Has anyone upgraded from an AudioTechnica ART9?

I guess one can argue both pro and con on the comparison between "modern" and "vintage" gear, by one's selection of products to argue about.  Surely I would not disagree that there is some very expensive modern junk out there.  In vintage gear, the greatest values may be found in speakers, I think, such as the Quad 57 and KLH 9 ESLs, for two examples. Then there are the vintage direct drive turntables, which have come into vogue partly because there are so few modern direct drive turntables from which to choose, and the ones we do have are very expensive.  It's selective.  But I won't concede that the 1970s and 80s vintage Japanese amplifiers and phono stages have anything special to offer us in the here and now.  They're cool and collectible, but that's about it.
I have heard older Pass solid state amplifiers, and they are fine.  I have also heard First Watt amplifiers and like them as well, on efficient speakers.  But I would not have thought that the latest Pass amplifiers were as flawed as you say.  If so, that's too bad, because Mr Pass knows more about solid state circuits than most and can apparently do whatever he wants.

Pass experimental platform is First Watt and those amp for many years have been handmade by him only in very small quantities (100 units each). Then he start making more units of each. But each amp is unique in its design, each one is different. As he said in the interview they are tested and voiced on Tannoy. I adore his design, because i'm using crossoverless Zu Druid speakers (Nelson also own Zu and like them). But he made several FW amps not only for high efficient speakers. Anyway First Watt is like laboratory for unique design from the genius. People collect different First Watt amps. After an audition of First Watt amps no one can say anything bad about Solid State versus Tubes. Actually i think First Watt is superior to tube amps, but my experience with tube amps is limited. The price for any First Watt (except maybe SIT monoblocks) is so affordable, it's a clean winner. Highly recommended.   

In my opinion a highly valuable vintage gear is Cartridges, Reel to Reel machines, DD Turntables, Speakers, NOS tubes. 

P.S. Nelson has mentioned some extremely rare transistors made by Sony back in the day.    

Yes, Pass knows everything and thats the point. Very few people know their stuff and even they have reasons to create junk. Anyway, these days I am struggling to find a fine sounding tube phonostage for $5-6k. Something uncolored and true to the source. SS sounds too grey at that level.

Dear @lewm  : I had a rare opportunity to listen the First Watt and XA NP designs in the same system with Magico speakers.

Differences are not nigth and day in favor the XA amplifiers but way notorious. First Watt is a " so so "  amplifier and nothing more where the XA is in a different " world " at quality performance levels.

Personal preferences dictates each one audio items  judgements.

Anywat NP electronic designs are very good and competitive. I remember the very old Threshold S 5000E and the SA-1 when in those times NP preference belongs to bipolar devices instead today MosFets or Jfets. I'm with bipolars as output devices but at the input too and I don't like transformers at the input as in the SIT FW amplifier. Well there is no perfect electronic designs, trade-offs always exist.

R.

Dear @lewm  I forgot about what you ask me in one of your posts about cartridges, megabucks cartridges.

First I really don't listen yet all the 8K+ cartridges out there, I think that like around 10 of them only and no I did not find out one of them that was not up to its " major league " quality performance levels.

As a fact in this " major league " cartridges all sounds more alike than different, its differences in between exist and our choice is only limited my our music/audio preferences but ceratinly not for cartridge limitations.

Of course that what can add some limitations could be our room/system overall resolution and quality whole performace level but even here those cartridge never losted its very high " pedigree ".

In the past I bougth almost every new " major league " design but when suddenly those kind of cartridges prices gone to almost the double I hd to stop buying it becuse I don't have that kind of money. Lucky I'm with friends that own those cartridges and that way I have the opportunity to listen  these elusive megabuck cartridges.

In the other side with cartridges in the 3K-6K price range the differences between the cartridges are significant and higher that with the differences in between the major league samples.

Btw, other than the speakers that you do not like at your friend place maybe the Durand tonearm could not be the best match, even that the Telos is a dual pivot bearing design is not totally stable and that's why Durand new tonearm design is a gimbaled one and the today top of the line ( VPI did it the same too before. ), maybe your friend can borros the Etna for your system.

Now that I remember one gentleman that I think you know is Dgarretson that I think gone from the ART ( I believe the 7. ) to the Etna, you can be in touch with him. What I knew is that was satisfied with.

lewm, with a major league cartridge sample no one can go wrong. Yes we have to have more care in the overall cartridge set up for it can shows at its best and maybe we have to have a music/sound good maturity levels.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.