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.
