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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
 
j_damon ...

Nice analog rig you have there. If it uses a "flat" belt as opposed to a "round" belt, get the Origin Live custom belt. Its worth every penny and far more. You'll think you've upgraded a component ... its that good. 

Now you've really gotten me interested in the Herbie's mat. I just completed the system with Herbie's tube dampeners on all of the tubes.  Wow! Another cost effective upgrade and highly recommended for anyone running tube gear. 

Frank
pani
1,219 posts
 
Lewm, your input regarding the effect of cartridge loading is very interesting especially considering I am currently running a very interesting phono stage by EMIA.

This is an MM phono stage and a Slagle built SUT is being used for MC gain. The MM stage has an input impedance of 300 kohms (not the typical 47kohms). Now, when I use a SUT with 1:20 ratio, the reflected impedance seen by my ART-9 is about 750 ohms (300k/square of turns ratio). This is almost like not loading the cartridge at all. The ART-9 likes to be loaded at 250 ohms in general. 750 ohms is very high and while the effect is a sound that is very live, there is some loss of body in the tones. What do you think would be the right way to load the cartridge down ? Can adding capacitance be an option too ?
j_damon
388 posts
 
Frank, do not hesitate with herbies mat, you will thank me, I got his excellent II 2mm thickness. I have to measure the belts  and will be trying the origin belt, wondering if I should get 3, two for the motors that drive the flywheel and one for the platter, I'm thinking three...  I was also considering Herbies tube dampners as well. Never ends  
lewm
13,164 posts
 
Pani, You could replace the 300K ohm resistor with 100K ohms, or have Dave do it for you.  Then the cartridge would "see" a 250 ohm load. Easy, peasie.


lewm
13,164 posts
 
Or add a resistance in parallel with the 300K resistor that would bring the net resistance down to 100K.  150K ohms would do it.

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