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
Thanks, Oregon, for sharing your initial impressions. I have been sitting on the fence waiting for more information about the ART 9 (and saving some scratch) before taking the plunge. My OC9MLII/JMW9/Scout has been a very rewarding combination and I have been trying to find a cartridge similar, but more refined, than the OC9MLII that I can afford--unfortunately, to no avail. The ART 9 sounds like it may be the ticket. Please, as you listen more and share your views following break in, provide us with some sense of how the ART 9 exceeds the performance of the OC9MLII--you are probably one of the few people out there that has taken an upgrade path that would be the same as my own. Best to you and enjoy the ride.
Have you measured the channel separation and left / right balance? Audio Technica has some problems with.
I had an AT 33EV, OC9I and now an PTG33II. The last one will be changed by guarantee these days. All these cartridges had an azimuth-missalignment about 2°.

These are my measurements:
http://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=78890#p643466

But i have to say that the PTG sounds really well and i am also interested in the ART9.
99 - Sounds like you had a set-up issue. I haven't had a 33-series cartridge, but the OC9s I've had never had any problems except their stylus would wear out. I want them to live forever, just like me. ;-)