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
The Japanese rate their compliance differently than USA. Audio-Technica Dynamic compliance: 18 × 10-6 cm/dyne (100Hz). Is this to compliant for this arm?


18 x 1.7 = 30.6 cu @ 10hz 

So 30cu is what you have to take in count along with your tonearm effective mass. 

Should be fine for mid and light arms


I have the AT-OC9MLIII as my primary cart on my 1200G. After it, I have bought the ART9.
I have try Ortofon X1-MC / X3-MC / Shure V15 type V MR...Now I have two ART9.One for the VPI CLASSIC 3 and one for the Technics SL-1000R.It's a great cartridge!!!
FYI ART9 users, having owned and loved my ART9 I just installed a new ART9XA, the .2mv Shibata air core version.  
It sounds completely amazing and bests the sound of a highly regarded $1900 LOMC.  
I have a 9g arm and am using 64db of gain @ 100 ohms loading and the sound is perfect.  So enjoyable.  

I drank the Kool Aid 5 years ago.....

I REALLY want to try the XA, but only have 60dbs of gain. Recently crashed my 2nd ART9, so I'm lookin'.

You can hear the differences of the ART9 on this cheap turntable
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QA1jw5Pj7Y&feature=youtu.be

I like the XA sound. I could live with any version, but the XA has a tiny bit more of  convincing "real".