Has anyone upgraded from an AudioTechnica ART9?

If I read it correct the OP has a wish to experience something different from a
Art 9, that is not more than $2000 as this purchase value has already been rejected, or the purchase value was rejected as the noticed change in the auditioned cartridge did not justify to the OP, the additional outlay.
The Art 9 is a modern concept on the presentation it offers, heading into reference area, where it will be very revealing and entering the analytical playback, it will not be seen as rich or outstanding in its capability of laying out every detail in clinical sense.
This experience with the Art 9 will leave the OP with a general understanding of what it is they are looking to change in relation to a Art 9 presentation.
The route of the Ortofon Anna and A95 will be going into the realms of analytical detail, at a increased cost.
The EMT sounds like it has brought a richer presentation, suiting the ear of the other Art 9 owner, the Denon referred to will also be in the rich department.
The OP will need to work out for themselves where they feel the Art 9 Cartridge is not delivering for their personal preference.
If they feel they are requiring a little more detailing this might just be achievable by trialing with a Hardened Material for a Platter Mat, to change the attenuation, and this can be taken further by improving on sub plinth isolation.
For me I would choose a Cartridge that at the end of it service, it can be given more than a re-tip, I like a cartridge that can have parts attached to overhaul the inner working parts, and even better have these parts replaced for ones that belong to much more expensive models.
My experience of using this method has been to receive a real high quality cartridge, that totally satisfies my ears and budget.           

If you follow Pani's posts, you might notice that he is frequently in the market for a new this or a new that. There's nothing wrong with that; it's part of the fun of the hobby for some of us, but it does suggest that Pani is on a different journey or has yet to figure out where he wants to go with his home sound. It takes decades for some of us to get there.

That was a scathing attack @lewm :-)
I don't mind though.

If you go back to all my posts, I seldom recommend anything highly. I know what I want and I also know what I am not getting. It is disgusting to see so many expensive hifi audio products being so voiced. And I am very unforgiving if music loses any of its basic fundamental qualities of tone, timing, flow or harmonics. My logic is simple, if I can enjoy a song on television or my bluetooth speaker then it should sound 100 times more enjoyble on my hifi system. But when even a single equipment in the chain tweaks basic musical structure, the message is lost. 

My Tannoy speakers, Garrard 301 and Denon 103r have been with me for a long time because they preserve the basics of music. I tried to find a quieter TT and tried the Technics DDs. They took away the flow for quietness. Similarly I tried various cartridges prior to ART9. To name a few Lyra Skala, Delos, Kontrpunkt B, Miyabi 47, Benz Ebony TR and Zyx R100. ART9 was the most acceptable high resolution cartridge among them so I used it for well over 1000 hours. 

EMT makes the ART9 sound more CD like. Definitely a more matured analog presentation by EMT. If you notice I didn't come back and recommend EMT as enthusiastically as I did the ART9. Probably because ART9 came in when I was frustrated with relatively voiced cartridges and at a price which most of us could afford. The EMT is not that big a change for me. Just that I happy it is a natural upgrade with a little more money. 

Now I am looking for a good tube phonostage for the EMT. Again something thats not voiced. Any suggestions ? 

Pani, First of all, I do apologize if you felt insulted by my mention of your proclivities.  I meant no slur but was trying to use you as an example of some who like to change their gear, up and down the line, from time to time, just for the fun and interest of it.  And, as I did say, there's nothing wrong with that at all.  Now, here you ask for a "good tube phono stage" that is not "voiced".  By this I assume you mean that you start from the position that most ARE voiced for this or that type of sound.  I disagree with that general assumption, although it may be applicable in some cases. I think most designers are searching for the elusive quality of "neutral".  The problem is that they cannot predict what other products will be mated to their particular phono stage.  Choices made on the upstream side (the cartridge) and on the downstream side (amplifier and speakers, not to mention the room itself) will inevitably affect the sum total of how a system sounds, if you stick one phono stage into it, and then another phono stage is substituted, while keeping everything else constant.  You can easily end up chasing your tail.  If you want a phono stage with no personality of its own, on average you might prefer solid state.  On the other hand, some solid state phonos fail to deliver what some of the better tube phonos do best.  You may have to spend large bucks for a solid state phono that can do it all and do it well. You'll have to judge for yourself.  I am not saying here that SS is better than tubes or vice-versa, in case anyone takes offense.

Chak, I think I could agree that there may be an Audio Technica "house sound".  I haven't really heard enough of their product line to be absolutely sure of that, but you do profess to love the ATML180 and 170 (forgive me for any error in the alphanumeric designation, but you know the ones I mean).  And I guess you owned an AT2000 MC and sold it.  But how can you know how the ART9 and ART7 sound just from those experiences?  In particular, there is no reason to assume the 7 and 9 sound no better than the 2000, which you apparently did not love. I can't speak about the ART9, because I have never heard it, but my ART7 was at first a bit too "clinical" sounding for my tastes, in my Beveridge system. But it did exhibit an extended bass response and exceptional detail retrieval. It takes me a long time to break in new cartridges, because I am constantly flitting around with my different turntables and other cartridges, but finally in the last few hours of use my ART7 seems to have "broken in", in that it has begun to be able to convey the emotions of music while still revealing inner detail and a great bass response (qualities that it always did have).  I think it's a real winner especially in its price class, and especially since that price class includes many of the great vintage MM and MI cartridges that we both appreciate.  Some of the latter even cost more and are much harder to find, and when you find them you cannot be sure of condition.  So, if you have enough gain, the ART7 is a worthy contender.  Probably the ART9 is too.

I had interest in the ART 7 years ago after reading all the praise for it here. Then, on one of Harry's rare appearances here, he said something similar to what pani is saying.....that he found it analytical..(paraphrasing). I think this is probably why I've never purchased one.

@lewm actually i loved my ART-2000 so much and it was one of the best MC for the money ($600-700 about 6 years ago), i only sold it because i was thinking that for $3500 and $4500 i will get even more satisfaction, i expected another level of performance for more money, but i was wrong!

The price tag has almost nothing to do with quality when it comes to modern MC cartridges, as i said the most enjoyable cartridges i have heard are within $500-1500 price range since we can find the best deals, but the red line is $2k for something exotic and rare, personally i will never cross this line anymore. Anything lastest in ART series since the ART-2000 can be slightly better, and while i never owned ART9 myself (in my system) i know many people who own it. It is a good cartridge and AT is not a company that will sell their great cartridges for super expensive prices, their prices is more than reasonable and the quality is superb even compared to much more expensive cartridges from some other manufacturers. But this is a new cartridge and it’s trendy Moving Coil design. They do not make any Moving Magnet on the level of AT-ML180 OCC and people who designed them are retired.

Now we have AT reference AT ART-1000 inspired by those old Victor Direct Couple design such as MC-1, MC-L10 and MC-1000 (some of them are problematic and does not pass the time test, but my samples are perfect). Here is M.Fremer interview with people from Audio-Technica about ART-1000. The OP could easily try this and the difference must be huge compared to ART-9 and ART-7, because the design is completely different (and the price too).

But in this hobby we can’t stop on one cartridge and i completely understand the strong desire to try something totally different. The world of vintage cartridges will open the door to something very interesting and not always expensive. If one prefer an MC then carts from Miyabi's Takeda-San (retired) or Isamu Ikeda (RIP) are very interesting. Regarding the new japanese brands there is a Miyajima Lab with its unique cross-ring design (amazing reviews if it’s important).