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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
safebelayer
66 posts
 
Audiolabrinth, I think if you comb they this thread and other ART9 threads, you'll find a comprehensive list of phono stages used with this cartridge.

What do you mean by mid-range?

Some might call my Rogue Ares mid range ($2k new).  The used market is a buyer's paradise right now it seems.  I'm not seeing gear move, even at really low prices. Back to the Ares, I am really enjoying it's ability to get out of the way.  Very quiet, great soundstage (width and depth) and dynamic.  Does not add tube bloom.

The only phono stage I've heard that betters it, costs 5x more... ASR Basis Exclusive.  I'm sure there are others but no where near $2k that I've heard.  I had a HEED Audio Quasar that was awfully good, particularly for $1200.

Hope that helps.
pani
1,218 posts
 
I totally agree with @chakster and others who say that ART-9 cannot be for everyone. I also agree that expecting an equipment that sounds awful in the beginning to blow you away later is not an easy argument to buy.

Without showering any more praise for the ART-9 I would like to emphasise why I suggested @avanti1960 to hold on to this cartridge. This is one cart which has replaced at least in my own system some of my "favourite" carts costing 3 to 4 times as much. It is one thing to say "Hey I will take a $2k Ortofon over a $5k Lyra any day", it only means you dont like Lyra. But for me ART-9 has replaced my favourite Ortofons, Dynavectors, Decca and Miyabis. Lyra, Benz and Van Den Hul are not on my favourite lists anyway even though I have heard them in my own system. With that kind of backing I think if @avanti1960 likes Dynavector, he stands a good chance of liking ART-9. I agree that Dynavectors, especially XX2 and below are warmer than ART-9.
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
@jollytinker 

If you read Arthur Salvatore's description of the Zyx Universe II, he's nearly in tears on first listening to it because the cart sounds so awful. And yet by 50 hours it's the finest cartridge he has ever heard. that's a pretty radical difference. One may or not agree with him in general but he does have a ton of experience and a highly resolving system.  

I'm sure Arthur's ultra hi-end system is better than mine, along with his ability to buy cartridges like ZYX Universe II.  I have owned Zyx Airy 3 and later upgraded to Zyx premium 4D (thanks to mehran at sorasound). it was long time ago, but at that time i've bought dedicated Zyx headamp especially for my Zyx cartridge (based on Arthur's review when he praised so much this Zyx CPP-1 pre-preamp compared to many top SUTs). My ZYX Premium 4D SB2 was new and very nice from the start, i didn't noticed huge improvement in the first 50 hrs, can't remember how long i've been using my ZYX since then, but not so long unfortunately, later i have stupidly broke the cantilever! Luckily my back up cartridge was Audio-Technica ART-2000 Ltd. To be honest the price difference between $4500 Zyx (+ special Zyx CPP-1 headapm) and used $700 AT-ART2000 compared to the difference in sound quality between those carts, make me think the AT is a better cartridge.They are both high-resolution superb cartridges, but one can do everything (or a little less) just for 1/6 of the price of another, without hustle with sut or headamp. 

Anyway, when some people prefer different sound than Audio-Technica's house sound, i can totaly understand that. For some reason my vintage Argent MC500HS high output MC with sapphire cantilever sounds much better to my ears than any other MCs i have tried, including the most expensive ZYX Premium 4D. Maybe i will change my opinion when i will find something better, who knows. 
j_damon
388 posts
 
New ART-9 has arrived, LP gear offers free shipping , but it is slow. The cantilever is dead-on perfect. I will install soon, I feel the need to be extra careful with setup, and report back here. Thank you again for all the advice and support.  
oregonpapa's avatar
oregonpapa OP
4,867 posts
 
^^^ Good for you, j_damon.  Looking forward to your assessment of the ART-9. 
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