Audio Technica AT 20 SS

Data

General

Technical Data

Frequency response: 5 - 50,000 Hz (both)
Channel separation AT20SLa: > 25 dB @ 1 kHz
Channel separation AT20SS: > 35 dB @ 1 kHz
Channel balance AT20SLa: < 1.0 dB @ 1 kHz
Channel balance AT20SS: < 0.75 dB @ 1 kHz
Output voltage: 2.7 mV @ 1 KHz/5.0cm/s (both)
Terminating resistor: > 47 kOhm @ 100 -200 pF (100 kOhm for CD-4 playback/quattro)
Inductance AT20SLa: 370 mH
Induction AT20SS: 450 mH
needle type: bare Shibata
Vertical scanning angle: 20
Recommended contact force: 1.0 mN - 2.0 mN
Needle compliance: n.a. (there are several different specifications on the net, in the original manual the needle compliance is not mentioned. However, it is probably a pickup with a rather higher needle compliance of 25-30 mm/N).

Special Features

naked diamond with shibata needle cut on tapered needle shank (tapered cantilever).

aluminium needle carrier for the AT20SLa, beryllium needle carrier for the AT20SS

"Dual magnet" construction
Cast metal housing
Needle guard in visor shape on needle slot
Needle inserts: ATN-20 (AT20SLa) or ATN-20SS (AT20SS) are freely interchangeable. The only difference between the two pickup versions is the needle insert.
The Shibata grind of the AT20SLa and its successor AT20SS ("Super Shibata") was originally developed to reproduce the extremely high frequencies of 4-channel recording.
The AT20SLa is a version of the AT15a hand-selected for the smoothest possible frequency response, but is otherwise technically exactly the same. The needle inserts are also interchangeable.

The above information is taken from the original AT20SLa and AT20SS manuals.

Other models in the same series:

Video on YouTube: [[1]