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AudioTechnica ART 9 users - break in, VTF/VTA and loading questions

Just received my new AT ART 9 -- sounds damn good right out of the box... but just thought I would check in with others already using this cart for some time...

- what is break in time you experienced for the sound to ’settle in’?
- what VTF worked well for you? I am at 1.95 grams.
- what VTA works best? I’ve started at usual slight tail-down setting
- what loading does it like best? I am at 1000 ohms

Just for context, my table is VPI Classic 2E with JMW 10.5 CF arm in VTF tower, into an Ayre P5XE.

Initial reaction is very very smooth, sophisticated sound, with a little more life and sparkle up top than the Koetsu Black I have been using previously. Midrange very very sweet and lifelike and bass is strong. Maybe just a touch more groove noise with AT...  

Differences are pretty much what I have been hoping for... Koetsu really lovely, just a little somber/romantic.

Will develop opinions of spatiality/imaging etc etc after more hours running.

Thanks in advance.
128x128Ag insider logo xs@2xjjss49
harold-not-the-barrel
895 posts
 
ps68,

Blossoms at 250 hours. I still have a long way to go...
Thanks for that vital information, according to other threads about you are the very first to discover that.
I have thought if some carts need a very long break-in time... Interesting.

jbhiller's avatar
jbhiller
1,439 posts
 
I have this cartridge. It replaced a Dynavector 20XH MC.  

The ART-9 met my super high expectations, which were set lofty based on glowing user reviews. 

The cartridge sounded great out of the box. Surface noise plummeted around 10-15 hours of ny memory is right. I kept check VTF during break in and it never changed a bit so there was no adjustment. 

I've got north of 150 hours on it and it sounds fantastic.  I don't even know where it could improve. 

lewm
13,287 posts
 
Pani, Using a 1:12 SUT into a typical MM phono stage, typically bearing a 47K load resistor, would result in the cartridge "seeing" around 325 ohms.  Not that there is anything wrong with that. But how do you achieve the stated resistive load of "120 to 150"?

jjss49's avatar
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jjss49 OP
6,612 posts
 
just getting around to trying the zyx r100h against the art 09... finally felt i had the art 09 sufficiently broken in to understand what it does, under varying VTA, loading and step up conditions.... now mounting the r100h and will run that a while to compare/contrast

have a fresh, upper spec zu modded denon 103r waiting in the wings next
bryantdrew's avatar
bryantdrew
21 posts
 
Just curious how  the ART measured up against the zyx. ? My Art9 is so sensitive. Every little variation changes the sound a great deal. I think this is a good thing for those that care. This is my first cartridge in the "super" cart range so it might be par for the course. I am blown away at the differences in recordings. When I throw a bad record on, I think something is wrong with my set up. Nope.
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