Has anyone upgraded from an AudioTechnica ART9?

The ART 7 can also be found here
http://www.elusivedisc.com/Audio-Technica-AT-ART7-Dual-Moving-Coil-Cartridge/productinfo/AT-ART7/

Having spent time with the ART 9 and my present Kiseki Blue, I would look into the 7 , but I don't want to bother with additional gain via step up. My phonostage is only 60 db's. 1.2 mv is a wee bit low.

0.12mv is indeed way too low for just 60db gain.
My Chinook has the same max gain and I went with a Denon SUT to boost signal on my 0.24mv cart.
This worked very well so I would think the art7 would work equally well as with the SUT I still did not have to use much actual amp volume to get very decent sq levels.

Chak
Those pictures were of the 20Sla, not the art7 which we were discussing?
What is the relevance?

Good point, but we’re discussing ART-9 in general and alternatives, not the ART-7 as you may think, LOL

BTW i think the great alternative for the OP if he’s looking for something completely different can be Miyajima Kansui or Madake (with $2k-5k it is possible) 

I did upgrade from ART9. I was not after a $5k cartridge to replace the ART9. I explored reasonably priced cartridges. The only ones I found I really liked after the ART9 are EMT TSD-75/HSD-006, Anamighty Sound Denon 103 Level 3 and Decca Jubilee (more expensive than my planned budget). I currently use EMT HSD-006. Natural, neutral and dynamic. Very happy! 

I know you would want to know the difference bettween ART9 and EMT. EMT is more effortless and flatter frequency response. It plumbs deeper into lows and the midrange is classic vinyl like, full and clear. ART9 sounded smaller and thinner than EMT. It has a more modern sounding midrange (a bit more CD like than EMT). Another area the EMT is remarkable is "quietness". The background is very quiet with EMT playing. Probably that gives the additional headroom to the sound.

Dear @uberwaltz  : @slaw  : obviously that the ART 7 in LPGear is original. Now this cartridge was out of production by more than two years but seems to me that AT is manufacturing it again or are samples from their last production:

https://www.audio-technica.com/cgi-bin/product_search/cartridges/cartridges.pl?lang=eng

Of course that has the AT whole warranty and you can try it.

However for the @OP I think that Lyra Etna is extremely hard to beat and can't go wrong with.

R.