Pani ... New ART-9 up and running ...
@avanti1960 without knowing your budget I will just suggest the phono stages that I like a lot in the mid-budget range. 1. Naim Stageline (current model) with Hicap PSU 2. Pro-ject phono box RS with its battery PSU 3. Graham Slee Revelation 4. Plinius Koru Tube phono stages: Luxman E200/250 Rogue Audio Ares |
Dear Pani, My apologies. I knew full well that it is Chakster using the JLTi. That was just a bit of brain fade. Perhaps Chakster will respond to my question: What happens if you don't plug anything into the load jacks on the JLTi? Does it present no load or some standard value? Pani, I did wonder what resistive load you are using with the ART9. Mainly because I have found with my Atma-sphere MP1 that 47K works well with several of my MC cartridges, giving a slightly more open top end, and a "bigger" sound, compared to using the more typical LOMC loads, e.g. 100R to 1000R. Perhaps the overall tonal balance is better, as well. |
@lewm I am unfamiliar with the guts of the JLTi. If you have no resistor plugged into the aux phono inputs, is there then no load at all in place? In other words, is it designed such that one MUST plug some resistance into those inputs? By default JLTi phono sage comes with 47k ohms internal resistors for MM and a pair of 100 ohms RCA plug resistors if you want to switch to high gain MC position. But my custom made JLTi comes with 500k ohms internal resistors (Dlalolum used the same configuration), so i can plug-in whatever resistor using a pair of RCAs for MM or MC cartridges. All i need is just to switch gain for high or low position. Some people prefers JLTi over Southerland and many other (up to $3500 in price) phono stages. it’s easy to find audiogoner’s comments or Fremer review. Personally i like it so much, now it’s even cheaper (under $800 for Australian made version) than previous luxury Swiss made version ($1795) designed by Allen Wright. From the manufacturer website: "The name denotes that this is a Solid State device using something that is called Diamond Transistor Theory, rarely used on High-End Audio products. The most simple and linear audio voltage amplification device is a Vacuum Triode which consists of three electrodes only. They are the Grid (input), Cathode (grounding) and Anode (output). On the other hand, the Solid State Transistor is a current device but is nowhere near as linear as the Triode. It consists of Base (input), Emitter (grounding) and Collector (output). The idea behind a Diamond Transistor is actually a composite circuit that emulates the near perfect and linear Transistor as a current device with the same three electrodes in the circuit then becomes the equivalent of the Base, Emitter and Collector followed by a Unity Gain Buffer.Our Diamond Transistor eschews feedback completely and uses Passive EQ" READ MORE |
Installed the ART9 on Saturday, a threaded body would be helpful, but once the screws and round(?) nut were installed it was the easiest cart I have installed, due to the flat bottomed clear protector. I was able to do most of the alignment with the protector on, when I took it off to check it out it and dropped it on the jig, it was perfect. I hate moving the cart around on the metal jig but this lets you move it with no issues. Played the first record, brite, etched high end, pinched mids, and bloated tubby bass (it sounded like Levon Helm had a nose plug on). As the side played we could hear it changing quickly, my girl looks at me and says " is it changing this fast, is that what I'm hearing?" and it was. By the end of the first record brightness diminishes, mids open up and bass becomes tight. As I keep playing records, the changes come more slowly and subtly,but it keeps revealing itself. Ten hours in it is a totally different sound, open, clear and deep, amazing! I was researching this cart when I found this thread, glad I did. The experience of the skewed cantilever might have put me off enough to give up on the ART9, so glad I kept with it. Gain is no issue with the ARC PH-6, a very nice pre that I got for $1700 new in the box (for the posters looking for a pre) Thanks to all for the support!!! Especially Pani and Frank! |
