2. analog
  3. 1437001122

Pani ... New ART-9 up and running ...

The Cartridge arrived and I took it down to Studio City to Acoustic Image to have Eliot Midwood set it up properly. Eliot is the bomb when it comes to setting up the Well Tempered turn tables correctly.

http://www.acousticimage.com/

So, last night I had Mr. Golden Ears over to get his assessment as well. For a brand new cartridge that had zero hours on it ... all I can say is WOW! This is one naturally musical cartridge that doesn't break the bank. Its everything I liked about the OC9-mk III, but it goes far beyond the OC-9 in every respect.

In a previous post, I talked about the many mono records I own and how good the OC-9 was with the monos. Well, the ART-9 is on steroids. Just amazing on mono recordings.

At under $1100.00 from LP Tunes, its a bargain. The ART-9 surpasses all cartridges I've had in the system before. That would include Dynavectors, Benz, Grado Signatures and a Lyra Clavis that I dearly loved. In fact, its more musically correct than the Clavis. The Clavis was the champ at reproducing the piano correctly ... the ART-9 is equally as good in this area.

Sound stage, depth of image, left to right all there. Highs ... crystalline. Mids ... female and male voices are dead on. Transparency ... see through. Dynamics ... Wow! Low noise floor ... black. Mono records ... who needs stereo?

Your assessment that the ART-9 doesn't draw attention to itself is dead on. You just don't think about the cartridge at all. Not what its doing, or what its not doing ... its just beautiful music filling the room.

Thanks again Pani for the recommendation. I'll keep posting here as the cartridge continues to break in.
128x128oregonpapa
oregonpapa's avatar
oregonpapa OP
4,867 posts
 
Tablejockey ...

Same experience with my PH-8. I've tested the settings with my friend Robert (Mr. Golden Ears), and he backs up my conclusions. There is a slight difference in changing settings, but at 100 ohms the highs just seem to be dead on. In fact ... beautiful.

Are you having the same experience as Pani and myself ... that the ART-9 just seems to disappear and never brings attention to itself? The darned thing just plays music ... and does it very well.
tablejockey
3,888 posts
 
OP, the 9 unquestionably delivers the goods. This thread is starting to become a cult!
I'm more of a multi genre listener and the 9 doesn't appear to be a specific
sounding cart, just sounds natural and plays either a great recording or terrible one.
Comparing what I've heard on unobtanium systems and mine, I hear perhaps 80-90% ?
Maybe what's holding the 9 from sounding even nicer may be my phono stage, but maybe not much.
dodgealum's avatar
dodgealum
1,404 posts
 
I'm nearing the 50 hour mark and can echo what has been posted by other folks--this is an exceptional cartridge and far superior to anything else I have tried in my VPI Scout. I am amazed at how even-handed, coherent and musically correct everything sounds. While the cartridge is certainly more revealing than the OC9MLII it replaced (more ambient information, inner detail, texture and vibrancy) it manages to present this more Technicolor soundscape without a hint of etch, grain or excessive sibilance. Over the weekend I cued up Linda Ronstadt's "Sentimental Reasons" with Nelson Riddle. I've heard this record dozens of times. When she lets go on "When You Wish Upon a Star"--specifically her phrasing of "Who you are......" it literally knocked me out of my chair. The dynamic expression, the ability to reveal the texture and subtle nuances of her voice as she projects it outward, was astonishing. It scared me, it thrilled me. Yesterday I listened to Beck's "Sea Change" on MFSL. The scale of the soundstage was mind blowing, as were the dramatic tonal colors that infuse this work--his best IMHO. I could go on but won't--I don't think this thing is even broken in yet, as it just keeps getting better every time I cue up my system. I've always been looking for a truly world class cartridge to run in my Scout which had the right performance/price ratio--for some reason I just could not get to the point where I was comfortable spending $2500 on a cartridge for an $1800 dollar turntable. The ART 9 solves this dilemma--it has perfect synergy with the JMW-9 (as did the OC9MLII before it--why more people don't choose the OC9 rather than the Dynas or Soundsmiths I don't know) and, at $1100, represents a "reasonable" amount of money to throw at a table like the Scout. This is what I love about the A'gon community--I would have never known about this treasure if Pani and the others hadn't brought it to my attention--many thanks! I'll try to do a full review once I get past 100 hours and am sure I have taken the full measure of this awesome cartridge.
bpoletti
1,552 posts
 
I use an OC9/II with "infinite loading" on a Herron VTPH-2. VERY GOOD.
dgarretson
2,597 posts
 
I was considering ART9 for comparison to my ART7, but decided instead to test the AT value proposition against a more expensive LOMC. An Accuphase AC-5 just arrived. It seems an apt choice, as both cartridges are obscure and rather low output offerings from well-respected manufacturers... The AC-5 retails for $3K. I'll mount them to the two arms on my PD444 for a shootout.

I've already compared the ART7 to a vintage Ortofon MC2000. Like ART7, the MC2000 has non-permeable coil formers and a similarly miniscule .05mV output. They are close in performance. The ART7 has a bit more life in the presence region. The MC2000 is a bit leaner but more delineated, particularly in LF.
More to discover