counterweight only balances the arm, including the weight of the headshell and cartridge, on its bearing and plays no part in tracking force! The beam loads the bearing evenly and is consequently very free to move except for the application of damping via eddy current using two magnets and a curved damping plate running between them. An elegant solution avoiding all the problems associated with the use of damping fluid. Bias is spring-loaded and set with a dial.

The ‘real’ pickup arm, if you like, is the stub arm at the end of the main beam moving about its horizontal bearing, balancing the headshell/cartridge with a rear decoupled counterweight and applying tracking force via a spring.
The sum effect is that this arm has very high inertia (effective mass) in the horizontal plane and very low effective mass in the vertical plane. The only other type of pickup arm to exhibit such different horizontal and vertical inertias are parallel tracking arms. The cartridge rides up and down warps with great ease yet can only ride the inward groove journey slowly since it feels tremendous horizontal resistance to any fast movement, translating all of the groove modulation into signal.
Since the main beam does not move up and down, a cute solution to cueing involves a rod running down the length of the beam, connecting the cueing lever with the stub arm to providing accurate damped cueing. VTA can be adjusted live while playing a record and allows very fine control over height. Since the stub arm is so short, achieving correct VTA is more critical than with a longer arm.

Cable connection is through a standard 5-pin arm connector, allowing use of different cables according to preference. I found the provided silver cable very good indeed compared with a Neglex cable and left it in service. The headshell is mounted via a standard SME-type connector, allowing for quick cartridge swapping and the use of complete shell/cartridge solutions like the Ortofon SPU. A selection of counterweights provides for balancing of headshell/cartridges up to 35g in weight. The whole arm weighs 1.4kg, an important consideration if mounting on a suspended turntable although clearly the Dynavector is more suited to solid turntable mounts.

You will have to have a special mounting plate cut for your turntable as it is very unlikely that there will be one to suit. Luckily it’s just a single hole so it’s not too difficult to have one commissioned. Installation is straightforward and the instructions are reasonably comprehensive. Everything is a tight fit in the Technics SL-1210 due to the arm plate and platter being mounted so low in the plinth. Use of the standard platter is definitely out as there is insufficient scope for the arm to go low enough with a standard cartridge. In any case, the DV is worthy of better performance than the standard platter can bring. I use a Mike New ETP, bringing the platter up in height to allow for effective VTA control.

The overall feel and handling of the arm is excellent, with a nice magnetic ‘catch’ inside the arm rest, accurate cueing, heavy and solid headshell, fine control of tracking weight, bias and VTA and that industrial look mentioned earlier. Appearance and finish are up to SME standards although sadly the documentation is not in the same class.

My first impression when listening was how very secure tracking appeared with a variety of music, never once sounding strained or on the limit. It even made the best stab at the Telarc ‘torture track’ 1812 Overture cannons that I’ve yet heard, not jumping from the wild grooves throughout the performance. The effect is one of incredible dynamics and the ability to start and stop on a sixpence. I have never heard such security in the groove, even putting to shame an SME IV / AT OC9 pairing that I used to own.

The second thing to startle, compared with most pickup arms, was the depth and quality of the bass. The arm achieves its objective of providing a rigid platform for the cartridge, and this is most easily heard in the phenomenally dynamic and wonderfully textured and tuneful deep bass, plumbing a real strength of the Technics and giving music a very structural foundation. This bass quality remains tight and does not descend into the sort of tubbiness that many suspended decks & arms substitute for real bass. This is closely followed by a remarkable suppression of surface noise, very welcome as I tend to listen at quite high volumes and never find the noise intrusive.

The Dynavector handles warped records with great aplomb as its stub arm rides up and down with the minimum of inertia. I have a very warped copy of Genesis - Wind and Wuthering and the DV rode the warps without leaving the groove at any time.

Further listening revealed a wide and deep soundstage, fine detail resolution and microdynamics, tonal neutrality and the seeming ability to get the best from any cartridge mounted to it. On one memorable evening I had an Ortofon SPU head mounted and very roughly balanced for the 3g tracking weight required. The sound was remarkable, fluid and vivid with a soundstage that went to the very corners of the recording, midrange detail that placed everything naturally and treble quality that totally belied the use of a spherical stylus. The midrange microdynamics had to be heard to be believed. This arm could have been designed for the SPU.

There is a sense of invulnerability to the way this arm reproduces music, removing the worry often associated with the playing of records and leaving the listener to simply envelope themselves in the music, quickly forgetful of the mechanics of replay.
My overall impression of the Dynavector DV507-II is of an arm that has been designed from the ground up to answer questions of rigidity, damping and a stable cartridge platform by utilising novel ideas and superb engineering. It has been refined over the course of 35 years to the current model where it is compatible with more turntables than ever before. I feel that the Dynavector marketing machine has been non-existent for most of those years and the arm itself seems to be the object of legend rather than much real experience. Some indifferent reviews have not helped by matching the DV with inappropriate turntables or not striving to harness its strengths. It is undoubtedly an expensive component and is made to order from Tokyo rather than held in stock, making the chances of a demonstration very slim. However, the DV507-II is the result of years of study and honing to create a design of incredible focus and purpose, capable of superb sound quality and providing the lucky few with unique pride of ownership.