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.
I'd like to extend my thanks to Pani and to all of the other posters who have provided comments on their experiences with the ART9. I recently purchased one, largely because of those comments, and although it is not yet close to being broken in I am already completely thrilled with it.
It replaces a Soundsmith-retipped Grace F-9E Ruby moving magnet cartridge I have used for the last few years. And although I have been sufficiently pleased over the years with the Grace F-9E series that I have used it in various incarnations for the majority of the past 35
years, I would have to say that the ART9 is in a different league altogether. Most notable among the numerous improvements it has already provided are considerably increased detail and better
definition in the treble region, cleaner and more accurate response to fast transients, and improved dynamics. All of which it accomplishes without a hint of excess brightness.
I purchased it, btw, from Japan-Select-Shop, the seller to whom Oregonpapa linked just above. The transaction was speedy and perfect. As is the cartridge, on both counts :-)
LP Gear and LP Tunes often have differing amounts of inventory and minor differences in pricing. I just checked both sites, however, and they both seem to have the ART-9 in stock for $1097.
^^^ Also, are you sure LP Tunes is sold out? I went to their site and see no indication that the ART-9 is sold out. Could it be that they've restocked??
^^^ I think Ebay has some sellers in Japan marketing them on Ebay. Several members here have bought that way with no problems. Not sure if they warrantee them though.
I've found that the 100 ohm setting is the right setting for my ART-9 as well.
I've not played records for a few weeks, so taken was I by the CD player I installed the two SR Black fuses into the player and they broke in. I just wanted to keep listening to CD's. Hard to tear yourself away when CD's sound THAT good.
I had a couple of friends over last night for a listening session, both of whom knows my system really well. About half way through the session they wanted to switch to the turntable.
The first thing I threw on was an excellent stereo recording of one of Cal Tjader's Latin albums. The percussion was so natural sounding along with Tjader's vibes, it sounded as though Tjader's group was in the room and across the sound stage --- front to back, side to side and floor to ceiling. Simply amazing at the ART-9's price point.
I can say that the ART-9 has stayed right up there with the very significant improvement made in the CD player. Wow! What a good buy (in high-end terms) the ART-9 is. Its a bargain considering what I does (or doesn't do.) One thing it does the best is to stay out of the way of the music.
ps68 ... After around 50 hours of break-in the cartridge really gets going.
Just stumbled upon this thread, very timely too as I have recently at last, fitted my ART-9 to my SAEC WE506/30. I have been working on (and off - as time permits) a rebuild of a 1978 Sony TTS 8000 with the SAEC in my own plinth design. The plinth is currently at prototype stage to establish correct tonearm positioning as SAEC's own recommendations I assume are based around 7" singles, the 506 being manufactured for the broadcasting industry. I have sub 20hrs with ART-9 so far, but in line with many of you gents, I agree wholeheartedly that this is a significant cartridge at the price point, and also in comparison to far more costly ones. So far, I just feed it into my Clearaudio Basic phono stage, (which is staggeringly good value!) but in the next week a new Concert Fidelity SPA4c V2 will be installed which is a very concise amplifier. We used this at T.H.E show to much praise. (Disclaimer; I distribute Concert Fidelity products in the UK, but I am not here to 'promote' their products).
I did have some concerns over matching the ART-9 with the 12" SAEC, as the '9' is fairly compliant, but it seems that there are no issues at all to worry about and it tracks extremely well even at inner groove. It has a very concise and clean sound once the set up is perfect, and I did spend many many hrs working on the CAD model to ensure geometry was correct, and it pays me back each time I have played an LP so far. Once the plinth design and materials are finalised and machined / built, the ART-9 will be well past 100hrs use and the CF stage will also be in use, so there is more to come from this little beauty.
VTF seems good around 1.7 - 1.75 gms for me, how does this compare for other users here? Also, the CF stage offers 100 or 200 ohm settings ( +30 & 50 ohm), I start out with 100 AT recommend to begin with though..
Now my ART9 sounds much more dynamic on the SME 312s arm. I changed the cartridge loading from 100 to 1000. Once this cartridge is set up exactly right and broken in, I highly advise trying this.
Sounds fantastic through my Coda 06x phono stage which is going up for sale shortly.
This is the best cart that I have
owned (previously: Denon dl-301ii), so I cannot speak with authority about how
the Art9 stands up to carts in the USD 1000+ range; but it is certainly a high
performer. (A friend feels that it outperforms his DV 17D.). Like any cart, it
cannot hide a weak tonearm , mediocre phono stage, or noisy turntable, so it is
dependent on its support system. Also, it is highly set-up dependent: given the
line-contact stylus, horizontal alignment is critical. I used the Conrad
Hoffman protractor; but I’m thinking about borrowing a set-up microscope. VTA
is also important. We tried a little negative rake (tonearm sloping down toward
the pivot) and the treble became overly detailed. We tried load settings from
around 85R to 350R; for the moment, 150R seems about right; but, I have a
feeling that it may want something closer to 200R. Time will tell.
The cart currently has around 25
hours, so there is more break-in to come; but, I am satisfied with its
performance to date. I won’t try to describe the sound characteristics except
to agree with the general tenor of the comments here: essentially it seems
highly responsive, accurate, and un-intrusive across all frequency ranges.
I was a little concerned about
tonearm/cart matching: mounting a high-compliance cart on my Grace 940, 16g
tonearm. But, I have not experienced any ill effects. The cart seems to
behave correctly; and there is no low frequency resonance - audible or visible.
However, I did take the precaution of swapping the 12g oem head shell with a 7g
magnesium model (to lower eff mass). And, my tonearm is a unipivot which tends
to diminish resonance anyway.
In summary, I don’t know if the Art9
is God’s gift to analog sound; but it certainly is a fine cartridge and I don’t
think anyone would regret owning one.
Ordered from Juki on Friday early morning. Cartridge arrived yesterday, Wednesday, on East Coast. Mounted today.
Mounting was a bit of a chore; with supplied hardware screw went in from bottom. Also, without vertical lines or sides azimuth setting is more difficult than with my Shelter. But given what you guys wrote about break-in I am very surprised at how good it sounds out of the box. Looking forward to the 101st hour.
Also interested in the ART9, currently I`m using a Dynavector 17D3 and have been considering a move up in the line to the Dynavector XX2 MK2. I wonder how the ART9 would compare to the XX2... Any thoughts ??
The ART7 and ART9 have me intrigued. I am using a Reto Andreoli modded EMT cart on a Pete Riggle Woody arm. I love how dynamic, balanced, and musical this cart is. I was leaning towards ART7 because I use Bob's 1131 SUT thru my Pass XP-15. However, I listen mainly to jazz and rock so maybe the ART9 would be preferable? Anyone with experience using an ART9 with a SUT? Maybe dgarretson can chime in with more ART7 thoughts? Cartridge/arm match should not be a problem as I have different headshells and can lower the arm mass.
I have an original Well Tempered TT that I bought new back in the 80's. It's very difficult to set up. Once set up properly, it's one of the best out there for under 50k. I've stopped setting it up myself, and instead, I take it to an expert to do it for me. For the performance difference, its well worth the money. The last time was with the ART-9 and the charge was $190.00. I'm done messing with it.,
Hi melm, Yes, like all good carts the ART9 also benefits from being properly setup. I have set it up with the tail just a wee bit higher.Enter your text ...
I think I’ll pull the trigger on one of these next week and want to ask current users about VTA/SRA. Have you done much experimenting? Is the cartridge proving sensitive to this adjustment? Are you winding up with your arm level or tail up or tail down? Thanks.
This is the very reason I have always maintained that the ART-9 is a cart which is as good as or even better than many $5k cartridges. Almost all those big $$$ cartridges are "voiced" to sound special. It is like they have to justify their price tags. The ART-9 is exactly the opposite. It is the lack of voicing that makes it so special. And unlike some products which can sound indifferent or uninteresting the ART-9 has that magical aspect of bringing every bit of the recorded emotions out of the groove. It rocks and boogies as well as plays opera and chamber music with equal ease. With nearly perfect tone, timbre and timing combined with effortless dynamic swings it really is an ART.
I think my holiday listening binge has put me on the other side of the break in process. I am hard pressed to find words to express the sheer joy this cartridge brings to my listening experience. I listened to Analogue Productions reissue of Sonny Rollins "Way Out West" the other night--just incredible! Just real performers in the room with all the dynamic swings, tonal realism and playful musicianship one would hear at a live performance in a really good room. I've heard this record dozens of times but never REALLY heard it or appreciated the talent of these musicians. What is really strange is the ART 9 has such extraordinary PRAT that it makes it seem as though my table was running off speed or with some kind of speed irregularity before the ART 9 was installed. The groove and the timing are so compelling with this cartridge. Following the bass lines is such a treat--I'm hearing notes that I've NEVER heard before that really reveal such mastery of the instrument. I also listened to Michael Hedges "Breakfast in the Field" last night. Just off the charts in terms of capturing the tone of the guitar as well as the dynamic energy of his playing style. And the detail--just out of this world but not at all thrown in your face or tipped up in any way. I've heard some pretty fine vinyl front ends over the years but have to believe that the ART 9 mounted in my humble Scout is getting me pretty darn close to what I've heard in much more expensive rigs. I cannot recommend this cartridge highly enough for folks with VPI's that are looking for something transcendent at a real world price.
Thanks guys, maybe it's enough to convince him, although I'm reluctant to take responsibility. I think he said he has a Grace unipivot, it should be good enough for great results.
Quite an impressive list of carts replaced by ART9. You have me drooling. I just purchased a TT81/7045 and I want to get that functional so I'll will have to wait for a bit. It's at the top of my list.
I can understand how a 100Hz cu of 18 can be scary. We developed a 10Hz conversion based on AT MMs. It works to a limited extent, but not in all cases. The problem is 100Hz cu is not really a measure of compliance. It's more a measure of cu + tracking ability at 100Hz. Compliance at 100Hz doesn't make much sense.
I have use my ART 9 on both the JVC 7045 and the Graham 2.2. I will at some point in the future, mount my Lustre GST-801 which is referred to as a heavy arm and give you an additional update using the ART 9. Performs beautifully with the 2 arms mentioned. Reminds me of the AT 180 ooc but slightly more refined. The ART 9 is a hell of a cartridge Fleib. I am tempted to get a ART 7 !
I still don't have an ART9, although I plan to get one. I have a question for ART9 owners. It has to do with compliance which is listed as 18cu @ 100Hz.
On what arms are you using this cart?
I'm asking for someone on another forum looking in the $1K price range. He has an arm approx. 16g eff mass and is afraid the cart might be too compliant. I'm well aware of the difference between 10 and 100Hz compliance, so no dissertations please.
Specs say VTF is 2g max. I figure he should have no problem on that score. Thanks in advance for answers.
It is currently my favorite and I see no reason to pay more for anything else, even though I could afford it.
Exactly, this balancing act seems so elusive and most manufacturers/designers of most audio gears just do not get it, hence they depend upon embellishments to market their products.
The day I hear a cartridge that can better the ART9 without upsetting the balance...my enthusiasm in cartridges will again get a spark. Till then I am a laid back audiophile when it comes to cartridges.
I hear that Micromagic Magic Diamond is a cart to look out for. Another nice cart that I heard the other day is Acoustical Systems "The Archon". These are all carts made by boutique audio companies who are trying to create products which are less hifi and more musically correct (there are no dearth of "hifi" sounding carts anyway) :-).
The ART9 is as musically satisfying as any, and a champ at getting out of the way and just letting the music flow.
What does this mean, really ?
It doesn't highlight any particular part of the frequency spectrum. It is uncolored and self effacing rather than adding embellishment. Another way to describe it, it does not sound "hi fi".
It does preserve PRAT, detail, soundstage, although I've heard other cartridges do certain of these things better, the ART9 is a champ at keeping everything in perspective.
It is currently my favorite and I see no reason to pay more for anything else, even though I could afford it.
If you really want to hear what this cartridge is capable of, replace the fuses in your electronics with the Synergetic Research RED Quantum fuses. You'll be amazed, I promise.
I may not be able to give an exact answer to your question, but I have some experiences to share.
I have owned the Dynavector 17D3 for some time. It is considered to be very dynamic and fast because of its short diamond cantilever. In my system it was at least 3 levels below the ART9. I mean not even worth comparing.
I have heard the XX2 mk2 multiple times in different systems, it is much better than 17D3. It has a consistently smooth sound picture with a some romanticizing the mids and highs. Macro dynamics are good but below ART9. Microdynamics and transparency is also good but well below the ART9. Resolution is also nice but again not in the same level as ART9. In terms of speed and timing (PRAT) it is similar to ART9 but ART9 is still more agile, more quick with transient response.
I also heard the Dynavector Tai katora Rua, it plays similar to ART9 but ART9 is still more vibrant and energetic in sonic picture. The ART9 just does not allow you to think of an cartridge upgrade because of its amazing all-round performance. It gets out of the picture, plays like top quality studio equipment. Even with the Dynavector TKR I did not hear that level of disappearing act. May be the XV1s does it all and betters the ART9 but I have only heard the XV1s once and that is not a good enough auditioning time to make any judgement between them.
butch: I can't quite answer your questions but will offer this...I ran a Dyna XX2MKII in my Scout with a Whest 3.0 stage and then swapped that setup for the Herron VTPH-2 with an AT OC9MLII. It was an interesting move that showed me the importance of the stage and the degree to which Keith's VTPH-2 really deserves all the kudos it routinely gets in the press and elsewhere. The VTPH-2/OC9 combo was considerably better across the board, easily besting a very well regarded solid state stage (the Whest) and what is likely a superior cartridge (the Dyna). My recent swap of the OC9 with the ART 9 has moved things to an entirely different level altogether. The number of variables here are such that I would not be able to testify to the relative performance of the Dyna XX2MKII and the ART 9 but if I were a betting man I'd say (in the right arm) it is better by a pretty good margin.
Oregonpapa, I am waiting for people who are current users of bigger and more expensive cartridges to try it and share their opinions. I have personally experienced it but lets see how many more come up with such experiences.
It is interesting that when I was still hunting around for a "great" cartridge, there were times when I had 2-3 amazing (expensive) cartridges and I was comparing them with an intention of retaining just one. Today even though I am intrigued to compare some expensive carts to the ART9 I have absolutely no drive within to spend my money, time and effort on such an exercise. It feels futile, waste of time. Mind is complicated, when one is satisfied the behaviour is so different.
It looks as though you opened up the floodgates for this wonderful cartridge. Thanks again for leading us to it. Mine is completely broken in now ... and my records have never sounded better ... even with much more expensive cartridges.
100 ohms is minimum, in my experience it loads the cart down a bit too much. Start with 130 ohms, you may need loading values up to 250 ohms if your capacitance is very low. You can go up to 600 ohms if you can increase capacitance.
Still breaking in....listened to MFSL "Teaser and the Firecat" recently. In the room with spooky body, texture and articulation. Nothing jumps out at you just supple, real and organic. My OC9MLII had a lot going for it but the ART 9 is just in a whole other league in terms of connecting you to the performance. Absolutely stunning....still breaking in....... I'm using the Herron VTPH-2 with "infinite loading". Keith can send me loading plugs of nearly any value and I thought I might play around with this after the ART 9 breaks in...what should I request from Keith--100ohms?
Thanks tablejockey.....of course I have CTTE, I have the original version as well as the Friday Music half speed remaster by Joe Reagoso. That is exactly the spot of that song I tend to listen to, the original is so distorted sounding which is fine, but better carts have been toning that distorted sound of the organ as well as Howe's guitar.
The Phonomena II performs well above its price point, I would have to be in the $1500 range to probably better it, not ready for that investment yet. Its a dual-mono output so the staging is impressive, the ART9 would push it to its limits I am sure, but I would expect a brilliant sound.
BTW, Audio Technica recommends a "minimum" of 100 ohms for loading the ART9. If the phonostage is upto the task, a 400 ohm loading is well within the range.
Arm matching shouldn't be an issue at all. It is a typical medium compliance cartridge just like the oc9, Lyra and the likes. Should work with most of the medium mass tonearms. The Pro-ject is also one of them.
"Any info/impressions on the ART-9 with this Project 9cc arm?"
Catcher, I can't speak for your arm/cart combo. I have spent some time with the AT OC9III, now the ART 9. Previous OC9 owners using the ART 9 all seem to nod their heads in approval. A sonic upgrade in EVERY category. Unlikely you will not like what you hear. The OC9 will sound shrill and fall short in complex music against the ART9. The cart is also worthy of an equally priced phono amp or more if your budget allows. Side 1 of Yes-CTTE will have a new meaning with the ART9 If that album doesn't rest in your collection of Prog, well..... "I get up, I get down"....the swell of the church organ....GLORIOUS!!!
Load it at 100 ohms as the instructions suggest, VTF @ 2 grams(or obsess with -.1 or less) and enjoy.
Been thinking of the ART9 for past 6 months, finally good to read some more reviews/impressions of this cart. I currently run an OC9ML/II on a Music Hall mmf-7.1 table. Just recently upgraded the arm to the 9cc from the 9c, very impressed with this arm as I am hearing so much more now. Also added a Cruise Control 2.0 and that has pushed a few notches higher still. I run my OC9 at 121ohms find that to be the sweet spot, I have a MS Phonomena II so loading options galore.
Any info/impressions on the ART-9 with this Project 9cc arm? I mainly listen to prog rock, jazz, R&B and hard/heavy metal. Pretty much spin new issue vinyl and my well cared for older vinyl from my teen years.
Been thinking of the ART9 for past 6 months, finally good to read some more reviews/impressions of this cart. I currently run an OC9ML/II on a Music Hall mmf-7.1 table. Just recently upgraded the arm to the 9cc from the 9c, very impressed with this arm as I am hearing so much more now. Also added a Cruise Control 2.0 and that has pushed a few notches higher still. I run my OC9 at 121ohms find that to be the sweet spot, I have a MS Phonomena II so loading options galore.
Any info/impressions on the ART-9 with this Project 9cc arm? I mainly listen to prog rock, jazz, R&B and hard/heavy metal. Pretty much spin new issue vinyl and my well cared for older vinyl from my teen years.
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