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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
dgarretson
2,594 posts
 
I was considering ART9 for comparison to my ART7, but decided instead to test the AT value proposition against a more expensive LOMC. An Accuphase AC-5 just arrived. It seems an apt choice, as both cartridges are obscure and rather low output offerings from well-respected manufacturers... The AC-5 retails for $3K. I'll mount them to the two arms on my PD444 for a shootout.

I've already compared the ART7 to a vintage Ortofon MC2000. Like ART7, the MC2000 has non-permeable coil formers and a similarly miniscule .05mV output. They are close in performance. The ART7 has a bit more life in the presence region. The MC2000 is a bit leaner but more delineated, particularly in LF.
pani
1,218 posts
 
Hey, nice to see you guys are having fun :-D
bflodave
22 posts
 
Would an ART-9 be an overreach on a SL1200mkII? My stock arm has the KAB fluid damper, the total Cardas rewire by Kevin and the stock headshell with upgraded leads.
tablejockey
3,867 posts
 
Bflodave, I have read owners using various 1k carts on their Technics. Youre aware any cart, must have a competent phono stage to support it as well.
If I had a table with a $400 cart along with an equally priced phono amp, I don't think I would invest that kind of dough in such a cart. Just using this as an example. Unlikely to hear what some of us have been gushing about.
bflodave
22 posts
 
The Technics table connects to a Modwright LS100,Marantz 8b and Von Schweikert VR33's.
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