Has anyone upgraded from an AudioTechnica ART9?

You should ask our man @pani 

Your “through the roof” expectation bias alone might be enough to make you happy with almost any cartridge that you pay from $2000-$5000 for. On the other hand, you might find that a particular cartridge in that price range is not as good as the art9, if you are able to be honest with yourself. It’s a crapshoot, since ultimately you are the only one who can make the judgment.

jb, what do you have for a phono stage and turntable?

Mike

In my own experience moving from limited edition $700 AT ART-2000 to another $3-4000 cartridge wan NOT positive and does not improved the sound as much as i expected according to the price i paid.

Higher price does not guarantee the improvement and satisfaction.
I think $700-1500 is enough money for amazing cartridge for your particular arm, especially if you are not afraid to buy vintage stuff and do not believe that MC is always better than MM/MI.

And yes, personal experience is the most important to find what you like in your system.