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
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. ;-)
No, i don`t have such a problem.
The AT33 was mounted and measured from Chris Freickert.
3 Lyra`s, 1 VdH and an EMT were very well built with very good Adjust+ results.

Here is someone else with this problems

http://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=76870

The PTG has my dealer send to Audio Technnica. I can tell you the answer in a few days, i think.
Interested in hearing the problem.

What is your location?

I'm in USA and 33PTG not available locally (except eBay or import). Neither is ART7. But ART9 is here now. VERY interested in ART9. Less in 33PTG/II or 33Sa.
I am from Germany. Tell you when the new PTG is arrived. It will placed on my second arm. On the first i have an EMT JSD6 and it would be very interesting to hear the ART9 against it.
Oregonpapa, I told you :-).

Good that there are no surprises. This cartridge benefits quite a bit from break in, so wait for about 100 hours as you hear it improve during this period. It will become more liquid and vanish totally. The fact that it is affordable is probably its only detraction. Recently I heard a Dynavector Te Kaitora Rua, I liked it a lot but it still could not beat the ART9. That Dynavector costs around $3500.

Now sit back and enjoy the ride, as every good record is going to make you feel either you are in a studio or a live setting.