Audio-Technica AT-ART9 phono cartridge

If AT recognizes LP Tunes as an authorized dealer then it is likely AT-US that imports the cartridge.  Normal business practice is that if a dealer imports an item directly, that is gray market, for that would cut AT-US out of a mark-up.

Actually, German dealers like hifisound and Thakker in Germany advertise the Art-9 for as little as 881 Euros (ex-vat) which is about $960.  The Euro trade in is at 60% of the Euro list price which is 1101 Euros.

The question remains as to the trade-in price (if available) in North America, for there is no such information on the AT-US site as there is on the European site.  A good trade-in price and policy, if there is one, would be the best reason for buying in the US even at a higher price than Europe or Japan.  

Is anyone in a position to compare the ART9 to an AT20SS?

smctigue1, I have an ART7 that I compared awhile back to my NOS AT20SS.  The ART7 was better: more refined treble, fuller-bodied midrange and LF, and generally more natural.  I would assume the same for the ART9. 

Gotta say ... I moved up to the ART-9 from a AT-OC-9mkIII. The ART-9 is in a different league ... but BOTH are absolute killers on mono records. For someone like myself who has been collecting jazz records since the 1950's, that's a very important feature.