Synergy

@mulveling  I know the Sumiko Pearwood very well, I have heard the Cart' used on all TT Drives, but mainly BD's. 

I have heard it mounted on a SME V/12 and 2 x Origin live TA's I missed it on the upper in range OL as a 12".

Most recently it was demo'd on a Vertier TT > TA.

On all occasions the Pearwood sang in a way that was very very appealing, as a Cart' with a Wood Body, it certainly keeps itself up the ladder and avoids the label of full bodied. A underpinning of a Rich Tone will be more accurate as a description. 

Although I find the Clearaudio cart to be superior to the Hanna in many ways,
I do find it a little bright and somewhat lacking in mellowness.
Can someone suggest a cart that would meet that criteria. It’s probably unrealistic but Im looking for something in the $1000-$1500 price range.

Dear @mulveling : I hope this time you can give me some explanation.

" I always roll phono stages / arms / etc when trying to optimally match a new cartridge.. "

Certainly I understand try to match the tonearm/cartridge combinations and even a SUT ( I did it in the past till I found out the top Denon SUT that I changed only when the cartridge need it higher gain. ) but to change electronics ( as in this case the phono stage ) just to match the cartridge let me to ask: why? .

Thank's in advance and kind regards,

R.

" I always roll phono stages / arms / etc when trying to optimally match a new cartridge.. "

Certainly I understand try to match the tonearm/cartridge combinations and even a SUT ( I did it in the past till I found out the top Denon SUT that I changed only when the cartridge need it higher gain. ) but to change electronics ( as in this case the phono stage ) just to match the cartridge let me to ask: why? .

@rauliruegas Why not? It boils down to the very topic of this thread: synergy. Every phono stage I’ve used has its own distinct sonic signature & nuances. I still keep many on hand. They’re useful for a different perspective, an occasional change of pace, or a better match to certain cartridges. It’s not just "match warm with bright" either - it’s sometimes more complex and unpredictable than that (though not always). Multiply this by the complexity of matching SUTs or MC pre-preamps - and you have the countless possibilities worthy of an enjoyable hobby :)

Of course I still have favorites. Audio Research Reference 3SE’s Low Gain mode (paired with SUT) was stunning. VAC Renaissance SE (also with outboard SUT) has been my longtime reference. Herron VTPH-2A (also with SUT - see the pattern?) pairs super well to my Koetsu Blue Lace, but had me running out the room with Windfeld Ti. And Hagerman Trumpet Reference has a warm open sound, vaguely tape-like, that I quite enjoy. Now I also have the new Hagerman Piccolo Zero to experiment with current injection!

Folks on this forum will discuss cable rolling without batting an eye. I can assure anyone the changes from swapping phono stage are orders of magnitude more significant.

It is not possible for myself to recommend a Cart' to add to a list, as I don't have a broad experience of Cart's used in domestic systems and residences, most are heard from the period when I attended commercial events and many of these are obsolete.

To help reign in the traits of the 20/20 that are known for being very revealing, and options that should not require too much monies look at the following:

1, The 20/20 Phono Pre' has load setting adjustment, speak to the producer and let them to suggest a setting to assist with High Frequency Roll Off, this might be all that is required.

2, I have had great success with 5mm Forex Foam used as a Platter Mat, this material in this thickness has kept all the wanted intricate detail from the recording, but added a Rich Tone at the expense of the Upper Frequencies. I am yet to meet anybody who experienced the 5mm in use across a variety of TT's, who are not impressed with the performance and bang for buck element. I got a batch of Forex Foam in 3mm and 5mm for approx' $30ish. I have been quite tempted to try this in 8mm as a result of the substantial jump in impression made between 3mm-5mm. 

3, A Signal Wire in a Cable produced with D.U.C.C Wire, has shown a Rich Tone in all the systems I have loaned such a Cable type to, a careful search could get a 6N Purity for $70 - $100+. 

4, A SUT 'will' add a Rich Tone at the expense of the highest frequencies and certain brands can Roll of the Highs very noticeably to make way for having a very weighty loose bass presence, a SUT loan would be the best practice for this method.