I’ve been longing to try a Dynavector in my system for a long time now and found myself looking at their range on a dealer website today (as opposed to the manufacturer’s website which I normally look at), where I noticed that the 17Dx and the XX2 are both the same price. I can’t think of another high-end cartridge maker that does that, which leads me to ask why? Is it just a different sonic signature maybe? I’d be interested to hear from anyone out there who knows why they do it and also from anyone who’s tried both.
Have a look at Koetsu, three or four basic cartridges with just a change of clothing and in the UK only a few price levels. I think the US importer loads the prices differently.
Dangerous 
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I’m sure it is but it’s also 50% more expensive than the Dynavectors, plus it’ll leave that itch!
My understanding is that both the Dyna’s you mentioned do sound different. The 17D is very fast, lean, clean etc. The XX2 sounds bigger, warmer etc. I have heard both but not at the same time, and not recently.
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I can’t speak much for either, but they certainly employ very different cantilever designs. Nice to have a choice at a given price point from a single manufacturer I guess!
I have had both the 17D and the XX2 Mk II fixed on my LP12/ARO, and greatly preferred the XX2 Mk II.
I now have a Te Kaitora Rua, which is better still.
All three are excellent, and if you’re interested in a high end cartridge at a (comparatively) reasonable price, they are well worth auditioning.
The reason for the strange pricing may be because Dynavector cartridges are built in different countries. It is essentially a Japanese consortium, but the TKR is built in New Zealand. I believe that its name is in the Maori language, meaning ‘The Wanderer - The Return’ (as it is the second iteration of that particular cartridge).
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Really? Here in the US it’s $2500 which is only $150 more than the 17DX.
I was going to have an LP12 with a PU7 arm . . . until covid got in the way in 2020!
heard Dynavector MC cartridge few years back
recall it sounding very musical
Umami Blue is £2,150 in UK compared to the two Dynavectors which are both £1,400
I have the previous version of the DX, the d3. This cost me £845 back in 2015. The DX now costs a whopping £1400. I think it was a bit of a bargain back then. I can confirm that it sounds fast lean and clean just the way I like it😉
Wow, that’s quite the uplift. Makes the XX2 seem like the best value of the two. What did they do to the 17Dx that the D3 didn’t have?
There is some info on the website. The DX body is machined from solid brass and uses samarium-cobalt magnets and unmatched coil winding techniques apparently.
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I have always followed DV - just like the music they produce - started with 10 then 20 now currently on XX2 which is lovely and very musical
next step might be a big one
Although both are at a similar price point, the design philosophy is very different in each, particularly around the length of cantilever and subsequent output variations. Have a look at the Dynavector website for the details.
I find it quite difficult to judge between the XX 2 and the TKR, as I was hospitalised for 15 months between the XX 2 coming off the ARO and the TKR being installed.
My impression is that the TKR is clearer and sweeter, with improved reproduction across the audio spectrum.
Of course, I’ve paid a lot of money for the new cartridge, so my brain is programmed to expect better!
Do you have any idea what your next ‘big step’ might be? Would you stay with Dynavector or look elsewhere?
I don’t imagine that I will ever swap brands now, as I get so much enjoyment from the TKR. I’m rather surprised that Dynavector seem to be regarded as quite specialist. From what I have found, the cartridges are good across the range, but I have never heard the least expensive or the most expensive.
Not so strange really, 17Dx is a lavish upgrade of the 17D3 and then it ended up closer to XX2 in price 
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Goes back to my formative years in audio at least. I have a feeling I remember seeing a forerunner in Hi-Fi Answers magazine here in the UK in around 1978. Short diamond cantilever IIRC. Niche. And quite possibly brilliant.