The Audio-Technica AT-MC2022 Cartridge

Audio Technica’s 60th Anniversary gift to its fans, is the AT-MC2022 dual-moving coil stereo cartridge.

The Audio-Technica’s AT-MC2022 is set for analog audio aficionados, vinylistas, and audiophiles. A 60-year-long gift full of Audio Technica’s research and development. The best part is Audio Technica will only make 60 of these cartridges.

What To Expect

The The AT-MC2022 uses an integrated microlinear profile stylus and 0.22 mm cantilever formed of a single, lab-grown diamond. It’s the highlight of the AT-MC2022 cartridge. It eliminates the distortion caused by conventional bonding of stylus to cantilever, allowing for a purer transmission of the vibration from the record groove to the coils.

Audio Technica made the diamond using a delicate CVD (chemical vapor deposition) process.

Audio Technica lists the channel separation 30 dB (1kHz), with output channel balanced measured as 0.5 dB.

The AT-MC2022 samples the AT-ART20‘s magnetic circuit resulting in a greater magnetic flux density and output voltage (0.55 mV (1kHz, 5 cm/sec). All of this is in a titanium and aluminium body wrapped in an elastomer undercover to reduce unwanted resonance.

It comes with threaded mounting holes and high-quality gold-plated terminal pins that make it easy to install. The manufacturer added a gold plating that is 30 times thicker than conventional cartridges to reduce contact resistance.

The cartridge weighs about 9.6g and requires 1.6 to 2.0 g (1.8 g standard) tracking force and 20° vertical tracking angle.

Lastly, The Audio-Technica AT-MC2022 comes in a specially designed walnut storage case featuring an acrylic window with a laser-engraved 60th anniversary logo and serial number. The packaging also uses traditional Japanese Echizen Washi paper.

Price Of The AT-MC2022

The AT-MC2022 retails at £8,900/ €10,000 and will be available in the winter of 2022.