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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
oregonpapa's avatar
oregonpapa OP
4,867 posts
 
lewm ...

Thank you. I'm glad you stepped in to comment. I'll share your comments with Robert to get his feedback and get back to you. 

Robert researched through the Internet using Google Search and did a cut & paste on his findings. However, the rising top ends of many of the MC's have been an ongoing conversation between the two of us for years. He's made the claim throughout that the 17D, with its flat response, is the best cartridge for evaluating what's on the record for reissue purposes. Perhaps not the most spectacular ... just the most accurate and truthful according to Robert.  He and I both love what the ART-9 does by the way. 

Frank
sbank's avatar
sbank
3,378 posts
 
Frank, very interesting stuff from Robert. 
It's funny in one sense as the 17D...17D3 all have a reputation for a more tipped up treble than the rest of the Dyna family. Does that imply that the others further up the line are too reticent on treble? I wouldn't think so based on my own listening to DV-X1s, XX2s, etc. 
Wonder what Robert would say about the VDH Colibris that I used to own, as I'd suspect they are tipped up a bit too? Cheers,
Spencer
pani
1,218 posts
 
@sbank @oregonpapa I have absolutely no doubt about the rising top end of the Lyra and vdh cartridges. I have not heard the Atlas and Titan though. On the other hand the Dynavectors are smooth. Benz to my ears are "voiced" to sound comfortable. I don't find them natural. In that regards I have a lot of respect for Ortofon. Would love to know frequency response of a Cadenza Black or Windfield




lewm
12,849 posts
 
I agree with sbank that the 17D to D3 series (I own a D3) has or did have a reputation for being a bit "clinical" sounding, which usually indicates a "rising top end".   But I think we all have to be careful how we use the term I put in quotes.  Almost none of us has a hope of hearing a rising response in the range above 15KHz; so none of us could hear the gradual rise in amplitude above 15kHz shown on the graph that Oregonpapa referenced.  In fact, there are not even any common musical instruments that can produce a primary tone in that region, only harmonics. If we really hear a rising top end, it would likely mean we are hearing a deviation from flat response in the 2kHz to 5kHz region.
avanti1960
1,452 posts
 
some interesting frequency response plots for some of the cartridges in question.  The cadenza red is the flattest of the bunch.  
FYI my ART9 came with a FR printout and it was flat and had low harmonic distortion.  

 https://www.artsexcellence.com/downloads/reviews/benz-micro-ace.hifi-news.artsexcellence.pdf
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