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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
1,473 posts
 
No pro reviews means that nobody is sensing them any review samples, not some big conspiracy against value products offending the big spenders. 
I have had dialogue with Michael Fremer about cartridge reviews and he will review a given cartridge as long as the distributor sends him one.  
Some distributors have refused to send him some product because of his honesty.    
If someone were to send him an ART9 i am sure he would review it on Analog Planet.  
       I also believe that comparisons to the Ortofon 2M black are valid and significant because it is a highly regarded, high value, universally praised cartridge by critics and consumers alike.  
The fact that the ART9 trounces it is no small feat IMHO.  

oregonpapa's avatar
oregonpapa OP
4,867 posts
 
From my very first post that started this threadd:

" 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."

Frank
avanti1960
1,473 posts
 
I also like the fact that it is a little too careful and polite compared to some cartridges that like to manufacture air and sparkle that isn't on the recording.  I hear it as adding to the realism factor, not detracting from it.  It gives the ART9 its squeaky clean, natural sound and demeanor.  
pani
1,219 posts
 
I personally have had Van Den Hul Condor, Lyra Skala, Benz Micro Ebony TR and Miyabi standard/47 before the ART-9.
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
@avanti1960

I also believe that comparisons to the Ortofon 2M black are valid and significant because it is a highly regarded, high value, universally praised cartridge by critics and consumers alike.

Have you tried old Ortofon M20FL (fine line) against your new 2M Black? Or Stanton 881s mk2  or maybe 981 (stereohedron) which kills 2M for much less money.

I wish i could come up with my Audio-Technica AT-ML170 and AT-ML180 VM OCC from the 80’s. It would be nice to compare ART9 MC to the best AT’s vintage MM, they are in the same price range today, but the technogy has changed. Look here how the diamont mounted on the cantilever. Those two AT-ML models are the ultimate MMs ever, hard to imagine today price for them if AT could make them, their new MMs are far away from their top products from the 70s/80s, so why their new MC must be better?

Those vintage AT-ML 170 and AT-ML180 VM OCC are much better than newly made ART2000 MC i have owned (it was good cartridge too).

So i’m curious why not compare Audio-Technica’s own stuff to find out what is better. At least they are from the same family tree.

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