Audio Technica ART20 cartridge.

Yaah, looking at the price gap, I think that when it was priced between 2000~2500, it would instant reach a larger public. However, with my current ART7, I find the ART9XA pricy enough when I would need a next cartridge. I got other equipment first I want to spend on first, I guess.

 

A British reviewer gives his opinion:

Audio Technica AT-ART20 | The Ear

 

Video from over 1 month ago

 

The downside of better components is that they shed more light on the deficiencies of a system as much as they shed light on the recording.

I reset my turntable isolation. The ART20 obliged in telling me in no uncertain terms whether a step in the process was rectifying, prolonging or exacerbating any problem.

The net effect on the playback was a dramatic leap in dynamics. This is now the best music playback digital or analogue that I have heard. Do not abandon vinyl just yet.

 

I am loving the expanded appreciation the AT ART20 provides of the untapped capability that the Yamaha GT 2000 had up its sleeve. The two components strongly compliment one another. The cherry on the cake of using a superior cartridge on a superior deck is the bonus of both components allowing the other to give of its best. Thus essentially using this cartridge, I have never heard my GT 2000 sound so good. It is a superior sounding turntable and my appreciation of its capability has been very, very much expanded by the vastly more insightful and for me revolutionary playback.

I have been surprised how some albums have yielded a quite different presentation to the type I was used to over decades of listening. The ART20 was displaying for example the way that a musical motif in a song actually provided a propulsive counter-rhythm which had always gone unnoticed, never having before revealed itself on any system via any media. These contributions of the ART20's increased separation of musical elements provide proper comprehension of musical composition. There is greatly increased detail but all that detail serves musical comprehension. Rather than the concept of too much detail being overwhelming, this is much more detail aiding in completing the comprehension of the musical message. Supposedly one can't have the intense detail cake with the musical message. Well this cartridge pulls that trick off. Its forte is lashings of detail which make more sense of the music being played.

The ART20 is also a champion of the stereo effect. That gorgeous coherent soundfield revealed by the cartridge really shows off the stereo effect. Where the speaker end of the room essentially transforms into a mesmerising sonic soundscape. Singers stand before the listener. Invisible to sight yet rendered real by their sound and convincing apparent presence. That increased realness and presence is just as valid if the sonic element is very far forward in the sonic stage or way way back in the stage. The placement is more distinct and even the new sounds revealed way back in the stage are rendered clear and present. The treble is very fast and able to freely release a vast amount of relaxed detail which is distinctly natural and tonally authentic sounding.

Getting the VTA right made a big difference in the apparent ease with which the cartridge presented detail. When the VTA was not quite right there was tons of apparent impressive detail. As I optimised the VTA(tonearm raised slightly at the pivot) I noticed that there was an increase of still more detail but if anything it was sounding more relaxed and at ease. This is not aggressive detail it is increased musical engagement and comprehensible musical insight type detail.

 

I hope the following link for a review of the ART20 will translate well for you. The language is Spanish.

Audio Technica AT-ART20

 

Another short review of the ART20. This time from Japan's Stereo Sound:

オーディオテクニカの「AT-ART20」は、チタニウムハウジングが目を惹く究極的な鉄芯MCカートリッジ。色彩の鮮やかな美音に魅了される逸品 - Stereo Sound ONLINE

 

The following link has a good translation of the Japanese article.


https://online-stereosound-co-jp.translate.goog/_ct/17588252?

 

Cor blimey the cantilever looks a bit skewed in the photo !

 

Hehehe, yeah. I noticed. Let's hope their speakers got enough spreading/soundstage to cover that up.

And the review itself is full of that Japanese optimism. Great to read, but I always got to listen myself to be convinced that way. (However, I'm glad with your insights here in this topic)

 

Most cartridges are ugly, but they really took some effort on this one… damn that thing looks tacky…

 

To each his own. I'm in love with the thing and it complements my Graham arm nicely. I kinda think it looks like HR Giger designed it!

 

Has anyone heard it in comparison to the ART1000? I heard that cartridge and it is terrific. If the AT-ART20 is anywhere close to the ART1000 in sound it would be a winner.

 

A British reviewer who reviewed the ART20 after reviewjng the ART1000 had this to say:

Audio Technica AT-ART20 | The Ear

"A-T has always been good at making fast, articulate MCs so this didn’t come as a surprise but this one gets close to the mighty ART-1000 in this regard which is impressive given that it costs nearly £2k less."

 

I was more amused that cartridges now have to enter a beauty contest in order to be considered.

 

This cartridge amazes me. The sound of the entire system has blossomed with this cartridge.

I have a new tonearm(12 inch Funk Firm FX3) to fit to the GT 2000 but won't be able to do that without modifying the turntable. It is possible and doable but not immediately. The ART20 is sounding so good that I have no comprehension of how this gets better. The whole idea of the new arm is a big step forward soundwise. I'm enjoying things so much already.

I love the Mint LP protractor and will be ordering one for the new arm. No point mounting the new arm until I have the protractor. The modification to the arm mounting on the deck will take a bit of planning and machining(which I contract out). I'll update my GT 2000 thread when I get the new arm set up.

 

Mine is arriving today. I'm replacing an ART9XA so I'm expecting pretty much plug and play. Expecting this to be my last cartridge, assuming it to be an improvement over the ART9.

 

Feel welcome to post your impressions here kirt.

 

Whoa, the theophile from AK? Welcome! Or welcome back...

We've exchanged re: GT-2000 on AK a few times, I've read a few posts by you on that topic... among other topics.

Looking forward to more contributions here on SHF!

 

Thank you.

 

Glad you like your new ART20 and are enjoying it. I have the ART9 and the New ART9 XI which is going for $1300 now. That price on the ART20 puts it out of my league, I can also place that cash I save on other better gear in my setup. I recently bought a Grado Timbre Reference 3 at a very good price. Just love the new Grado Ref 3, it betters my ART9 and ART9 XI by a lot. So much so I don't even miss the ART9's. I also got a SPL Phonos Phono preamp that also raise the level of my table with the Grado by a Level or two.

Just wonder what the Stylus lifespan is?

 

You got old news, buddy. The ART9Xi is now $1,500.00

 

Dang... and I balked when ART9's were under a grand...

 

Dang! I just looked at them around Oct and they had went up then too from $1200 to $1300. Glad I got my ART9 XI for less than $1200.

 

I got my XI when it was still 1,300.00, and traded in a couple of old P-J phonos to get it. Still about $700 out of pocket.