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Audio Technica ART9 sounds awful

I have a new ART9, maybe 2 hours on it.  I used to run a Dynavector 10x5.  With the ART9 the bass is very tubby or exaggerated.  The soundstage is shifted to the left.  I never heard either situation from the 10x5...nor is it consistent with cd of same albums.  It really sounds terrible. 

I've checked the cartridge out and nothing looks out of the ordinary.  The vtf is set at 1.8...experimented with 1.7, 1.9 and 2.0 just to see.  No luck.  VTA has the arm visually level...I've experimented with different angles.  No luck.

Turntable:  Basis Audio 2001
Tonearm:   Basis Audio Vector III
Rogue Ares:  Phono stage (set at 100 ohms)

The system has not changed other than the cartridge.

Any suggestions or ideas about how to correct the problem?

Thx


safebelayer
safebelayer OP
66 posts
 
I forgot to add that I disconnected the anti skating.  Between this and the azimuth the soundstage returned.

Oregonpapa, I don't have an answer for you yet.  It sounds alright at this point but I wouldn't be fair to say anything more.  As an aside, no offense to pani, I prefer Dynavector's sound right out of the box.  That's the beauty of this hobby, I can shape the sound as I like it, because previous few of us have heard the music As it was originally recorded to state what it should sound like.  Yes?
jbhiller's avatar
jbhiller
1,437 posts
 
@safebelayer , 
What ended up happening and did you keep the ART9 or go back to the Dynavector? 

My ART9 sounded great out of the box.  It was a bit restrained and had some surface noise, which went away in no time. 
safebelayer OP
66 posts
 
It ended up working out just fine.  Great resolution.  Maybe a bit too bottom heavy, but who knows, maybe my speakers (Nola contenders). This will be my final entry.  Thx to you all.
moonglum
619 posts
 

Apologies for weighing in so late.

I would have suggested zeroing-out anti-skate as an experiment to see how it affected the cart. The reason is that there is anecdotal evidence to suggest that excessive anti-skate can trigger induced resonance in high compliance carts where they are mated to “borderline compatible” tonearms (and possibly even in genuinely compatible ones depending on the nature of the application – spring bias or weighted). Some users claim to have lessened or cured induced resonance by substantially reducing AS.

Interestingly one of the side-effects of induced resonance - and I've experienced this myself - is “phase-ey” behaviour in the cartridge (not that the OP was reporting this effect but may have been unaware).

Safebelayer, try increasing the AS back to a higher level then eyeballing the cart to see if it exhibits any such behaviour - especially on pinchwarps. To fully check your rig, rather than trying the math when you have no data, the most practical way is to use the test bands on e.g. HFN&RR.

Another possible cause (in the general sense) is fluid tonearm damping. Again, anecdotally, some claim damping helps while others warn against its use with high compliance carts. Flip a coin ;^)

Just another 2 things to worry about…. ;^)

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