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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.
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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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jjss49 OP
6,612 posts
 
replying to Bryantdrew:

My Zyx isn’t working right... need to tweak the setup more before I render a really informed opinion.

Couple things to say at the outset:

1. ART 9 easier to set up and dial in, though I agree, tweaking it can make it sound even better - Zyx has been problematic (I think due to its very very low mass body)

2. Zyx sounded more hifi and ART 9 more relaxed in comparison (though hardly dull) ... you do get a sense Zyx is somehow accentuating/magnifying the ambient/HF/stage info more... soundstage seems ’on steriods’
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oregonpapa's avatar
oregonpapa
4,867 posts
 
I've been running my ART-9 for about two years now. Once broken in (100-200 hours) I stopped thinking about the cartridge all together.  It never calls attention to itself. It just plays music in a very refined and natural way leaving the listener to concentrate on the performance of the artists and become more emotionally involved with the music. Its a real killer on mono records too. 

Frank
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