Audio-Technica AT-LP2022 assessment: A captivating tribute to vinyl

Value at time of assessment

$1,200.00

At the moment’s finest costs: Audio-Technica AT-LP2022

Japanese audio producer Audio-Technica is celebrating its sixtieth birthday^th anniversary with the AT-LP2022 turntable, a visually beautiful unit that’s certain to finish up within the collections of design museums world wide. This clear gadget can also be top-of-the-line turntables the corporate has ever constructed.

When Hideo Matsushita began the corporate in Tokyo, he was centered on constructing a greater phono cartridge. The corporate established itself as a turntable designer, culminating with the enduring SL-1200 direct drive turntable beloved by DJs.

Because the vinyl market receded within the Eighties, Audio-Technica diversified into skilled audio gear and located success with all kinds of microphones and headphones which are well-liked in recording studios world wide.

This assessment is a part of TechHive’s in-depth protection of the very best turntables.

Whereas a lot of the different main audio firms have deserted entry-level turntables, Audio-Technica has caught with it and continued to supply glorious items at reasonably priced costs. It additionally created one thing of an business customary with its AT-VM85E shifting magnet cartridge, which clients will discover connected to most turntables below $500 in the marketplace immediately.

James Barber/Foundry

All of which makes this an anniversary price celebrating for vinyl followers. Audio-Technica saved the flame burning in the course of the vinyl recession, and its dedication to the format performed no small half within the revival we’re experiencing now.

The AT-LP2022 is a spectacular murals that additionally performs data. It’s by far the costliest turntable within the Audio-Technica vary and is a strictly restricted version product. Is it well worth the prize?

How the clear AT-LP2022 is made

The Audio-Technica AT-LP2022 is a completely handbook turntable. This implies you may must drop the needle at the beginning of the aspect and decide it up because the pot continues to spin as soon as the aspect ends. There isn’t any automated interruption, so customers want to remain absolutely engaged within the course of and never stroll away like they’ll with streaming to Sonos audio system.

The second factor to grasp is that there isn’t any phono preamp constructed into the turntable. You will want to provide your individual exterior preamp or use a receiver with one in-built. Audio-Technica often provides a bypassable preamp of their turntables, so it is a bit of a shock that the AT-LP2022 does not have one.

The 30 mm (about 1.18 inch) thick clear acrylic body and the 16 mm (about 0.63 inch) thick acrylic plate are the celebrities right here. Customers can see all the electronics contained in the plinth and the complete unit seems to drift above the turntable’s adjustable ft.

James Barber/Foundry

The visible impact echoes the look of the legendary Dan Armstrong Lucite guitar that Ampeg produced between 1969 and 1971 and was most famously performed by Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones. The clear impact is one way or the other timeless and futuristic on the similar time.

The AT-LP2022 measures 5.3 by 17 × 13 inches (HxWxD), so it is thicker than typical for a turntable on this worth vary. For the reason that acrylic materials is heavy, the unit is a beast at 18lbs.

Whereas the AT-LP2022 comes with the usual clear mud cowl, the turntable appears to be like finest with out the duvet, though the hinged unit does not detract from the general impact. Anybody who has seen industrial design shows in artwork museums will acknowledge that this mannequin will probably be a part of future twenty first century design shows.

Unpacking the Audio-Technica AT-LP2022

Every acrylic floor is roofed with a protecting plastic movie, so there’s a important quantity of peeling to be achieved earlier than the complete impact of the design is achieved. As anybody who has bought mid-century acrylic furnishings can attest, as soon as the foil is peeled off, the document participant is susceptible to scratches. If a purchaser may ever transfer home sooner or later, it is best to take footage of the place the whole lot suits into the unique field and preserve it helpful if it is advisable to shield that end later.

Audio-Technical

The AT-LP2022 comes with a stereo RCA cable, a 45rpm adapter and a counterweight in addition to a mud cowl. The headshell comes with a pre-assembled black AT-VM95E shifting magnet cartridge with a 0.3 x 0.7 mil elliptical stylus.

Whereas the assessment unit I examined did not have one, most items ship with a particular version clear AT-VMN95SH cartridge with a Shibata stylus. I am unable to testify to what that unit does for sound copy, however the cartridge appears important to finishing the look of the AT-LP2022 in case you can entry it.

The setup is customary: drop the platter onto the pedestal, wrap the customized belt across the platter and pulley, steadiness the counterweight, set the anti-skating management, and also you’re good to go.

The AT-LP2022 has a straight carbon fiber arm with vertical monitoring angle adjustment. Its silver end matches all the opposite metallic elements on the floor of the turntable and contrasts with the black of the belt and electronics below the plinth.

The unit has an influence button on the again and a knob on the entrance left aspect of the socket that cycles between digital velocity change off, 33 and 45 RPM.

James Barber/Foundry

Utilizing the Audio-Technica AT-LP2022

The whole lot concerning the AT-LP2022 feels stable. The arm balances simply and the leverage drops the stylus gently onto the vinyl. The AT-VM95E is an excellent cartridge, top-of-the-line values ​​in dwelling audio.

Your audio expertise will probably be tied to the standard of your phono preamp. Customers also can spend money on a costlier Audio-Technica stylus or cartridge in the event that they need to improve. I used the AT-LP2022 with a Professional-Ject Phono Field DS2 USB, and it sounded nice out of the field.

James Barber/Foundry

What you might be paying for with this turntable is its restricted version standing and the expertise of utilizing a unit with such a novel design. There’s one thing hypnotic concerning the prismatic manner the sunshine performs on the spinning platter, and it is a blast to place your head near the unit and see the mechanical elements at work whereas enjoying a document. Anybody who enters your listening area is more likely to be equally mesmerized by the fantastic thing about this piece.

You can purchase the Audio-Technica AT-LP2022

If you happen to’re solely considering playback high quality, you may favor the Audio-Technica AT-LPW50BT-RW we reviewed in 2022, which prices $499. That sharp-looking unit has an MDF pedestal with a pleasant rosewood veneer. and features a phono preamplifier and Bluetooth streaming capabilities.

What you are shopping for with the AT-LP2022 is exclusivity (solely 3,000 items had been made) and aesthetics. This turntable is among the nicest items of audio gear I’ve ever seen in individual, and the AT-LP2022 would not look misplaced in a $250,000 high-end system stuffed with precision hand-machined parts.

If you see a photograph of the Audio-Technica AT-LP2022, it in all probability strikes a chord in your coronary heart otherwise you shrug, suppose “that is good,” and transfer on. Photographs do not actually convey how lovely this turntable appears to be like in actual life. If you happen to’ve acquired the funds and might’t get the concept of ​​the AT-LP2022 out of your head, it is properly price monitoring down one and making the funding.