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
@oregonpapa 

^^^ Chakster ... What's the output of the ART-2000?
Thanks ...

hey, you can check all the specs and high quality pictures CLICK HERE

Type: MC, dual moving coil.

Playback frequency range: 10-50,000Hz.

Output voltage: 0.4mV (1kHz and 5cm/sec).

Channel separation: 30dB (1kHz).

Output balance: 1dB (1kHz).

Stylus pressure: 1.6 - 2.0g (1.8g standard) .

Coil impedance: 12 Omega (1kHz).

Direct current resistance: 12 Omega.

Load resistance: Head amplifier: 100 Omega or more.

Trance: 20 Omega or more.

Coil inductance: 50 mu H (1kHz).

Static compliance 35×10 - 6cm/dyne.

Dynamic compliance 9×10 - 6cu/dyne (100Hz).

Needle tip form: 0.1 Angular ML (micro linear) needle.

Vertical tracking angle: 23°

External size: H17.3×W16.8×D25.7mm Mass: 8.0g


Avanti1960,

I use my Art-9 with a 12" VPI 3D arm.  The arm has a 10.5 g. mass.  No problem.  In fact when I tested the resonance with a Shure test record I found no peak resonance at all.  The arithmetic gives a theoretical answer, but the design of the arm may wipe aside any theoretical considerations.  In my case, in any event, the arm seems to provide absolute control over the cartridge.  You haven't, I think, named your arm.  You probably won't know until you try it, unless someone here is using the same arm.
Has anyone experienced a thick midbass sound with the ART9?  I read a Japanese review that complained about too much midbass.  
Thanks.  
Not at all to my ears in my system. I'd love to read the review--can you post a link?