What a difference a setting makes.


I recently got a new turntable (Feikert,) Arm (Origin Live,) and cartridge Hana ML.) A whole new analog setup. I talked myself into thinking the sound was good, although I had doubts when I compared the SQ with the sound I was getting from the digital side. It was really great on some records (the equal of digital,) but the majority of discs were mediocre. Finally, I decided that with such good equipment I should be doing better. So, I contacted my salesman/advisor for help. He had initially recommended that I set the preamp with the gain at 58 and the load at 100 (evidently the standard for the Hana cartridge.) I kept it on that setting for several weeks.  
When I called him he suggested that I increase the load to 200. 
All of a sudden everything opened up! Almost everything I played had a presence it lacked before. The proverbial veil was lifted.  Records really did sound wonderful!  
I can’t help but think, that if I hadn’t had enough with the old sound I would be blissfully ignorant of what my set was capable.

 

128x128rvpiano

@avanti1960 I doubt it. The cartridge was at over 50hrs by time I got the 20/20. If it did break in some more, it would be a smaller change. I had this cartridge with the KC Vibe MkII and the system never sounded as dull, dry, muddy, congested and too busy, struggling with instrument separation and not at all engaging, as it did with 20/20 when I just got it. The 200ohm setting just didn’t sound right at all. So I set it at 100ohms and it kind of relaxed a bit so I left it there.
I was playing records all day every day while I was working (not listening for the most part, I have a Little Fwend that takes care of lifting the arm at end of each side so I don’t need to hear the record end to get to it to lift the arm).
Few days in I started noticing the improvement and before I made the switch to 200ohms and posted here the 20/20 was sounding amazing. So pretty sure it broke in. 

I finally figured out how to change the anti skating setting. A bit of problem to do.  Again a change in this setting improved the sound noticeably.

RV, good on you! As I've said or implied in other posts, it all matters. 2 things not to overlook are the VTA and how it is affected by record thickness, and the VTF which by the way affects the VTA. I used to have two mats, one for records of a standard thickness and one for records which were thick. The mats made for a standard height to set your VTA for so you didn't have to fiddle with VTA for every record you used. Be nice to have a tonearm which had a scale for VTA or one that you could adjust VTA on the fly. Enjoy your new stuff!

@newbee 

You were so right in pointing out there are significant sonic changes available with manipulation of the turntable.
I’ve found great improvement with very slight changes of settings. 
I never would have thought it.