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Ahhhh...breaking in a cartridge.

While I'm pretty sure most loudspeakers and components do have some break in period, I KNOW cartridges do break in because I've heard the diminishment of surface noise (and other stuff, which may be more subjective) over time. 

I'm breaking in a new Audio Technica ART9 cartridge.  I'm 5 hours in and my ear is either getting used to it or it's sounding better. :)  This is not much time, I know.  I am trying to listen to the same records (about 5 albums) over and over, of which I'm well familiar to see how things go.  If I had to sum up the break in thusfar in one statement I'd say things don't sound as tight and reserved. 

By the way, this cartridge is going to be killer.  It's tonal balance is superb.  Not one region of the spectrum is emphasized. 
128x128jbhiller
blisshifi's avatar
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blisshifi
1,202 posts
 
I'm in the same boat as you with an ART-9. Just recently switched over from a DV 17d3 and could not be happier. 

Cartridge break-in is real, but the progress has its ups and downs. It's different for every cartridge but for my ART-9 it actually got dull for a few hours between 8-10 for me. Started opening up again after that.

The most significant break-in I've ever experienced with a cartridge was with a soundsmith. I remember when it opened up around the 50hr mark and my jaw dropped while listening to Random Access Memories. Years later, while my system has well surpassed the quality that I had with the soundsmoth, I'm hoping that the ART-9 does that to me too!
tablejockey
3,922 posts
 
With all the praise and gushing the ART 9 has earned over these last couple years, imagine the hysteria it will cause for owners if AudioTechnica releases an MKII NEW AND IMPROVED version.


Its been done with all their popular carts, so perhaps it’s just a matter of time...

Theres a huge price gap between the ART 9 and the ART 1000, so maybe there is something on the drawing board that kills all those Lyra,Koetsu and other exotics.

Im approaching the 2 year mark, and too comfortable with mine, about time to blow the refund check!

Enjoy the music, gentlemen.
tooblue
1,934 posts
 
Break in times, especially carts, suck.
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
why not to record those 5 albums on tape or digitally during "break-in period" and then realize what is break-in (if you have not changed cartridge settings) by listening documented material, not your memory. If it works the last file must be much better than first file. 
nandric's avatar
nandric
4,086 posts
 

Carts ''tuning'' seems to be the prerogative of ''carts masters''.

This imply that those ''masters '' are clairvoyant because they

know how their cart will sound ,say, 100 hour later. The question is

what their  tuning means. To my knowledge only Van den Hul is

willing to (re) adjust his carts after 300 hour of use. Why should

he do this? Is he less clairvoyant than his copmetitors? My guess

is that people accomodate to a particular sound and think that

not their hearing but the cart changed. ''Self-deception'' is the

name of this phenomena.

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