Welp, I received the AT-ART20 and immediately installed it onto a Korf ceramic headshell. In anticipation of this cartridge and it's "very resolving" nature I loaded my phono stage and amp with Mullard tubes to round out the sound to be on the safe side.
For those impatient types I'll spring to the headline: What an outstanding cartridge!
For starters the set up - couldn't be easier. Because this is a big company with tons of experience the cartilever/stylus were perfectly set and all I had to do was make sure the headshell was level in all directions. In fact because of the body design of the cartridge, there isn't much latitude for VTA adjustment so I reckon that's confidence on the part of AT.
For the past week I'd been playing my DV XX2 MkII as it's the closest from my stash that would compare to the ART20 (my other carts are: Grado Aeon3, Koetsu Urushi Wajima, DV 10x5) and allow me to transition to the anticipated sound of the AT most gracefully.
From the jump it sounded clean, balanced, not bright or strident (big relief!), actually very similar to the XX2, but soundstage wasn't that large. By the time I got to album side #4 all that already changed - soundstage is HUGE. Instruments POP like fireworks, such amazing projection. Yes I was hearing details I hadn't experienced before, listening to each album was a whole new experience. Vocals were prominent in the soundstage. BASS! So clean, tight and strong. Albums that I never thought were all that as far as recording quality suddenly came to life and sounded dynamic and exciting.
In all in my first listening session I put maybe 3 hours on the ART20, I can't wait to see what it'll sound like after 20 hours. The high end is clear but not bright or sharp sounding. I wonder if the Mullards were a match made in heaven (for my ears) for this cartridge? I will rotate in cleaner sounding tubes once the cartridge is fully broken in, I expect the sound to still be as pleasing but different.
In short, for the $2600 I paid for a new ART20 (the shop upgraded me from a demo model) this is perhaps the best "giant killer" I own. If this cartridge cost $8k, I'd be pleased. More people need to know about this, it might be the best cartridge I own and I never thought I'd say that against the Grado Aeon3 which I adore.
Thanks so much for all the help and knowledge everyone! I'll chime in as the hours accumulate for updates. Cheers! - Rich
