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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
griffithds
852 posts
 
Stringreen,

Yes, I agree but sometimes the enthusiasm is warranted.
I've had my ART 9 for a few months now (3), and I have to agree with the enthusiasm.
I'd place it equal to my Benz LPS. This puts it ahead of my Accuphase AC-2, my Kiseki Gold Spot, my Miyabi, my Roksan Shiraz, my Sony XL-88 and quite a few others!
The only cartridge in my arsenal that gives it a run is my Einstein Barco TU-3. Perhaps also my London Decca Jubilee!

Regards,
pani
1,215 posts
 
Being excited about a new item in the system is a routine affair for most audiophiles. In fact it is one of the things that keeps us going. Even a little isolation device under an amp can bring excitement into the game. But it doesnt mean that every such excitement is yet another infatuation. When you hit upon something really genuine and pure you just know it. At this point one feels fortunate. It is extremely rare to come across such products. Such products do not come out of hit and trial (which most audio designers today do get a desired voicing). The ART-9 is seriously engineered and it is easy to hear it.
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
Well, what's the benefits of Art-9 over ART-2000 ?
I have art-2000 for years and love it.
pani
1,215 posts
 
Never heard the ART-2000 Chakster.
lewm
12,623 posts
 
I like what Pani said. My Ortofon MC2000 is relatively new to me and my system. I got that thrill of discovery when I first auditioned it (without a SUT into my modified super hi-gain Atma-sphere MP1 loaded at 47K). And I think I reported my results here, to credit Raul with his citation of the MC2000 as one of the greats. Now here it is at least a year later. I have spent a lot of time in the interim listening to my other (Beveridge) system, which runs with either an Acutex 320STRIII or a Grace Ruby. However, whenever I go back to the MC2000, I feel the same giddy thrill. Proof of its enduring excellence (to my ears and brain).

There is a paradox with very LOMC cartridges. If one must use a SUT, then one cannot effectively experiment with "infinite" (very high resistance) phono loads, because of the effect of the turns ratio of the SUT upon the impedance seen by the cartridge. Thus it may be the case that one cannot fully experience the best performance of the cartridge, if in fact infinite loading is the ultimate. I really don't know and don't claim that this is always true. It seems to be true for the MC2000, however.

Can anyone explain the differences among AT7, AT9, and AT50? Are they available in mono versions?
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