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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
dodgealum's avatar
dodgealum
1,404 posts
 
On the issue of turntable matching with the ART 9...just saw a $25K Artisan Fidelity Garrard 301 come on this site with an ART 9 mounted to a Schroeder arm.

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/turntables-artisan-fidelity-garrard-301-statement-dual-arm-1-year-...

Suggests the sky is the limit with this cartridge......
wrxified
13 posts
 
That is flat out sexy.  Would easily trade my wife for that turntable.
bryantdrew's avatar
bryantdrew
21 posts
 
Got my ART9 less than a week ago. Upgraded from the OC9III and what an upgrade it is. I kind of sit there in awe at what I hear coming out of my speakers. Such a fun yet accurate cartridge. Still breaking in. The lows and mids sound perfect. The highs are still getting there but getting better every hour.
Scout->Sutherland PHd->Decware Torii->Tekton Lore2

I also have a Threshold SL10 preamp that has a fantastic pp that I will AB someday if I can ever pull myself away from my listening chair.
I would have never stumbled across this cartridge if it wasn't for this thread, so thanks to all who have contributed.
oregonpapa's avatar
oregonpapa OP
4,867 posts
 
^^^  bryantdrew ...

The highs will come around, don't worry. The Art-9 is very extended with sweet, clear highs that seem to go on forever. Give the cartridge a good 75-100 hours. 

By the way, I don't know if you play a lot of mono records, but if so, can you believe how good the OC-9 MKIII was on mono?  Once your Art-9 is fully broken in, its at least twice as good as the OC-9 III on mono recordings. They just seem to get way down into the grooves into some previous unplayed territory.  :-)

Frank
cool_jeeves
37 posts
 
Wonderful cartridge and great stories. My own experience is that the amp manufacturer recommended 2.5x impedance (hence 30 ohms) worked beautifully from the beginning, whereas the 100 ohms was more dynamic but with the highs out of control and the upper mid range sounding too energetic. I settled on 30 ohms, with very well balanced and sparkling results, and the cartridge is still breaking in. Once it is broken in, i will experiment with higher impedance, and highs will likely be in control then, and the greater vividness will be still apparent relative to 30 ohms. 
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