Turntables, Arms & Cartridges

For the last half-century or so, Dynavector has doggedly entrenched itself in vinyl replay's moving-coil camp. The company, founded in 1974 by Dr. Noboru Tominari upon his retirement from the position of professor in mechanical engineering at the Tokyo Metropolitan University, never built a moving-magnet cartridge. Commercially courageous, bearing in mind the popularity of MMs, it is also indicative of a company staying true to its core tenets.

Making an entry

The Aska-L is the latest cartridge from this Japanese brand, and the entry point into Dynavector's assortment, situated beneath the 10X5 MkII and 20X2. At £449 it's not the cheapest MC 'starter' cartridge (Audio-Technica and Ortofon kick-off even lower) but promises to make the brand's custom technologies such as its Flux Damper, Softened Magnet and special annealing all accessible at a lower price point. At the same time, Dynavector explicitly states it wanted to offer an MC cart that wasn't too tricky to setup but still offered the genre's insightful sound quality.

Most MCs fall into the low-output category, with some brands offering high-output MCs for use into a 47kohm MM input. Intriguingly, Dynavector offers both options for the Aska. While this review looks at the 'L' version, requiring a suitable high-gain phono preamplifier, an Aska-H is available for vinyl buffs in search of a quick fix. The H edition adds extra coils of very fine wire around the square former, bringing the output voltage to 2.8mV, which is significantly higher than from a regular moving-coil.

Dynavector suggests selecting at least a 1kohm load impedance for the Aska-H, adding it too can also be used with 'regular' phono inputs on amps designed with a 47kohm load in mind. Having low- and high-output options is unusual but, again, is very much on-brand – the company was the first to produce a high-output MC, way back in 1978.

Above: Dynavector's little blue box keeps the Aska securely packaged while clearly distinguishing between the high- (2.8mV) and low- (0.3mV) output versions

The Aska-L arrives in a little box enclosed in a display case with a clear top [see pic, left]. Cartridge manufacturers wanting to stay in business quickly learn they need to pack carts safely, so they can survive former rally pilots turned delivery drivers, tasked with getting a package into your hands pronto (or the bushes in the front garden, on a bad day). Still, it's nice when a brand puts a bit more effort into presentation, certainly at this price point. That said, Dynavector doesn't offer a version of the Aska-L pre-mounted in a detachable headshell, as do some rivals.

Fitting the cartridge is straightforward. The slender body of the Aska-L is typical Dynavector, with a flat 'shoe' (or should that be 'hat'?) with threaded inserts on top. It's a small detail, but it means you don't need to faff around with tiny nuts and bolts. Selecting the wrong length of screw isn't fatal either, as the ends of the pins run next to the body.

Legacy tech

Dynavector is a company that in many ways is traditional, hand-assembling its cartridges in-house (although Japanese partner companies are involved in part production) and deploying technologies that were crafted under Tominari and his descendants. The Flux Damper, introduced in the '90s, and at the core of the Aska-L [see boxout], is one example. Dynavector also applies its new annealing process to the entry-level cartridge, which uses a careful heating and cooling process to regularise the crystal structure of metal used in the rear and front yoke, and the pole piece, all of which are part of the magnetic circuit.

Above: The Aska-L's annealed pole piece/yokes are mounted into a translucent plastic body with lightweight headshell mount. The 6mm alloy cantilever is fitted with an elliptical tip

Vinyl connoisseurs will remember Dynavector's high-end Karat range, noted for the use of extremely short cantilevers made from diamond and ruby. At 6mm, the Aska-L's cantilever doesn't go to the extremes of the Karats – the original Diamond model [HFN Nov '80] possessed a 1.7mm cantilever to push resonant frequencies above 50Hz. Instead, as the Aska-L is an 'entry-level' MC, no precious stones were required, instead opting for a cantilever made from hardened aluminium.

Symphonic sounds
For my listening, the Aska-L was used with a Technics SL-1200GR2 turntable [HFN Sep '24] connected to Musical Fidelity's M8x Vinyl phono preamp [HFN Mar '25]. I experimented with loading, wavering between 50ohm and 100ohm, while the base-level MC gain on the M8x Vinyl (+60dB) seemed suited to Dynavector's 0.3mV output [see PM's Lab Report]. The Aska-L's low 5.8g bodyweight also complemented the medium effective-mass arm on Technics' deck, and mounting the cartridge on the SME-style headshell was stress-free. The Aska-L's elongated body shape lets you easily check the alignment and VTA with a protractor, so even on more 'fiddly' tonearms installation shouldn't be too challenging.

Most of the vinyl I use for testing is in good-as-new state, but some of my secondhand LPs have seen better times. The Aska-L's elliptical stylus generally tracked each record satisfactorily, extracting fine detail to a high level for a cartridge in its price range. A downside, though, is that neglected vinyl seemed to crackle a bit more than usual so, perhaps, it's time also to invest in a cleaning machine.

Above: Another shot clearly revealing the Aska-L's coils and square iron former mounted onto a compliant damper. At the cartridge rear, gold-plated pins are angled upwards for accessibility

An old copy of Dvorák's New World Symphony [Deutsche Grammophon 138 922 SLPM], with Herbert von Karajan conducting the Berlin Philharmonic, wasn't without some 'pops', although the stirring portrayal of the strings and horns of the first movement more than made up for it. Considering this edition of the frequently re-released album dates to 1965, I was impressed by how the Dynavector cartridge extracted so much detail from its well-travelled grooves. This resolving quality made for engaging listening during the symphony's well-known Largo movement, which after a short brass introduction segues into a mournful section laced with muted English horns and flutes. The Aska-L really shone here, able to convey even the quiet passages in their full splendour. I also appreciated the cohesive nature of its presentation, savouring not only the main theme, but all the supporting instruments in play.

Trip-hop hero

Listening to ISON, the 2017 debut from Iranian-Dutch singer Sevdaliza [Music On Vinyl MOVLP1973], the Aska-L endowed the second track 'Libertine' with a strong focus on her vocals, and maintained their pleasant, rounded character even when she reached for the highest notes. At the same time, the track's 1990s-trip-hop-style production, all sparse slow beats and instruments framed by a dark background, was present and correct. As with the albums of trip-hop pioneers Portishead, precision and the ability to extract environmental cues to create the music's small-room feel are a requisite for ISON's tracks. The Aska-L delivered both, ensuring the melancholic mood of the album was communicated well.

Comparing its performance to the Nagaoka MP-700 MP (Moving-Permalloy) cartridge [HFN Aug '25] that's usually mounted in my Technics deck, Dynavector's more affordable MC both increased the sense of ambience and depicted certain instruments, including the piano, in a more forward manner. The Aska-L's low-frequency delivery is certainly not lacklustre, but I did feel Sevdaliza's pieces would have benefitted from a bit more bass dynamism and 'oomph'.

More to cherish

The cartridge is more confident a little further up the audio band. During 'Pas Vraiment' on Side 2 of Stromae's Multitude [Mosaert 450794-2], low flute notes in the background sounded natural and well-resolved, a nice textural counterpoint to the many artificial effects in this glossily produced pop track. And there was more to cherish during the refrain of 'Mon Amour', where Stromae is joined by a group of male vocalists (either that, or it's an overdub), above low bass notes.

Above: Dynavector offers its Aska MC in both low- and high-output guises, the latter with more coil turns

The Aska-L really brought out the richness of the sound, delivering the track's recurring theme with warmth and impact. And there was nothing to fault in how this new Dynavector pick-up highlighted the guitar licks, whistles, samples and percussion elements that are strewn around the soundstage, both here and elsewhere on the album.

Every time I play The Black Light from Calexico [20th Anniversary Edition; City Slang SLANG50166LP], my mind returns to a middle-of-the-night drive many years ago. It was on the back roads of Nevada, the rental running on fumes, and me desperately looking for a gas station as the album, on CD, played through the in-car system. This was quite exciting and apt, too, as this release from the Arizona-based band mixes jazz, Tex-Mex and mariachi traditions to create the ultimate desert-themed album. Each track has the same general vibe, but features different instruments, distinctly layered across a broad stereo stage.

Slide rules

The Aska-L wasn't fazed by its complexity. The woody, percussive 'tocks' on the brief instrumental 'Fake Fur' sounded clear and precise, but what I especially appreciated were the drawn-out slide guitar notes ringing in the far background, transforming this piece into something very atmospheric. Clarity is a strong suit of Dynavector's moving-coil cartridge, and combined with the open presentation, the Aska-L has all the cards in hand to grab and hold your attention.

Hi-Fi News Verdict

If you are looking to transition from an MM to an MC without breaking the bank, the Aska-L has you covered. But it is not merely defined by its accessible price tag. Wielding proven Dynavector technologies while making the right compromises, the Aska-L affirms the clarity and stereo imaging that MC devotees adore. Its sonic performance is certainly not entry-level, making this innovative pick-up a bit of a steal.

Sound Quality: 87%