What a difference a setting makes.

@rvpiano thanks for this thread! You encouraged me to revisit the 200ohm load setting. As I said earlier I didn’t like it initially when I first got the 20/20. Now with some break in time the 20/20 is a different beast. Completely different experience listening at 200ohm now. The images are sharper and more out into the room, snappier and quicker transients as well. Listening to the first track on “Kind of Blue” (Analog Productions UHQR), every instrument is more solidly defined in the soundstage. Percussion brushes are more detailed, there’s more air and presence overall. Bass has more texture.
Got same results listening to Heifetz playing Sibelius violin concerto as well.

Very nice.

As a side note, break in is a thing with the Sutherland 20/20. It opens up nicely though after about 100+ hours. Much easier to break in a DAC by just streaming 24/7. But the effort is worth it.

Millercarbon,

I haven’t tried it yet.  

Audphile1,

I believe you had previously asked me about my settings.  I was thinking of you when I decided to indicate them.

Hahaha that’s right! And we both thought 58/100 was a sweet spot.
Glad you played around with the loading settings and posted your results. I’m thoroughly enjoying this cartridge/phono amp combination. Good synergy.

When you do adjust VTA make very small adjustments. Pulling the lever towards you rotates clockwise and increases VTA. This raises the arm which results in a thinner more detailed presentation. Pushing the lever away rotates counter clockwise which lowers the arm for a fatter fuller sound.

Don’t listen for crude tone changes. That’s big VTA moves. This is fine-tuning. Assuming the arm is already close to where it should be.

But even if the arm is way off this is still the best approach. Let’s say the arm is way too high. But you have no way of knowing. 50/50 coin toss you guess right and pull the thing towards you lowering the arm and it sounds better. More body yet still plenty of detail. In that case you keep on going. Eventually one tiny adjustment (they should all be very fine adjustments) instead of getting fuller and better is ever so slightly bloated. Then back off half of whatever the last move was.

Then go back and forth smaller and smaller until either you run out of patience or stop hearing improvement.

But remember, 50/50. If by chance you lower and right away it sounds more bloated and sluggish then you went the wrong way. Same process only this time very small increases in VTA, which on your adjuster is counter-clockwise. At least according to the manual I read when you said what you have.

The main thing being this is all done by ear.