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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
avanti1960
1,474 posts
 

@oregonpapa,

@jollytinker

@rantzmar (slippers on)

Thanks for your thoughts and I may add the ART9 back in at a later date. The hesitation comes from the fact that I have never experienced a cartridge that brightens up again after it has already smoothed out from the initial brightness.

 

@pani

I believe you about the ART9 but I am enjoying the Dynavector with Soundsmith ruby cantilever and re-tip quite a bit and it is a big upgrade from the stock Dynavector. If I had to make a cartridge recommendation I would say to find a used / broken cantilever Dynavector and send it to Soundsmith for a new cantilever!

I optimized my phono loading (it seems not too sensitive whether 0 ohms, 100 ohms or 1000 ohms).

My cables from tonearm to phono pre are short (0.5M), shielded and very low capacitance (19pf / foot) so I do not see any way to affect the sound to make it brighter.

VTA is a perfect 92-degrees. The only thing left is break-in.

 

@oregonpapa

your post summary of "new" vs. "broken in" sound is giving incentive to reinstall it sooner rather than later.

Stay tuned, this thread has been going on for a year and a half, i'm sure it will keep going for quite a while.        


avanti1960
1,474 posts
 
I should add that my goal for vinyl playback is that it should have the frequency response neutrality and balance of an excellent digital based source- combined with the detail and smoothness that vinyl offers.
  
When the frequency balance gets too off path then I make changes.
Right now the Dynavector LOMC with Soundsmith tip and cantilever comes the closest to that goal.  
jollytinker
213 posts
 
@avanti1960  when/if you put the ART9 back on your turntable, you might play around with the VTF a bit. I found that the cart began to lose its dullness around 40 hours as I mentioned above. But when I took off .1 grams of VTF (2.0 to 1.9) the dullness came back. I'm guessing it has to do with the suspension progressively loosening up. I hope you enjoy your Dyna in the meantime.   
melm
1,074 posts
 
My experience with a new Art-9 was that it showed its basic attributes from day one.  It has improved ever since.  

It replaced a Shelter 500 with SS OC retip in a VPI 3d arm, and outperformed the old cartridge right away.  I mention the arm because of the control it seems to provide.  Running the arm-cartridge on the old Shure test record seeking their low Hz resonance reveals none at all.  
audiolabyrinth's avatar
audiolabyrinth
4,555 posts
 
That's it,  I did ask what moving coil pre-amp sounds best with this cartridge, mmm, anyone know? 
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