Audio Technica ART9 fans....who's getting this?

That’s one sexy cartridge. I was a huge fan of the ART-9 and it is still my preferred cart under $4-5K. I owned the ART-1000 and while it was more highly resolving, it was too neutral in tonal balance, and I preferred the slight bloom the ART9 had the offer. I eventually went on to higher end Air Tight and My Sonic Lab. I’ll keep my eyes out on this cartridge for sure, though.

one question, though. Is the stylus a diamond? It says line contact stylus, but it doesn’t mention what it is made of, and the illustration on the page makes it look like it’s made of metal.

@blisshifi - Yes the stylus is diamond. Quoting from the design details: "As in the flagship model of the ART Series, the AT-ART1000, titanium is used for the tip reinforcement plate that holds the diamond tip in place. This reduces its mass and improves the high-frequency characteristics."

@bill_k Thanks, I missed that. I was trying to read the page carefully, I should have just searched the page for the word!

Interesting AT stuck with magnetic core, and didn't go with the air core(XA/1000)?

Probably something to do with keeping output voltage relatively high enough for more users?

I've got a crashed ART9 and will use AT's replacement program to try the XA, but will also inquire what's the upgrade cost for the ART20.

New ART20 user chime in, curious about performance!